Why Experts Recommend Probiotics for Your Skincare Routine and Their Benefits

Why Experts Recommend Probiotics for Your Skincare Routine and Their Benefits

Posted by Tracey Long on

You’re probably aware of the benefits of probiotics for your inner health, but did you know that topical probiotics are also beneficial for your skin?

According to a recent article in Beauticate, a website dedicated to inspiring and educating people about the latest beauty trends, many of us could benefit from including topical probiotics in our skincare routine.

‘Using probiotics in our skincare is likely to have positive effects on the skin.’
Dr Luis, Medical Director for Mesoestetic via Beauticate

Why? Research has shown that probiotics in skincare improves skin quality, combats skin concerns linked to an imbalanced microbiome such as dryness, breakouts, redness and inflammation. And is also shown to help with visible signs of ageing skin.

Using topical probiotics is like feeding and nourishing your skins microbiome. By adding good bacteria to the skin and using gentle products to help maintain its balance is essential to good skin health.

While the concept is still quite new in Australia, skincare products featuring probiotics have been touted as one of the top skincare trends ‘to have on your radar’ by UK newspaper The Telegraph.

So lets dive into it.

Probiotics and the Skin Microbiome

Probiotics are live microorganisms, which are also referred to as ‘good’ bacteria. They occur naturally in our bodies, but can also be boosted through diet and supplements if our microbiome is out of balance.

Over 10,000 microorganisms, or bacteria, live within and on the surface of our body. Each of us has our own distinctive collection of microorganisms (good and bad bacteria), which make up what’s known as our ‘microbiome’.

‘The bacteria on our skin, in our airways, and in our digestive system are the first line of defence against foreign “invaders” that can cause infection and other problems.’
Jennifer Yttri, PhD (‘Bacteria: the good, the bad and the ugly’).

The goal of our body’s microbiome is to keep those organisms in balance. If too many bad bacteria invade our microbiome, our immune system can become compromised and our bodies can suffer from diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer (1).

 Probiotics in Skincare

 

The microbes on your skin help to fight infection similar to a natural antibiotic, alert your immune system when they detect harmful bacteria and also help to heal wounds. When probiotics (good bacteria) are applied topically to the skin they have the ability to calm inflammation and help cells to flourish. In more scientific speak the bacteria cells interact with receptors to control an immune response.

There is a plethora of research linking microbiome imbalances in the skin and gut to inflammatory skin conditions such as acne, rosacea, and eczema (there have been ample papers published in journals such as Clinics in Dermatology, the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, and the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology)

Skincare products featuring topical probiotic ingredients have become incredibly popular across Europe and the US over recent years, with well-known brands such as Elizabeth Arden and Vichy launching their own probiotic products.

AMPERNA® is the first Australian brand to launch an entire range focused around this hero ingredient, so we thought we should shed some light around how they can be beneficial for your skin.

Probiotics in Skincare

How Topical Probiotics can Benefit your Skins Health

“In order for our skin to function properly, there must be a balanced pH and microflora levels in place,” says Dr Dendy Engelman, Elizabeth Arden’s consulting dermatologist (Source: beauticate.com).

According to Dr Engelman, there are billions of microflora (made up of both good and bad bacteria) living on the surface or our skin. When these bacteria are out of balance, they can contribute to chronic skin problems.

Our founder, Kiri, discovered this while searching for ways to get her perioral dermatitis and acne under control. It turns out that topical probiotics can help to promote good bacteria and fight bad bacteria on our skin, just as probiotics that we ingest can balance out our internal bacteria.

Do probiotics help perioral dermatitis? Are probiotics good for eczema?

Topical probiotics can help perioral dermatitis, acne, eczema, rosacea and a list of other skin problems.
How? They help promote and maintain a balanced skin microbiome, strengthening the skins protective barrier.
The hero ingredient of AMPERNA® skincare is our active probiotic complex, Lactococcus ferment lysate. Developed in conjunction with one of Australia’s most experienced skincare chemists, AMPERNA® is the first to use this particular strain in any Australian skincare product.

You should consider using probiotics for perioral dermatitis as they have been shown to have a great benefit for a large number of people.

 Probiotics in Skincare

Skincare products with probiotics can help to: 

  • Calm and soothe inflamed, irritated skin
  • Improve your skin’s appearance by reducing redness and locking in moisture
  • Reduce the signs of ageing
  • Help to reduce the symptoms and appearance of acne and other inflammatory skin conditions
  • Protect against free radical damage

New Insights Into the use of Topical Probiotics and Eczema

In a recent article on the website A haven from eczema, the author calls topical probiotics ‘the new and natural remedy for eczema’.

‘Traditional treatments for eczema to use bleach baths and antibiotics,’ explains the author, ‘which not only kill bad bacteria but also kill the beneficial microbes that we’re now learning can actually help our skin. So, in the case of diseases with an imbalance in microorganisms particularly atopic dermatitis (eczema), topical probiotics present an effective alternative to strictly antibacterial products or treatments.’

Another study performed by researchers found that modifying the skin microbiome safely reduced the eczema severity and helped increase the quality of life for children as young as 3 years old. The skinmicrobiome was modified using probiotic therapy on the affected areas of the skin and shows the benefits of topical probiotics for eczema.

For those suffering from the debilitating effects of eczema, the chance to use a new and natural solution must be an incredibly welcome relief. Our own customers have sent us great feedback about how AMPERNA® has helped to soothe and calm their eczema flare-ups.

 AMPERNA Box Animated

Further Reading for Those of You Who Love to Dig Deep into the Scientific Stuff

Find out what the American Academy of Dermatology had to say about the benefits of probiotic skincare for acne and rosacea in their article ‘Could probiotics be the next big thing in acne and rosacea treatments’.

Discover more about the scientific research behind the use of topically applied probiotics in the extensive report ‘probiotics for skin benefits’.

Read how bacteria on some people’s skin may play a role in the development of acne in this scientific article ‘The balance of metagenomic elements shapes the skin microbiome in acne and health’

We hope you’ve found this article helpful in terms of understanding more about the benefits of probiotics in skincare products.

If you have any other questions, we’d love to hear from you via our email address info@amperna.com

 

Find out more about our range here.

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