Rubbing bacteria on your face may sound like a sure fire way to a bad skin day, but a little of the right kind of microbes within probiotic skincare could be the answer to your skin woes.

Most wellness buffs know a thing or two about probiotics. Pop these good bacteria into your daily diet and the benefits are endless, with evidence even showing they can help allergy sufferers. Balance your gut and you can take on the world, right?

Living Skin

It turns out our skin deserves the same treatment. Far from being just a protective outer layer, our skin is our largest organ, and the systems that support it are just as dynamic as the rest of our body.

According to Anne-Marie Niens of Yun Probiotherapy, “skin is protected by the first layer of defense called the microbiome.” This is essentially a collection of microorganisms that live on the surface of your skin. Although most of the time we live in blissful ignorance that there’s living things that call our face home, they have ways of making themselves known.

When the balance of good versus bad bacteria is out of whack, as Niens explains, an overload of bad bacteria can cause an increase in the amount of “infections on the skin,” which can mean anything from acne to the fungal kind. Yikes.

A huge cause of this is the misconception that we need to make our skin a bacteria-free zone. Antibacterial and overly stripping products don’t differentiate between good and bad bacteria, destroying both indiscriminately. In turn, this upsets the balance of your skin, leaving it vulnerable to the things the skin microbiome system naturally defends against, such as free radicals and foreign pathogens.

Bringing Back the Balance

Taking probiotics internally helps to restore balance from the inside out, but topical probiotics are also proving to make a difference. Studies of some strains of probiotic bacteria have shown that they can be used to treat skin conditions including acne and dehydrated skin, all just by counteracting bad bacteria and restoring the pH level of the skin.

Most skincare however, will not contain live probiotics like the ones you’ll find in your favorite yogurt drink. Things such as preservatives and formulating processes can make it a little tricky to keep them in the land of the living. Instead, cosmetic formulators will often use methods that involve extracting the beneficial properties from the cells, which still has a noticeable effect on skin.

It’s time to learn to love bacteria (well, the good kind), and we know a few beautifiers which will make the lesson a whole lot easier.

5 Probiotic Skincare Heroes

1. Acure Organics Sensitive Facial Cleanser

Choosing a gentle cleanser is key to maintaining a healthy balance of bacteria, as harsh facial washes can strip away the good stuff. Acure Organics’ sensitive skin offering not only takes it easy on excessive cleansing, but flaunts fermented resveratrol extract among the ingredients list as a natural skin defender.

2. The Beauty Chef Probiotic Skin Refiner 

An impression concoction of fermented grains, seeds, grasses, fruits, algae, vegetables, and herbs, this hydrating potion offers up something a little different which niche beauty lovers will adore. Lactic acid and lactobacillus also keep your pH number at healthy levels. Hello friendly microbes!

3. Aurelia Probiotic Skincare Revitalise & Glow Serum

Want to wake up every morning with an unbeatable glow? This lightweight but nourishing serum will do just that. Infused with both anti-aging peptides and calming probiotics, it’s a one-way ticket to even and plump looking skin. The addictive scent of jasmine, tuberose, and mandarin is just the floral cherry on top of this probiotic skincare wonder.

4. de Mamiel Dewy Facial Mist

Give thirsty skin a decadent drink with this instantly soothing mist. Alongside a type of lactobacillus to help strengthen the skin’ defense, this botanical beauty is brimming with antioxidants, making it perfect for facing environmental stresses.

5. Esse Skincare Cream Mask

Containing both prebiotics and probiotics, this moisturizing mask provides your skin microbiome with all the tools it needs to flourish. As well as a five minute pick-me-up, it can also be left on overnight to help tackle hyperpigmentation.

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White nose syndrome is an emergent disease that kills hibernating bats in the northeastern and central U.S. Since 2007, millions of bats in 25 states and Canada have died from the disease.

White nose syndrome is named for the white fungus that infects the skin, muzzle, ears, and wings of a bat and awakens them from hibernation causing them to burn fat reserves. Bats become emaciated and dehydrated and display strange behavior like flying during the day in the middle of winter. Scientists can determine if a bat is infected by looking at a microscopic pattern of skin erosion as well as other signs like white growth of the fungus on bat’s muzzle and wing tissue.

The deadly fungus generates spores that can survive in places that other bacteria can’t and as a result it’s spreading throughout North America. Some bat populations have declined so much that they’re being considered for the Endangered Species List.

It’s hard to save bats because the fungus is becoming so prevalent and because bats live in such remote and hard to get to habitats. But scientists are considering other methods for saving bats, one of which includes adding in good bacteria.

Scientists are looking at a microbe that produces a naturally occurring volatile organic compound (VOC) which may be able to control the fungus. The microbes can survive with the fungus, and over time, scientists think it may be able to exploit the weakness of the fungus and make it less deadly.

According to Live Science:

Researchers know soils exist that have disease-suppressive properties and are fungistatic – that is, they keep pathogenic fungi from growing and causing disease, but don’t kill them outright. We hypothesized that these soils could harbor numerous microbial antagonists of P. destructans. And in fact that’s just what we found. Bacterially-produced VOCs associated with fungistatic soils did act as antagonists against P. destructans.

The good bacteria could suppress the disease properties of the fungus and keep it from killing bats. Scientists are considering sites for field trials to see if what worked in a lab could be replicated in nature. Field trials of the microbes will be added to sites in Missouri and Kentucky.

Again, Live Science:

Ultimately it must be the goal of disease management efforts to curtail the tremendous population losses so that enough bats are able to reproduce to stabilize population numbers.

