Probiotics: A Cure to Your Acne Woes?

By GraysonT

Whether you know it or not already, acne is an inflammatory condition. Inflammation is the body’s natural response to fighting a foreign invasion that may threaten our body. Our immune system sends white blood cells to the area to fight it off but will often result in redness, tenderness, and warmth. Sound familiar?

Our gut plays a large part in our immune system and is often the first line of defense when we eat something. When living a poor lifestyle with high processed foods, high stress levels, and low fiber diets, the gut can suffer resulting in widespread inflammation. Now this information may seem counterintuitive if you’ve ever visited a dermatologist concerning your acne as they may have prescribed a round of antibiotics.

I was one of these patients and for a while, my breakouts decreased, but I started to experience other things. My mood was a lot more unstable, I was depressed, and I found it hard to manage my stress. Of course it could have just been a case of the student woes, but I sincerely suspected the antibiotics to be the culprit. Interestingly, after getting off the antibiotics, about 2 months later, breakouts came and with a vengeance. They were large, angry, and inflamed. Perhaps it was the result of the antibiotics killing of the good flora in my gut.

It took a while to control these breakouts but I managed to do so and I suspected it was my gut recovering from those grueling 6 months of antibiotics. It is no secret that the gut and skin are related, if one suffers, the other is affected. The skin is the largest organ in the body and its condition can often be the sign of something happening within. Acne is a systematic condition and requires approaches from different angles. If acne was a simple condition that was solved by washing your face 2 times a day, no one would have acne, except maybe the lazy folks.

So if you’re lost and losing in the fight of acne, try probiotics or foods that encourage healthy gut flora. Of course, always ask your doctor or dermatologist. Personally, I drink green tea with kombucha and kefir that I buy off of wholesale retailers for my dose of healthy bacteria and any breakout that comes is usually small and will go away within a day or two.  

In conclusion, could probiotics be your cure for acne? The simple answer is, maybe. Everyone is different and acne as I said before is a complex systematic problem. Probiotics, when having consulted with a doctor, may prove beneficial to you, so go for it. Your gut will thank you.