If you’re like most people, you’ve heard all about the health benefits of probiotics – and now you want to know what they can do for your skin. Here are six surprising ways that probiotics can help beautify your complexion from the inside out. From healthier skin and less acne to brighter skin tone and faster healing from sunburns, probiotics are worth getting excited about!
1) Protects Against Wrinkles
A study published in 2015 showed that probiotic supplementation (with Lactobacillus rhamnosus) reduced skin roughness, scaling, and red blotchiness in adult women. The probiotic formulation caused positive changes to gene expression for skin barrier function, including increased epidermal fatty acid-binding protein and decreased filaggrin.
2) Improves Skin Hydration
Your digestive system contains a delicate balance of bacteria. If your gut is out of whack, you’re likely to experience problems with digestion. When it comes to skin hydration, healthy digestion is essential. Without enough probiotics in your gut, bad bacteria can attack and destroy collagen—the protein that keeps skin smooth and elastic. With regular use, probiotic supplements may improve collagen production and keep your dermis looking young and fresh.
3) Speeds Healing From Skin Damage
When your immune system isn’t functioning at its best, you can suffer from acne, psoriasis, and eczema. And when you are pregnant or have an existing autoimmune condition, these problems may become worse. But probiotics—live bacteria that help keep our digestive systems in check—can help with all these skin issues and more by improving our immunity. As a result, probiotic-rich food may speed healing from skin damage caused by conditions like burns and wounds as well as sunburns.
4) Keeps Skin Clear And Glowing
By keeping your gut health healthy, you may also be helping to keep your skin healthy. A recent study found that probiotic-rich yogurt helped improve acne in women between 18 and 45 years old. Eating a diet rich in probiotics, which are good bacteria for your digestion, can lead to clearer and more beautiful skin. There’s even evidence that eating certain types of fermented foods (like sauerkraut) may have a small impact on preventing wrinkles and fine lines from developing, too!
5) Gives Your Skin An Overall Boost
The skin is an organ, after all, and we’ve learned that there are a lot of ways to give our organs an overall boost to ensure they’re working at their best. Taking probiotics internally may help with dryness and other skin problems in addition to boosting your mood. It could be that certain strains or doses of bacteria—or even probiotic supplementation in general—help with acne outbreaks. And again, research does show positive results when it comes to rosacea and eczema.
6) Reduces Acne Flare-Ups
The bacteria that live on our skin, P. acnes, produce natural fatty acids called ceramides. When a person is deficient in ceramides, pimples can form due to too much oil production. By taking probiotic supplements daily and making sure you get enough omega-3 fatty acids in your diet, you can lower your risk for acne and keep breakouts at bay.
Final Thoughts
Your skin is exposed to a lot over time. Between sun damage, harsh weather conditions, and makeup, your skin needs love to remain supple and healthy. Fortunately, probiotics can help. Research shows that taking probiotic supplements may improve your skin’s condition; however, you don’t need a supplement to get in on these benefits. These little bacteria are everywhere (yogurt is even packed with them!), which means it’s likely you’re already consuming plenty without realizing it!
