Fighting skin issues is every woman’s nightmare. Every day, when you look in the mirror, you see something new on your face. If it’s not a new pimple, it’s a UV damage spot. If it’s not a rash around your mouth, it’s a new wrinkle (probably from worrying so much).

Did you know that the skincare industry is all about probiotics right now? The latest skincare trends are promoting probiotics for skin in various forms: creams, lotions, cleansing gels, and supplements. But are they really that effective?

Why doesn’t my skin love me back?

You've probably had a million different treatments and tried countless tricks to save your skin, but nothing seems to work. First, you have to know why some blemishes develop to be able to treat them properly.

Most girls and adult women suffer from acne, which can affect confidence and self-esteem. But throw the negative thoughts in the trash because there is nothing to be ashamed of. Your face is still beautiful, and your skin is just trying to tell you something. 

Acne may be triggered by hormonal changes, oily cosmetic (and hair) products, unnecessary skin touching or rubbing, and smoking. If you’re under a lot of stress, dehydrated, have a poor diet, or lack sleep, it will show on your skin, and it can start breaking out. So, your lifestyle is just as important as what you put on your face.

Genetics is all fun and games when it’s about eye colour, strong hair, high IQ, and big boobies. But not as much when it comes to the family history of eczema. Your immune system becomes overactive when exposed to cold and dry weather, food allergies, animals, pollen, stress, and even certain materials. All these scenarios can result in the most common type of eczema, atopic dermatitis, that causes your skin to become dry and itchy.

The most mysterious one is rosacea. Scientists can’t figure out what triggers reddened skin and a rash, but some of the most common theories are blaming sunlight, hairspray, alcohol, and spicy food. Pretty much everything a girl likes, right?

Contrary to popular belief, psoriasis is not contagious. Scientists believe it’s immune system chaos when infection-fighting cells mistakenly attack healthy skin cells. Common causes are also stress (what else?), skin injuries, such as a cut or sunburn, infections, weather, and two partners in crime: alcohol and tobacco.

Your skin has a microbiome of its own. There are many good bacteria making sure your skin stays healthy and glowing, but when the bad ones prevail, problems start to occur. And the best thing for any microbiota drama are probiotics that know exactly how to handle it.

5 benefits of probiotics for skin

Probiotics are commonly known to treat gut microbiota, but they are also a hidden gem for saving your skin. They can potentially prevent and improve skin issues, such as acne, eczema, atopic dermatitis, UV damage, and inflammation.

Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that have proven positive effects on your skin. These little friends already live in your gut naturally, but with probiotic supplements you can give them a boost during hard times, when you need them the most (like when suffering from skin problems and an unbalanced gut microbiota). 

They are the ultimate skin protectors, strengthening your skin barrier and balancing your skin’s microbiome.

The best probiotics for skin include these bacterial strains:

• Lactobacillus acidophilus

• Bifidobacterium bifidum

• Lactobacillus rhamnosus

• Bacillus sabtilis 

• Lactobacillus casei

These bacterial strains are famous for having potential skin benefits because, just like your gut, your skin also has its own microbiome that needs special care. 

There are many probiotic benefits for the skin:

1. Strengthening the skin barrier by enhancing your natural barrier function to keep your skin moisturised and help fight dryness and irritation.

2. Balancing skin microbiome by supporting a healthy environment free from bad bacteria.

3. Reducing bad bacteria growth that can cause inflammation, acne, and other worries.

4. Calming inflammation by soothing irritated skin and lifting redness and swelling (perfect for women with sensitive and reactive skin).

5. Supporting healing, such as recovering from blemishes, wounds, and acne spots, by helping in the skin’s natural healing process.

The link between your gut and skin

Your gut microbiota is a tiny world of its own. It consists of many bacteria, fungi, and other live organisms that keep your digestive system running smoothly, support your energy levels, and help you build up your immune system.

However, having an unhappy gut can totally mess with your skin state. Your gut and skin bacteria are heavily influenced by the food you eat, and eating unhealthy meals can wreak havoc on your gut microbiome. 

Besides feeling bleh, unproductive, sleepy, and annoyed, the first thing you’ll notice is skin issues (and puffiness in the face, to top it off) because something is not right in your gut.

Bad gut health shows on your skin as:

• Oily or dry skin

• Inflammation

• Acne (pimples, clogged pores, and inflamed skin)

• Psoriasis (inflamed and scaly skin)

• Rosacea (reddened skin and a rash, usually on the nose and cheeks)

• Atopic dermatitis (itchy, dry, and cracked skin), also known as atopic eczema

How do I know I need probiotics?

Redness on the cheeks, sun damage, or that clogged pore that finally showed its true face as a big fat zit, are all signs something’s up in your skin and gut.

If you’re feeling constantly sick, bloated, constipated, or even suffer from food poisoning, probiotics may be the answer to your prayers. All those issues are coming from the gut and it’s important to give your microbiota some support when facing hard times. 

Some women even have to face more serious conditions, such as severe acne outbreaks, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and rosacea (not so innocent as pink cheeks when you’re blushing).

We know how hard it is to constantly fight skin issues with no improvement. Countless cosmetic products, facial treatments, searching online for tips to improve your skin, and even putting on dubious skin masks made from ingredients found in your kitchen. (We've all been there).

It's time to gain a new perspective and start fighting the problem from its core – from the gut.

The best way to use probiotics for skin health

Cosmetic probiotics for skin may have limited benefits because many of them include antiseptics in their formula – which don’t actually get along with the probiotic strains and, therefore, minimise their positive effects.

Also, applying the probiotics topically (putting them directly on the skin) makes the job of the good bacterial strains a little more difficult as the microbial stabilisation is affected by the pH, temperature, and humidity levels of the product storage.

Finally, putting a probiotic cream on your face only has an effect on the top layers of the skin. When suffering from skin health issues, it is important to nurture the deeper layers, too.

Probiotics are the go-to solution for improving gut microbiome and fighting inflammatory skin issues, which are likely caused by bad gut health.

Researchers say that orally consumed probiotics are the best option for skin health. By taking a probiotic capsule, you ensure a direct influence on gut microbiota, which in turn helps with skin health.

Without showing some love to the gut, your skin will continue to cry for help. Probiotics, safely stored in a capsule, have a better shot at improving your skin because you give them a chance to make your gut microbiota happy.

Good Gut leads to glorious skin

11 probiotic strains with added prebiotic action sounds like the perfect recipe for making your skin even more beautiful than it already is. We used that exact recipe to make our probiotic for skin Good Gut from Tummy Tox.