Provided are: a skin-protecting agent and an external preparation for skin protection, which not only synergistically work in combination with a plant polysaccharide but also has an effect of promoting the production of glycerol derived from Staphylococcus epidermidis, which is a skin resident bacterium useful on the skin, and the production of antimicrobial peptides derived from skin epidermal keratinocytes and exhibits excellent effect of improving the touch feeling when applied to the skin. More specifically, the present invention provides a skin protective agent and an external preparation for skin protection, which comprise a lactic acid bacterium belonging to the genus Enterococcus.本發明提供一種保護皮膚之藥劑與皮膚保護用外用劑，其於與植物性多糖類之組合中協同地發揮作用，且在皮膚上，具有促進源自有益之皮膚常駐菌之表皮葡萄球菌的甘油之產生與源自皮膚表皮角化細胞之抗菌胜肽之產生的效果，且於應用於皮膚時之感覺改善效果亦優異。更具體而言，本發明提供一種含有腸球菌屬乳酸球菌之皮膚保護劑、皮膚保護用外用劑。
