Issue link: https://www.ascpskindeepdigital.com/i/691743
30 july/august 2016 expertadvice INGREDIENTS e Pros of Probiotics What's good for our tummies may also help our skin by Susanne Schmaling Everyone has heard of the benefits probiotics can give when ingested, but the recent explosion of probiotic-infused skin care products indicates that scientists are aware of the benefits to the skin when used topically. Let's look at the facts and discuss how probiotics can be used as active ingredients in skin care formulations. WHAT IS A PROBIOTIC? The definition of a probiotic is "live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit to the host."¹ Our bodies and the world around us are filled with bacteria, but not all bacteria are harmful. In fact, probiotics are a form of bacteria that help us fight off infection and improve bodily functions. If we break down the name in Latin, pro means "for" (or a positive) and biotic means "life" (or a living organism). Probiotics are often found in yogurt, dietary supplements, and other food products. The health benefit theory is based on work defined by the Human Microbiome Project, which found that bacteria in an average human body outnumber human cells 10 to 1. These microbes are not harmful and have been determined to be essential for maintaining good health, producing some vitamins we do not make, helping with digestion, extracting nutrients, teaching our immune systems to recognize invaders, and producing anti-inflammatory compounds to fight disease causing microbes. A number of studies have demonstrated that changes in the balance of our microbiomes can contribute to numerous diseases, raising the possibility that manipulating these communities can combat disease.² PROBIOTICS IN SKIN CARE FORMULAS The focus of using probiotics in skin care is to support the skin's natural microflora. There are documented groups of microbes that live on the skin, most of which are harmless. However, when the skin's barrier is disrupted from disease, trauma, or physical damage, some microorganisms become opportunistic and can cause a skin disease. An example of this is acne. Propionibacterium, corynebacterium, and staphylococcus live on the skin, but can become infectious when the skin's lipid balance is altered, a factor in the development of acne. Probiotic use in topical products is being studied and promoted in skin care formulas, but the claims made about the benefits are not always supported by science. The challenge lies with the fact that probiotic strains need to be live and stabilized in a skin care formula. Since creating a stable product with live microorganisms can be complicated and expensive, the use of inactivated extracts from bacteria or yeast is one of the strategies some manufacturers use.