Over time, the hope is that bats will develop an immunity to white nose syndrome as they did in Europe, so that we can protect this important species. Bat are important for insect management and they keep farmers from having to use pesticides and insecticides on their crops. They’re an important part of the ecosystem and the hopes are good bacteria can save them until they establish their own immunity to this deadly fungus.

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How overuse of antibiotics and germ phobia may contribute to our most serious health problems.

We are more bacteria than human. More “other” than ourselves. It’s true. Bacteria cells in our bodies outnumber human cells by 10 to 1.

Scientists are just now discovering the role that the beneficial bacteria in our bodies play in governing how our bodies react to food, regulating appetite and digestion, and enhancing immunity to a host of chronic diseases. An article in May’s Scientific American (synopsis here) outlined the incredible diversity of the microbial systems living within us (our microbiome) and told how scientists are mapping the DNA of these bacteria to discover the important role microbiomes play in our health.

We’re pretty much sterile in the womb, only beginning to build our rich bacterial inner lives as we pass through the birth canal. Another early source of bacteria for infants is through their mothers’ milk and through interacting with family members, pets, and the world around them. Compared to two generations ago, children today have a deficit of beneficial bacteria in their bodies. The reasons for this include the increase in Cesarean births, formula feeding, antibacterial soaps and hand-sanitizers, and the prescription of antibiotics for childhood infections. Other possible reasons include the overuse of antibiotics in both human medicine and animal agriculture, and our modern American diet.

As scientists discover the specific roles some of the bacteria play in regulating functions such as digestion and appetite, they are beginning to hypothesize that a deficit in beneficial bacteria may be the cause of many of our modern health problems including obesity, food sensitivities and allergies, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, and even cancer.

For example, the bacteria, H. pylori regulates the hormones that govern hunger. In studies, people who lack the bacteria due to treatment with antibiotics gain more weight. According to Scientific American, less than 6% of American children have H. pylori in their bodies now, while 2 to 3 generations ago, 80% of Americans had it, corresponding with the generational rise in obesity.

The article also talks about another bacteria called B. thetaiotaomicron, which coaxes nutrients out of indigestible carbohydrates like whole grains. A deficit of B. thetaiotaomicron can create problems with digestion that lead to serious illness, and may be behind the rise in autoimmune disorders. Nishanga Bliss, Master of Science in Traditional Chinese Medicine, licensed acupuncturist, and author of the book, Real Food All Year, on the benefits of eating seasonally from both a Chinese and Western medicine perspective, explains how this works.

“When your body doesn’t get the nutrients it needs from food, it sets up an inflammatory cascade through your systems, and this can contribute to a lot of our chronic diseases including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and autoimmune disorders.” Bliss goes on to tell EcoSalon, “About a decade ago, scientists started to figure out that inflammation is a factor in all of these diseases. At current rates, one in five people will be diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder within their lifetimes.”

Bliss adds that a lack of beneficial bacteria in the gut is likely the cause of many food allergies and sensitivities, which cause inflammation in the body that can lead to disease.

“Your body shouldn’t have an immune response to food unless it’s bad. It’s the microbiome’s job to tell your body not to freak out about the food you eat.” Without a healthy, balanced microbiome “your body attacks the food, causing an allergic response and inflammation,” Bliss says.

So what are five things you can do to make sure your microbiome stays healthy and keeps you healthy?

1. Eat Foods That Contribute to a Healthy Microbiome

These include fermented foods such as sauerkraut, fermented pickles, kimchi, yogurt, and a modest amount of beer or wine, and sourdough bread (even cooked fermented foods like sourdough have a positive impact on digestion according to Bliss). She also recommends fiber rich foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans. The reason is because beneficial bacteria feast on these foods to make them digestible to our bodies. In turn, they gain nourishment and increase in numbers, said Bliss.

2. Stop Sanitizing

Lose the hand-sanitizer unless you’re in a dangerous or particularly dirty situation or working with an immune compromised individual. Soap and water are plenty effective for everyday hand washing. If we make our environments too sterile, our bodies won’t be able to handle stronger bugs they might come into contact with.

3. Use Antibiotics Sparingly and Replenish Gut Flora

Don’t take antibiotics unless you know you have an infection. If you do take them, make sure you finish your course so as not to create resistant survivors. Always up your intake of fermented foods to rebalance your gut flora. Bliss says go straight to food sources as the probiotic capsules available in health food stores, though perfectly fine, are made from fermented foods anyway.

4. Urge Regulators to Prohibit the Routine Use of Antibiotics in Agriculture

The overuse of antibiotics in healthy animals to make them grow faster or help them withstand the filthy conditions on factory farms is a growing problem that we talked about recently. This practice could be leading to drug resistant superbugs, and their residues might be finding their way into us, killing our good bacteria and affecting our health.

Industry representatives contend that meat and milk are routinely tested for antibiotic residues and that it isn’t a problem in our food supply. However, testing data from dairy cows presented here from 2008 show that scheduled inspections included only 1,099 of the 2.7 million dairy cows slaughtered for meat in total – less than half a percent. Inspector generated sampling, on the other hand, targets animals with signs of disease or animals from producers with questionable histories. In 2008, inspector generated sampling covered 80,131 dairy cows – still fewer than 3% of all dairy cows slaughtered for meat. But, 788 cows tested positive for a wide range of drugs, with many testing positive for more than one type.

5. Join Fix Food’s Campaign to Get the Drugs Out of Our Meat

In the absence of real regulation by FDA, a new campaign launched by Fix Food goes straight to consumers, asking them sign a petition demanding that Trader Joes sell meat raised without antibiotics. Robert Kenner, Director of Food Inc., is on the board, so you can see more of his great work in the video announcing the campaign.

Images: kaibara, AlegnaMarie, BeinKorean

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