Research has shown that probiotics can significantly improve your gut health and in doing so, directly and positively impact the skin in a variety of ways. Of course there are daily habits that impact your skin beyond probiotics that you'll want to address as well but today I'm focusing on the benefits of probiotics for healthy skin.
Gut health is the foundation of healthy skin from within.
Benefits of Probiotics for Skin
It's important to note that not all probiotics are created equal and some can cause a reaction.
What probiotics are best?
Lactobacillus paracasei: This probiotic has been shown to reduce skin sensitivity and improve skin barrier function. It has also been found to increase TGF-beta which plays a significant role in the integrity of the skin.
Lactobacillus longum: Studies have found this probiotic provides increased resistance to physical stressors to the skin such as heat, cold and wind, as well as chemical aggressors (skin-care products) and a decrease in dryness with supplementation of this probiotic.
Lactobacillus plantarum: Research has shown that this probiotic has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. While most studies focus on the treatment of acne with this strain, the fact it supports healthy skin sebum and hydration is promising for the treatment of rosacea.
Taking a probiotic capsule isn't the only way to help support your gut bacteria.
Here are additional ways to support your gut microbiome:
- Limit food sensitivities. Especially gluten and dairy. Modern wheat is sprayed with a herbicide called RoundUp which contains glyphosate which disrupts the gut microbes.
- Ditch sugar. Refined sugar feeds bad bacteria, yeast, fungi which disrupts the delicate balance of your gut microbiome.
- Eat fermented foods (if you're not sensitve to histamines). In this video and post, I share the top fermented foods which contain live bacteria that support gut health.
- Eat plenty of plant-based foods. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, beans, lentils and legumes contain phytonutrients. These plant chemicals nourish the gut microbes. In fact, many of them are considered "prebiotics". Prebiotics are literally fuel for the bacteria.
- Drink plenty of clean, filtered water.
- Get a daily dose of nature. Sounds funny I know! But being outdoors exposes you to a plethora of healthy microorganisms you don't come into contact with indoors.
It's worth noting that probiotic strains can increase histamine production which can be a trigger for skin issues.
You can check out the research here showing this link to histamine production. Rosacea is one such skin condition that can be worsened by histamines. However, some strains such a L. plantarum and L. longum can help degrade histamines.
I have personally found that many probiotics elevated my histamine levels when my rosacea was moderate to severe so I had to take a break. This histamine connection is quite rare though. For a good chunk of time, I only used S. Boulardii for gut health. It has been shown in research to support gut health and it is not histamine producing - it's not technically a probiotic, it's a beneficial yeast. You can read more about the supplements I took to get my rosacea under control here. Some of them I still take to this day!
You can also address the histamines by limiting them in your diet and consider other natural health supplements to reduce histamines as well: quercitin, holy basil, milk thistle (in our Joyous Detox and Joyous Rejuvenate tea), green tea and nettle. We have both green tea and nettle in our Radiance Tea which is specifically formulated for healthy skin!
Limiting histamines in your diet and taking herbs or supplements to reduce histamines will help but know that it is a bandaid solution. Addressing and supporting your overall gut health is what is going to make the difference so your gut properly breaks down histamines.
As a side note and little experiment, I've mixed my Hella Hydrating serum with a probiotic powder and put it on my cheeks before bed. The texture of my face was super smooth from this application and inflammation was significantly reduced when I used to have rosacea flare-ups.
I hope this helps you!
Joy xo
Hi Joy! This was eye opening for me as I was on a 6 month break from Probiotics (per my ND)
ReplyOh good, glad to hear you found it informative. I'm sure your ND has good reasons taking a break :)
Great article, Joy, thank you! I followed your link to Genuine Health, but it appears that they have several probiotic products to choose from. Which one do you use?
ReplyThe 15 billion advanced gut health probiotics. I also take S. Boulardii daily as well from AOR. Hope that helps!
Hello Joy, Thanks for this article. How long would you recommend taking probiotics for to see and feel its benefits and effects?
ReplyEveryone is unique so it's really tough to say. I would say as long as you're making other lifestyle changes including diet and managing stress, you should see positive changes in a few weeks. What skin issue are you dealing with and maybe I can provide more advice?
Thanks so much for your reply, Joy. Recently, my face feels a bit more sensitive than normal, and sometimes itchy. I cannot distinguish whether it's a result of a heightened level of histamines due to taking a daily probiotics for the past two weeks or not.
ReplyHi Karen! Are you normally sensitive to histamines? I would take histamines out of your diet for a week and see if that makes a difference. Some probiotics can be histamine inducing too.