If we look back just a couple of decades, many people had not even heard the term ‘probiotic’, but awareness of ‘friendly bacteria’ has been gradually increasing, mainly due to the increased amount of scientific research being conducted in this area. Some unexpected links between probiotics and a variety of different health conditions are being made, and one area where you might be surprised to find the words ‘probiotics’ and ‘live cultures’ cropping up is on the packaging of high-end cosmetics and skincare products.
Yes, there is now a huge interest in the potential benefits of probiotics for skin health. In fact, there are several brands of skincare using live cultures – or in some instances both pre- and probiotics – in their products. Marie Drago, the creator of Gallinee a French skincare company that has launched five probiotic products to the market, explains that live cultures might help the skin retain its natural balance. Our skin should have an acidic pH, but this delicate pH balance is often disrupted by using harsh soaps and other chemical-laden cosmetics – Drago believes that by using their pre- and probiotic based cosmetics, balance can be restored to the skin.
Having been more used to finding our probiotics in the supplement aisles of ‘all good’ health food shops, you may wonder whether there is any sound scientific research to support the use of internal or topically applied probiotics for skin health. But according to Dr. Whitney Bowe, a New York-based dermatologist and clinician: “researchers are studying how healthy bacteria applied topically to the skin, or taken orally can benefit certain skin conditions”.
