Probiotics are widely researched and consumed in the field of health today. While these live microorganisms are known as friendly bacteria, which are particularly notable for their effects on intestinal health. They have started to become more talked about with their positive impact on skin health

Most people observe that their skin health deteriorates during periods when their eating habits change or they eat more unhealthy. Examples of this include acne-prone skin developing rapid acne after an unhealthy diet and increased skin dryness in people with diseases such as eczema or psoriasis. So, could the reason for these conditions be that the gut-skin axis is affected?

The gut-skin axis is a concept that describes the relationship between intestinal microbiota and skin health.  A healthy gut flora can play an important role in improving skin health. This relationship suggests an interaction between the intestines and the skin through direct and indirect pathways.

Corneocytes are like bricks in our skin. The brick-and-mortar model describes how ceramides, cholesterol, fatty acids, and cholesterol esters act as the mortar that holds these bricks together. When the process of epidermal renewal is completed properly, this model functions effectively as a skin barrier, helping to maintain skin health. Additionally, the gut microbiome plays a role in skin health by influencing the signaling pathways that coordinate this renewal process, which is essential for maintaining skin homeostasis.

Studies show that probiotics may be effective in fighting acne, eczema, rosacea and other skin conditions. They can help reduce skin inflammation, enhance antioxidant activity, and strengthen the skin barrier. You can find some of these studies discussed in this article.

In patient groups where using probiotics as oral supplements may pose risks, consulting prebiotics is often more reliable. Prebiotics serve as a food source for the beneficial microorganisms in the intestines. They can be taken as supplements or found naturally in various foods. Examples of such foods include garlic, yams, bananas, peas, rye, wheat, cow's milk, and soybeans.

We are now familiar with the use of probiotics as food supplements. In addition to this use, today we can see probiotics being included in skin care products. Examples of these probiotics are Lactobacillus ferment, L. johnsonii.

Keeping the intestinal flora balanced optimizes the body's overall health. When we include foods containing probiotics in our lives, we do much more than protect our intestinal health. However, excessive consumption of probiotics should be avoided and used correctly under expert guidance. Thus, a healthier life can be lived by benefiting from these friendly bacteria without being harmed.

In a placebo-controlled human study, reduced skin sensitization was observed in volunteers taking Lactobacillus paracasei NCC2461 supplements for 2 months ( Guéniche et al., 2013). This effect is thought to result from the observed increase in circulating transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), a cytokine known to have a positive effect on barrier integrity.

In another study, Lactobacillus plantarum HY7714 (HY7714) was found to both improve skin moisture and have anti-photoaging effects (Lee et al., 2015).

Another study concluded that supplementation with Lactobacillus rhamnosus SP1 (LSP1) normalized the expression of genes involved in insulin signaling in the skin and improved the appearance of adult acne (Fabbrocini et al., 2016).

One of the positive effects of probiotics is that they can support drug treatment. The use of isotretinoin alone in the treatment of acne vulgaris was compared with its use in combination with L. plantarum MH-301. And, it was found that the use of combination was more effective in the treatment (Liang et al., 2024).

In a study examining the external use of probiotics, a lotion containing heat-treated Lactobacillus johnsonii (plate number 1) was administered to patients with atopic dermatitis over a three-week period. The results demonstrated that colonization by Staphylococcus aureus was effectively controlled and there was a notable local clinical improvement in the patients' atopic dermatitis (Bustamante et al., 2017).