Fermented Face: Benefits of Probiotics in Skin Care

For years, we have been hearing about the benefits of probiotics when it comes to our health, especially gut health. Probiotics are "healthy" bacteria most commonly found in fermented foods with live active cultures, such as Greek yogurt and kimchi. Studies show that these bacteria can help with a host of health-related issues, including digestion, but the benefits of fermented skin care products have been all the rage lately.

How Healthy Bacteria Benefit Your Skin

While there has been a lot of talk lately about the benefits of probiotics in skin care, this is nothing new. Over 80 years ago, dermatologists John H. Stokes and Donald M. Pillsbury hypothesized that the stress we experience in life had the opportunity adversely affects gut health, leading to inflammation on the surface of the skin. They speculated that eating the probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus might help the skin, and there has been a lot of talk about these theories in recent years.

Dr. A.S. Rebecca Cousin, a board certified dermatologist at the Washington Institute for Dermatological Laser Surgery and a faculty member at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, agrees, telling us that having a healthy gut flora — the bacteria present in our gut — is not only important for our digestive tract, but can also be good for our skin. . “Maintaining [healthy flora] is important, and probiotics are a great way to do that,” she says.

Eat More: Probiotic Foods 

Interested in including more probiotics in your diet to reap the possible skin care benefits? On your next trip to the supermarket, look for foods like yogurt, aged cheese, kefir, kombucha, kimchi, and sauerkraut. While further research is needed to confirm the actual effects of probiotics on our skin, a balanced diet is always a good choice for your overall wellness!