What Can Probiotics Do For Your Skin?

By now, most of us of know the healthy benefits associated with taking probiotics, whether in the foods we eat or the supplements we take, and how they help to improve our stomach’s microbiome. But at Valley View Dermatology, we’ve started to notice that probiotics have started to undergo a bit of an identity overhaul. Currently, a new type of probiotics has gained our attention.

You can now find a wide range of topical beauty products like moisturizers, cleansers, and serums full of friendly bacteria that promise to soothe inflammation, diminish acne, and even strengthen the skin’s resistance to oil and dirt.

Sounds pretty great, right?

But is it really worth adding skin care products with probiotics to an ever-evolving daily skin care routine that’s already packed with retinol, a laundry list of vitamins, and hyaluronic acid? Let’s take a look.

What are Probiotics?

General Use: Probiotics are a healthy type of live bacteria and yeasts that offer important benefits for the overall health of our digestive system. The most common place to find probiotics are yogurt and daily supplements, and they have the ability to block pathogens and balance bacteria in the stomach in order to prevent cramping, bloating, and other issues.

Skincare Use: The exact definition of probiotics is any “micro-organism that can befit its host.” Such a wide open definition allows manufactures to use a wide variety of probiotics in their skin care products. Gallinee, for example, use a lactobacillus type, while Aurelia uses a non-live probiotic taken from bifido bacteria. So while the type of probiotic used may vary, they all offer a similar type of benefit to the health of your skin, as we’ll discuss in a moment. However, you may need to do a little trial and error before you find a brand that works best for you.

How to Probiotic Work and Why Are They So Good for Your Skin?

Much as how probiotics work to prevent and treat stomach problems, topical versions also have been shown to have a calming effect on the skin by stimulating a surge of good bacteria that help skin cells thrive.

So how does it work. Well, let’s dive into the science.

The bacteria cell content works along with receptors to modulate the immune response, which greatly helps to soothe skin that’s become inflamed.

The bacterial ecosystem naturally found on our skin plays a very important protective role, which can be easily damaged with the use of harsh soaps and stringent cleansers. This can result in skin that is stressed, dry, and sensitive. By adding probiotics to you skin care regimen, you can help to rebuild this healthy skin ecosystem, giving you the healthy looking skin you desire.

Who Does Probiotic Skincare Help?

Patients who could get the most out of probiotic skincare are those who:

Have sensitive skin. Probiotics have the remarkable ability to rebuild and strengthen our skin’s protective barrier. While sensitive skin takes time to repair itself after being damage, probiotics will help to speed up the healing process.

Live in the city. Free radicals such as those found in pollution have the ability to accelerate aging and to suck the youthful radiance from your skin. Fortunately, when you topically apply probiotics to the skin, you can boost its natural defense mechanisms.

Probiotics can actually calm the natural immune triggers in the skin which can become easily overstimulated by stress and pollution, and they can reduce the damage these immune triggers cause to elastin, collagen, and healthy cells.

You’re acne-prone. Studies have shown that products containing lactobacillus (which we mentioned before) was proven effective at treating acne. Preliminary results have been so encouraging, that some believe in the near future acne will be treated not with antibiotics but with probiotics instead.

Our Salem Skin Care Professionals are Here to Help

Interested in finding out what probiotic skin care products can do for the health and appearance of your skin? Come on down to Valley View Dermatology in Salem, Wilsonville, Lincoln City, or Keizer and a member of our staff will be happy to show you the full range of products that we current offer.

Don’t wait to get the younger, healthier looking skin you’ve been wanting. Contact Valley View Dermatology today!