What Is Probiotic Skincare?

Over the last ten years, scientists have learned more and more about how our bodies’ carefully balanced microbiomes affect our overall health. Research points to startling and exciting news: the bacteria inside your body is responsible for much of your physical and mental wellbeing. When the balance of good bacteria (probiotics) and bad bacteria is out of whack, the body can experience serious consequences from poor digestion to skin issues to mental health problems.

Scientists already know that healthy levels of probiotics in your gut help alleviate inflammatory skin conditions like acne and psoriasis. I myself have seen a miraculous improvement in my chronic eczema since I started caring for my gut health. But what about topical probiotics? Could applying healthy bacteria on top of your skin be the key to a glowing complexion?

Most dermatologists admit that the science behind topical probiotics isn’t quite up to speed with the research on internal probiotics. However, the field does look promising. Many skincare companies have started adding probiotic bacteria fragments (not live and active cultures) into their formulas to boost their benefits. Here are a few ways skin experts believe that probiotic-infused skincare benefits your complexion.

Soothe Inflammation

According to experts, topical probiotics are especially useful in treating inflammatory skin conditions like acne, eczema and rosacea. Topical probiotics soothe redness and swelling associated with these conditions by suppressing the skin’s production of inflammatory substances.

Fight Acne-Causing Bacteria

Probiotic skincare is promising for the treatment of acne because of the bacteria-balancing benefits. When applied topically, probiotics suppress acne-causing bacteria by releasing byproducts that help kill bad germs. By keeping bad bacteria in check, probiotics for skin help reduce new breakouts.

Restore Skin Hydration

There is some research that shows that applying healthy bacteria to your face can actually help restore the lipid barrier that sits on top of skin—a vital protective layer that is often compromised by stripping face washes and harsh products. Try our Prebiotic Gel Cleanser that feeds your skin’s good bacteria so they can fight the bad bacteria that cause acne, sensitivity, and skin reactions. By reinforcing this barrier, probiotics help skin retain essential moisture. To finish, our Microbiome Rescue Daily Moisturizer will support good bacteria in the skin microbiome and strengthen skin barrier function to reduce irritation and redness.