The bacteria and fungi living on your skin play a surprising role in keeping us healthy. Is it possible to give them a boost?

Scratch the surface of the skin, and you’ll find a bustling community of bacteria living there. This is a good thing, as research increasingly shows that having the “right kind” of microbes can help keep our skin young, supple, and smooth for longer. Simply by being there, “good bacteria” protect us from infection from pathogenic, harmful microbes. They also help to repair wounds and may even counteract some of the harmful effects of UV rays.

All-the-more reason to look after our skin microbiome. But how do we do this? One method that has become increasingly popular is the use of topical skin probiotics – which technically means applying live microorganisms to the skin to improve its health.

As far back as 1912, scientists were rubbing bacteria into people’s faces in an attempt to improve conditions such as acne and seborrhea – a common form of dermatitis that causes a red, itchy rash and white or yellow scales.

Today there are dozens of skincare companies selling what they describe as probiotic products, from serums to cleansers and moisturisers. In each case, the balms offer to rebalance the delicate skin microbiome, leaving it “renewed” and “refreshed”.

But while skincare products often claim to be “probiotic”, very few, if any, actually contain live bacteria.

What’s more, as probiotic skin treatments are classed as “cosmetics” and not medicines, their manufacturers don’t have to share the results of any trials that have been conducted on their products, so it’s difficult to know how effective they are.

For read the full text click here:

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250401-your-skin-has-a-microbiome-of-its-own-does-taking-probiotics-help

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