Beauty & The Gut

Protect Your Skin Microbiome – Stop Scrubbing Your Face!

Posted on by Dr. Robynne Chutkan
11
Apr

Along with a balanced gut microbiome, a balanced skin microbiome is THE most important predictor for glowing, blemish-free skin – especially since after your gut, your skin is really your second biggest digestive organ. The beauty industry has convinced us that bacteria on the skin are a no-no and that the best thing to do is scrub them away with harsh, expensive cleansers and exfoliators. But in fact, you should be doing just the opposite if you’re trying to banish blemishes and get that good skin glow. 

The best thing you can do for your skin is to protect the beneficial bacteria on it that are an essential part of your skin’s functioning ecosystem. So what exactly promotes bacterial balance on your skin? Here’s the scoop:

  • Minimize practices like scrubbing, shaving, and waxing that can disrupt your skin’s microbiome. 
  • Use products with safe, gentle ingredients, like food-grade edible Manuka Honey that makes an amazing face wash.
  • You may be surprised by how effective some of these natural methods are for controlling acne and improving the overall quality of your skin. And if you’re combining them with our incredible microbe-boosting green smoothie, you’re likely to see even more dramatic results. 
  • Clean out your medicine cabinet. While your dermatologist may have prescribed antibiotics, Accutane, or topical medications to try and control your acne, these strong products may actually be worsening your problem – not to mention wreaking havoc in other areas.
  • Minding your intestinal health is another obvious but often-overlooked factor when it comes to treating your skin. Check out Dr. Chutkan’s article on The Gut-Beauty Connection and 9 Must-Adopt Tips to promote outer beauty from within.

Interested in learning more about the link between skin-care practices, gut health, and their relationship to glowing skin? Check out these recent scientific studies that delve deeper into the fascinating world of the gut-skin connection: 

Salem, Iman et al. “The Gut Microbiome as a Major Regulator of the Gut-Skin Axis.” Frontiers in microbiology vol. 9 1459. 10 Jul. 2018, doi:10.3389/fmicb.2018.01459

Parodi, Andrea et al. “Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth in Rosacea: Clinical Effectiveness of Its Eradication.” Clinical gastroenterology & hepatology vol. 6, Issue 7, Pages 759–764. Jul 2008, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cgh.2008.02.054

Slominski, Andrzej. “A nervous breakdown in the skin: stress and the epidermal barrier.” The Journal of clinical investigation vol. 117,11 (2007): 3166-9. doi:10.1172/JCI33508

Volkova, LA et al. “Impact of the impaired intestinal microflora on the course of acne vulgaris.” Klin Med (Mosk). 2001;79(6):39-41

Bowe, Whitney P, and Alan C Logan. “Acne vulgaris, probiotics and the gut-brain-skin axis – back to the future?.” Gut pathogens vol. 3,1 1. 31 Jan. 2011, doi:10.1186/1757-4749-3-1

Clark, Ashley K et al. “Edible Plants and Their Influence on the Gut Microbiome and Acne.” International journal of molecular sciences vol. 18,5 1070. 17 May. 2017, doi:10.3390/ijms18051070

Kober, Mary-Margaret, and Whitney P Bowe. “The effect of probiotics on immune regulation, acne, and photoaging.” International journal of women’s dermatology vol. 1,2 85-89. 6 Apr. 2015, doi:10.1016/j.ijwd.2015.02.001