This Is The Biggest Skincare Breakthrough In The Last 5 Years

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These days, most people are aware of the advantages of probiotics for your health, thanks to pretty much any yogurt commercial released in the past decade. Probiotics are basically a type of good bacteria that help strengthen the barrier of your gut and prevent any bad bacteria from lingering. But because this advancement is so new, most people don’t know how amazing probiotics can be for your beauty regimen and how they could be the answer to addressing skin conditions like acne and eczema. The more this beauty breakthrough develops, the more apparent the benefits of probiotics for your skin are becoming. To help us decode the science of skincare, we spoke to the founder of the New York Dermatology Group, and celeb favorite Dr. Colbert, for the 411 on all things bacteria. Here’s what we found out:

How Can Probiotics Affect My Skin?

When it comes to probiotics and skincare, the most important thing to remember is that your body’s largest organ is your skin, and the thing that feeds your body is your gut. To put it simply – without a healthy gut, it’s not possible to have healthy skin. This is because the primary function of the intestinal system is to absorb nutrients and remove any harmful toxins. So, when it’s inefficient, you’ll retain all of these bad bacteria, and this will eventually affect your skin, bringing anything from inflammation and acne to dryness and irritation to centerstage.

When it comes to skincare products that contain probiotics, what makes them so effective is that “the probiotics intersect with the natural biome of the skin to promote skin health.” The biome Dr. Colbert is referring to is the layer of diverse microorganisms sitting on top of the skin’s physical barrier. These microorganisms (a variety of bacteria strands) actually help boost healthy skin function and provide your skin with a radiant glow. If you add to this bacteria with skincare that contains probiotics, you’re rebalancing the microbiome, which has been damaged by external factors. By keeping the microbiome balanced, you’ll strengthen the skin against sensitivity, irritation, and environmental factors (sun damage and pollution) while enhancing the skin’s ability to stay hydrated.

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What Specific Skincare Issues Can Probiotics Help Fix?

Probiotics are an amazing anti-inflammatory, and they also have antimicrobial effects. This means they’ll soothe even the most sensitive skin and help kill bacteria that leads to pimples or acne flare-ups. Some studies have even shown that probiotic skincare is actually one of the most effective treatments for skin conditions like eczema and rosacea, as well as acne. This is because it aids skin regeneration, meaning that it heals scars and pimples faster. But don’t be lulled into believing that if you don’t have any of these specific conditions, you don’t need to use probiotic skincare. Keep in mind it’s still essential to maintain a healthy microbiome to have glowy, healthy, hydrated skin.

What Are Prebiotics And Postbiotics?

If you look into probiotic skincare, you’ll notice that some products state that they contain prebiotics or postbiotics. So we asked Dr.Colbert to explain the difference:

Probiotics: A type of good bacteria in the body which keeps your insides balanced and healthy.

Prebiotics: The food that helps maintain digestive health while increasing the production of good-for-you probiotics.

Postbiotics: The “good” bacteria that colonize the digestive system. They’re the byproduct of probiotic bacterial fermentation. Postbiotics help many functions of the immune system, and some research has shown that they might influence long-term digestive health. By doing so, they also help treat skin problems, including acne or eczema.

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What Probiotics Products Should We Look For?

The most common probiotics to look for are Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Bacillus Coagulans. And no, we can’t pronounce those names either! These forms of probiotics have been known to massively soothe system-wide inflammation, making them ideal for addressing acne, rosacea, and eczema. They can be taken as a supplement to improve your skin from within by improving the overall health of your gut. We love the Culturelle Probiotics Digestive Health Orange Chewables Tablets, $17, as they honestly feel like a sweet treat rather than a tablet. Alternatively, the RepHresh Pro-B Probiotic Feminine Supplement Capsules,$29, is also amazing at promoting gut health.

When it comes to the best probiotic skincare products, you still need to look for the previously mentioned probiotics with the uber-complicated names! These are the most effective strands of good bacteria that’ll help rebalance your skin’s natural biome, keeping it hydrated and protected. They can be found in loads of skincare products, from a cleanser or moisturizer to serums, essences, and facial sprays. One of our favorite probiotic products is the Foreo, Awakening Radiance Yogurt Day Cleanser, $30, which is really gentle and works amazingly for all skin types. When it comes to a probiotic moisturizer, we love the La Roche Posey Lipikar Balm Ap+ Intense Repair Moisturizing Cream, $20, which contains prebiotic thermal water. For an extra powerful hit of probiotics, we also like to use the NYDG Luminizing Essence, $105, which contains saccharomyces ferment (another probiotic to look out for) as well as probiotic lactobacillus, which will soothe any irritation while leaving your skin feeling fresh and radiant.

What Is Better For My Skin: Probiotic Skincare, Foods Or Supplements?

You should always provide your gut with natural sources of probiotics by eating foods like yogurt, olive oil, and whitefish, which Dr. Colbert recommends to all of his celeb clients and Victora’s Secret angels. Or you could opt for the Insta fav, kombucha (a fermented tea that’s packed with healthy bacteria). You can add to this by taking supplements or by using a topical cream. Dr. Colbert would advise incorporating all three forms of probiotics into your daily regime as “the body is not that simple. You have to approach your skin health from the inside out and outside in. I can’t stress enough how important it is to integrate diet with topical products. This is the best way to obtain the best skin.” Check out our guide to eating more probiotic-rich foods here.

Let us know in the comments below if you take probiotics or are going to now.