You have learned that how probiotics are useful for your gut. They are useful for many conditions such as bloating, leaky gut syndrome, immunity, stress busters, diabetes, and much more. Have you ever wondered about the microbiome of the skin? Skin is the protective barrier of the internal organs. It has its own microbiome (probiotics) which defend our skin from pollution, allergies, acne, and infections. Skin care is an essential part of everyone’s life. Sometimes it becomes more tedious too. We look for the daily dose of cleansers, moisturizing creams, toners, foundations and what not. Still, there will be a certain problem that pokes us. With some extra care, you can make your skin glow with full of life. Unlike your regular bag of skin care products, probiotics for skin are packed with little soldiers which keep your skin healthy and strong. Probiotics for skin is gaining popularity because of their skin-friendly nature and great results.

How exactly probiotics for skin help?

The probiotics in the skin help to fend off many harmful bacteria by two mechanisms:

1. By triggering an immune reaction.
2. By secreting antibacterial peptides.
3. By oxidizing the ammonia in body sweat. (Ammonia-Oxidizing Bacteria – AOB)

They also help in eliminating the harmful free radicals. This property of probiotics will have an excellent anti-aging effect on the skin, wrinkle prevention. They are also helpful in repairing the skin damaged due to free radicals. Probiotics will show anti-inflammatory properties on the skin. This is greatly useful for people with inflammatory skin conditions such as rosacea, eczema, psoriasis etc.

They also help to reduce the dark spots. They also help in strengthening the skin barrier by inducing ceramide production. Ceramide is a natural lipid present in the skin that moisturizes and strengthens the skin.

Probiotics for skin help in healing scars. Certain strains such as Lactobacillus acidophilus and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast) are effective for people suffering from acne.

Topical application of probiotic and prebiotic (prebiotics are the food sources for probiotics) may not be as comfy as your regular face masks or serums. They aren’t fun to use. But probiotics for skin have many benefits like your regular creams. Not only the topical use, consumption probiotic-rich foods such as kombucha, kefir, kimchi or fermented veggies will show healthy effects on the skin. The term ‘gut-brain connection’ is transforming into ‘gut-brain-skin connection’. The healthy foods you consume, healthy you stay which is true for your skin. Topical application of probiotics along with regular consumption of probiotic-rich foods will show great results. Kefir is a yogurt-like drink that contains diverse strains of probiotics. Some probiotic facial products are incorporating kefir into their products. Many users credited that direct application of kefir to face has a soothing effect particularly in people with rosacea.

Like in the gut, the probiotics must colonize (get deeper) in the skin to show their effects. Once they reach deeper layers of the skin, they secrete other skin-healthy ingredients such as vitamins, hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and peptides. All these will further help in improving the skin condition.

In Summary, probiotics for skin help in:

• Strengthening the skin.
• 
  Preventing acne.
  
• Reduce inflammatory conditions (eczema, psoriasis, rosacea etc).
• Prevent wrinkles and show anti-aging effect.
• Maintains proper pH of the skin.
• Moisturizes the skin and prevents dryness or flaky skin.
• 
  Keep private parts healthy in women
  

How to select best probiotics for skin care products?

Not all probiotics for skin care products are suitable for all skin types. The action of these products depends on:

• Probiotic strain it has
• Prebiotic additives
• Other natural ingredients

You have to select the product depending on the skin type and the condition (if you have) such as rosacea. Before applying any probiotics for skin, do a patch test on the normal skin. If you don’t observe any adverse reaction consider it as safe to use. If you are suffering from inflammatory skin conditions, perform a patch test on unaffected skin first. Then do another patch test on affected skin.

The diversity of probiotic strains is important for skin. The more strains (good ones) you have, the stronger is your skin. Some products infuse these diverse microbiomes into their products while some supplement with prebiotics – food for probiotics.

Here are some probiotics for skin care products handpicked for you.

Inclusion of probiotics for skin into your daily life without a proper plan may not give you desired results. Start with a cleanser. Cleansing the skin is the first step in skin care. Most common cleansers contain artificial chemicals (glycolic acid, salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide etc.) which can be harsher to sensitive skin. Why not try a cleanser that has these little soldiers. They are useful in rejuvenating the skin microbiome and also clearing the clogged pores.

Cleanser for All skin types

Ongaro Organic Facial Cleanser

Ongaro organic facial cleanser is an excellent cleanser for all skin types. This cleanser is very gentle on the skin and does not rip off your skin from the moisture. It is also an excellent makeup remover which is very hard to remove with regular methods. People with super sensitive skin will love this.

This cleanser contains probiotic byproducts such as peptides, hyaluronic acid, and Vitamin E. These ingredients help in skin renewal. Along with these, Ongaro organic facial cleanser has plant stem cells. Plant stem cells help in regenerating lost skin cells.

Other beneficial ingredients in this cleanser include – Aloe vera extract, green tea leaf extract, glycerin, apple fruit extract and citrus fruit extracts. Results are observed if used regularly.

For itchy, dry and inflammatory skin

Aveeno Moisturizing Cream For Sensitive Skin

Unlike other probiotics for skin care products which contain different strains of microbiomes or their byproducts, Aveena has prebiotics. It has natural colloidal oatmeal which is an excellent food source for skin bacteria.

Aveeno is clinically tested on people with eczema. It drastically improved the skin condition, hydrated the skin and reduced the irritable itchy patches within few hours of application. This cream is suitable for people not only with eczema but also for people with dry or itchy skin.

Another product for dry and inflammatory skin is LaFlore Probiotic Concentrated Serum. This is suitable for people with rosacea. LaFlore Probiotic serum has probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics (byproducts of probiotics). The probiotic strain is diverse (containing different strains) which is essential for strengthening the skin.

For Sun-damaged (Sun allergy) or free radical damaged skin

Glowbiotics Probiotic Hydraglow Cream Oil

Glowbiotics Probiotic Hydraglow has a powerful combination of probiotics and antioxidants helps to restore the damaged skin. It also has hydrating ingredients (shea butter) which maintain the normal moisture of the skin. It is also infused with minerals which make the skin glow.

The best part of this cream is its ability to fight the skin damage from free radicals. It has been clinically tested and proved to reduce skin damage caused by free radicals. It reduces the wrinkles and damaged spots on your skin meaning which, it acts as antiaging cream as well.

For Oily Skin

Mother Dirt AO+ Mist

If your skin is oily and prone to pimples, Mother Dirt AO+ Mist is your best choice. It has live probiotic cultures which use ammonia as prebiotic. This particular strain is known as Ammonia Oxidizing Bacteria (AOB). They use ammonia from the body sweat and release anti-inflammatory compounds. It is very easy to use and can be used for the whole body, including privates.

People with oily skin who used this product for 4 weeks have reported 22% improvement – a promising result.

Final words, wrapping up

The skin microbiome is as diverse as our gut microbiome. They play a very important role in maintaining the structural integrity, pH balance, and protection from harmful bacteria or chemicals. Do the probiotics for skin care worth the hype? Well, considering the beneficial aspects of them, they are worth the hype. But, understand your skin type and the problem before selecting the product. Don’t forget the patch test. Don’t overdose your skin by applying these probiotic skin care products. Excess concentrations of these friendly bacteria may adverse the condition or cause skin allergies.