by Staff writer
When it comes to taking care of the skin, most women adopt the wait-and-see approach.
That is, waiting until they see a wrinkle, pimple, acne or age spot, before doing something about it.
But skin experts say this is wrong.
According to New York-based dermatologist, Whitney Bowe, a very effective way of achieving a flawless, wrinkle-free skin is by balancing your body’s microbiome, that is the bacteria that live in your body.
“The gut and the skin are intimately connected,” says Bowe, MD.
“Toxins from your gut are released into your bloodstream and trigger inflammation system-wide, including in the skin.”
If your gut bacteria are out of whack, your complexion will appear dull—no matter how religiously you stick to a skin-care routine.
Or, worse, you’ll experience outbreaks of acne, eczema, or rosacea.
According to Bowe, the solution is to starve your gut’s “bad” bugs with a diet rich in probiotics and healthy fiber, which will re-balance its “good” flora.
She also recommends taking a probiotic supplement containing multiple strains of 10 to 15 billion colony-forming units, working your way up to 50 billion!
“You see significant changes in your gut microbiome in as little as three days, but it could take a few weeks to translate those differences to your face,” she says.
One of the most familiar (and easily available) sources of probiotics is yoghurt.
Others include apple cider vinegar, kombucha, pickles and fermented cheeses.
