The skincare world is full of buzzy new words, from natural ingredients to things like probiotics. Probiotics are live enzymes that introduce good bacteria to the skin, helping with conditions like eczema. Probiotics are usually taken orally to introduce more good bacteria to the gut, which can benefit certain conditions or after a round of antibiotics that kill all the good bacteria. Do probiotics for skin work, though?
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What Are Probiotics?
Probiotics first became a buzzy word in the health and supplement industry. They are usually called friendly or good bacteria because they are necessary, don’t cause harm, and can help regulate the “bad” bacteria in the body.
Probiotics are live microorganisms. They’re usually a combination of bacteria and yeast in a capsule. Once the capsule reaches the digestive tract, stomach acid eats through the thin capsule, releasing the bacteria into the digestive system, where they go to work.
According to the National Institute of Health, probiotics can impact the gut microbiome, help with conditions like indigestion, support the immune system, and may help prevent or manage certain digestive disorders.
Different Terms To Know
You’ll come across the terms probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics as you learn about probiotics. It’s crucial to know the difference:
- Probiotics: Probiotics are live bacteria that are ingested and offer significant benefits to the host.
- Prebiotics: Prebiotics are essentially food for the live bacteria. They are usually non-digestible fiber that can help make probiotics more active and encourage growth.
- Postbiotics: Postbiotics are “metabolic byproducts produced by probiotics after they ingest prebiotics.” It’s the equivalent of bacteria poop.
A lot of probiotic supplements also include prebiotics to ensure you get as many benefits as possible.
Probiotics For Skin
The skin is the body’s largest organ, and it’s impacted by everything we feel, eat, and do. Probiotics can be taken orally in supplement form or applied topically to help the skin. Oral supplements work by positively impacting the gut microbiome, which then benefits the skin.
Topical treatments are becoming increasingly popular, especially for conditions like eczema. However, this doesn’t mean you can spread yogurt on the skin. Specific types of probiotics are considered more beneficial for skin.
Common Strains Used For Skin
Specific strains of bacteria have shown benefits that are useful for the skin, such as anti-inflammatory benefits. Learning the different strains used ensures you select products best for your skin type and conditions. Some of the most common probiotics for skin are:
- Lactobacillus rhamnosus: Studies have shown this strain can relieve skin irritation and encourage wound healing. Lactobacillus strains can also reduce the effects of atopic dermatitis, helping soothe redness and irritation. Lactobacillus acidophilus is promising for rosacea due to its ability to calm inflammation and soothe the skin.
- Bifidobacterium longum: This bacteria is usually found in the digestive tract. Many believe it can inhibit the growth of pathogens. The best way to get this bacteria is through an oral supplement to ensure enough in the digestive tract.
- Lactobacillus acidophilus: Studies suggest this one can support the skin barrier and reduce the severity of acne.
- Nitrosomonas eutropha and Lactobacillus buchneri: These strains can promote skin health and help with anti-aging.
- Bifidobacterium bifidum: This strain can help improve skin quality and reduce the severity of acne. Other Bifidobacterium strains can reduce the symptoms of atopic dermatitis and inflammation.
- Lactobacillus plantarum: This probiotic can help repair the skin barrier and reduce acne.
These are the most common strains used on the skin to help prevent acne, soothe irritation, and possibly prevent premature aging. However, they are far from the only ones. Scientists continue to study various strains to determine how they can benefit the skin.
How Probiotics Affect The Skin
Probiotics are consistently studied to determine how they affect the skin and their potential benefits. These bacteria work hard to help heal and balance the skin, starting with the skin microbiome.
What Is The Microbiome?
The skin microbiome is also called the microbiota. It’s an ecosystem of tiny bacteria, viruses, and fungi in a layer on the skin. It’s so small that we can’t see it, but it plays a crucial role in skin health. The microbiome is mainly made up of bacteria, with viruses and fungi playing a small role. This complex ecosystem helps:
- Support immune function
- Promote wound healing
- Create a balance to help address skin conditions
When the ecosystem is healthy, it helps promote proper skin barrier function. However, an overgrowth of certain bacteria can result in various skin conditions and impair the skin’s ability to function properly.
How Probiotics Can Help
One of the main problems with the skin microbiome is the overgrowth of certain bacteria or fungus. For example, studies have found that there are often higher levels of Staphylococcus aureus and fewer beneficial bacteria in cases of atopic dermatitis and eczema. This is why probiotics and prebiotics are seeing a surge in popularity regarding eczema treatments and more people are searching for ways to help restore the microbiome.
Main Benefits
The main benefits of using probiotics for skin are fewer breakouts, less inflammation, and possibly fewer eczema flare-ups. However, more research is needed to learn how to use probiotics to restore the skin’s microbiome and the impact this can have on eczema. Many people report positive benefits from using probiotics, and the research is promising.
