How does your Gut Heath affect your skin?

Why is a healthy Microbiome essential for radiant skin?

What does a radiant healthy skin look like? A nice glow, a clear complexion, free from breakouts or inflammatory conditions. There is only so much a topical cream can and when your skin cells are made from the inside out surely it makes sense to tackle such things with a 360 approach and work on what is happening on the inside, and a healthy gut microbiome is one of them. Scientists are looking more and more into the skin gut connection. The gut plays such an important role in our skin, and it is becoming increasingly clear that to get a flawless complexion we need to look after our gut microbiome.

Understanding the Gut Microbiome

We all have trillions of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms living in your digestive system. This is our gut microbiome. As well as helping with digestion these important microbes also help with immunity, mood, stress and our overall wellbeing. When we have a happy gut, everything is balanced and everything does its job how it should, but when things are not balanced and too many bad bacteria take over, this is when it can have an impact on bodily functions, well-being and skin. The imbalance can be caused by various things, poor diet, stress, and medications especially antibiotics which all lead to inflammation in the gut, digestive issues and skin problems.

How Gut Health Affects Your Skin

1. Inflammation and Skin Conditions

   There is a proven link between chronic inflammation and skin conditions such as acne, eczema, rosacea and psoriasis. Inflammation of the gut can cause the gut lining to become permeable (leaky gut) which leads to toxins and undigested food particles entering the bloodstream, triggering an immune response that results in inflammation throughout the body—including the skin.

   
   

2. Nutrient Absorption

   When your gut is healthy it can absorb essential nutrients like vitamins and minerals much easier. Your body is always supplied first leaving your skin as the last organ to receive nutrients. Vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin E, and zinc are crucial for skin repair, hydration, and elasticity. If your gut isn't functioning optimally, and you don’t give it enough to use, your skin may suffer from dryness, dullness, or slow healing of blemishes.

   
   

3. Balanced Hormones

   The gut plays a role in regulating hormones. 90% of your body’s serotonin is produced here along with over 50 other hormones, including those that influence oil production and inflammation. An imbalance in gut bacteria can contribute to hormonal acne by disrupting the delicate balance of oestrogen, testosterone, and cortisol for example.

   
   

4. Detoxification and Skin Clarity

   The gut and liver work together to detoxify harmful substances from the body. If the gut isn’t in good health, then the connection between the gut and the liver will not be as efficient leading to toxins accumulating, breakouts, congestion, and a dull complexion.

   
   

How to Support Your Gut for Healthier Skin

1. What you eat

   Eating a well-balanced diet that includes a variety of fibre-rich fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to feed good gut bacteria. Limiting the amount of excess sugar and processed food that you eat, as this can lead to inflammation and issues because the bad bacteria in your gut love sugar!!

   
   

2. Include Probiotics and Prebiotics

   Probiotic-rich foods introduce good bacteria into the gut, while prebiotic foods help nourish them. Also, you can look at boosting your gut bacteria with a high-quality probiotic that is proven to reach the gut.

   
   

3. Stay Hydrated

   Water is essential for our bodies, it helps with so many bodily functions, including supporting digestion, detoxification, and skin hydration.

   
   

4. Manage Stress

   Being stressed has so many effects on our gut. It can slow down, or speed up digestion, it can imbalance your gut bacteria and affect our mood. Help keep stress levels in check with exercise, mindfulness and time for you.

   
   

5. Get a good night’s sleep

   Sleep can also play a part in gut health and supporting your microbiome. Getting a good night’s sleep along with good sleep patterns will help support a healthy gut and reduce inflammation.

Next Steps...

As you can see the connection between your gut health and skin health is so closely linked that your skin is really a reflection on your inner health and by maintaining a balanced gut microbiome you will be well on your way to achieving a clear, glowing complexion. Supporting your skin from the inside out with a healthy balanced diet, good sleep patterns, lowering stress levels and including skin specific probiotics will really make a difference.

If you are ready to get your healthiest skin yet and would like more guidance on a routine, book a skin consultation to discuss your own bespoke plan.