The Current Research
Scientists have been studying probiotics for the skin for many years, and research has made great strides in discovering how the skin’s microbiome works, what can help, and whether probiotics can help. Here are a few of the highlights regarding recent research:
- Reduces Systematic Inflammation: This research indicates probiotics taken orally can help the gut, reducing systemic inflammation and therefore promoting healthier skin.
- Proven Antiinflammatory Benefits: Multiple studies have revealed that topical probiotics can reduce inflammation, a key symptom of multiple skin conditions.
- Wound Healing: Many studies have discovered that probiotics can enhance skin health and promote wound healing. However, it’s crucial to use the right type of probiotics for the job.
Additional studies have shown probiotics’ positive impact on fine lines, wrinkles, signs of aging, acne, and dermatitis.
However, more research is still needed. Topical and oral probiotics offer enhanced skin health, but oral probiotics help the skin indirectly. More research is needed to determine additional benefits of certain strains of bacteria, how taking probiotics orally combined with topical application can help the skin, and more.
The Truth About Probiotic Skincare
While it sounds wonderful that you may be able to buy probiotic skincare to see fast results for conditions like eczema, that’s not always the case. There are a few things to learn about probiotic skincare before heading to the store to pick some up.
Most Products Don’t Have Live Probiotics
Probiotics have become a buzzy word in the beauty industry because everyone knows a healthy skin microbiome is crucial. However, remember that probiotics are live bacteria. Skincare products typically need preservatives to ensure they don’t go bad, making the live bacteria ineffective. The preservatives can kill the bacteria in some cases. So, you’re likely not getting the probiotics you think you are.
What’s In The Bottle?
Some companies may put probiotics in the bottle, but they may be ineffective thanks to preservatives. Always check to see if there are preservatives to determine if the probiotics will work.
Many companies include prebiotics in their products. Prebiotics can encourage the bacteria on the skin to be more active, helping restore a healthy skin microbiome.
Some companies also put postbiotics in the bottle. Remember that postbiotics are metabolic byproducts of prebiotics, which are the live bacteria. In this situation, you get the byproduct, not the live bacteria. Postbiotics offer a few benefits, but not nearly as many as prebiotics.
Lysed Probiotics
Many skincare companies have started using lysed probiotics. Lysed probiotics are probiotics that have been broken down, releasing the contents of the probiotic so you can enjoy the benefits of probiotics. Skincare companies can easily use lysed probiotics with preservatives to offer amazing benefits and a longer shelf life.
Products with lysed probiotics may refer to them as lysed probiotics, lysated, or call them lysate. These terms all usually mean the same thing, and the lysed probiotics can provide the same benefits as live probiotics, such as anti-inflammatory benefits.
Shopping For Probiotic Skincare
While some companies use things like postbiotics or preservatives in the bottle, there are trustworthy products on the market, too. Taking a few precautions can help you find effective skincare with great ingredients:
- Read the Label: Many companies label their products as ” probiotics,” but they may add a little asterisk beside it. Look further down on the bottle or product description to see what the asterisk means, as it may mean there are really postbiotics in the bottle. Always read the product description before purchasing products online.
- Check For Preservatives: Preservatives can make probiotics ineffective, so be weary of products that contain both probiotics and preservatives. Instead, look for products that don’t contain preservatives and have probiotics.
- Expiration Date: Skincare products without preservatives will expire much sooner than others. Check the expiration date to make sure you use it before it expires. Avoid stocking up if there’s a massive sale because these products go bad sooner, and you may not get the chance to use them all.
- Check Reviews: Most people feel compelled to leave a negative review if a product doesn’t work as advertised. Always take the time to read product reviews and do your due diligence before spending your money on probiotics for skin.
Products With Probiotics For Skin
Probiotic Instant Refreshing Gel Hydrator
Glowbiotics is known for specializing in probiotic skincare, from moisturizers to glow serums and anything else you need. You can see the term “lysate” in product descriptions, meaning they use lysed probiotics to ensure you get all of the amazing benefits of probiotics in a shelf-stable product.
This gel moisturizer helps strengthen your skin barrier while soothing redness and inflammation. The lightweight formula doesn’t feel heavy on your skin and absorbs quickly. It’s carefully designed for people with oily skin and has anti-acne benefits.
Why You’ll Love It
- Lightweight formula
- Anti-acne benefits
- Doesn’t make skin feel greasy
- Soothing
Cool Biotic Redness Relief Cream
Dr. brandt has a complete line of effective biotic products. The brand is transparent, and lets you know the products are packed with pre and post-biotics to help nourish your skin’s barrier. Dr. Brandt uses science-backed ingredients to produce impressing and innovative products. Every product on the website has clinical trials you can see where real people test products before they hit the shelves.
You’ll discover a lot more than a few biotics in this redness relief cream. Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil helps soothe and calm the skin, further reducing redness. Mondo Grass moisturizes and strengthens the skin barrier. Colloidal Oatmeal is gentle on sensitive skin while moisturizing.
Why You’ll Love It
- A little goes a long way
- Gentle
- Effective
- Suitable for all skin types
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