The Gut + Skin Relationship

It may not come as a surprise to learn that the way your skin looks and feels is influenced by many lifestyle factors. From your skincare routine, stress levels, pollution, UV exposure, and diet, all of these factors can play a key role in impacting your skin. As well as these factors, though, your gut health - or, more specifically, your gut bacteria - may hold the power to influence your skin! But how exactly does a healthy gut lead to good skin?

The Gut-Skin axis

Your microbiome consists of trillions of bacteria that hang out in the gut. It’s this collection of microorganisms that help to digest food, regulate our immune system and hormones, create and absorb vitamins and excrete toxins, among many other things to keep your body healthy.

When the microbial balance is off, the gut becomes overrun with bad bacteria (a process known as intestinal dysbiosis), leading to inflammation in the gut. It’s the inflammation that releases a signalling molecule known as pro-inflammatory cytokines across the entire body. As a result, the skin reacts to these cytokines and manifests as common skin conditions, such as acne, dry and sensitive skin, eczema or rosacea.

Microbial balance is key

When your microbiome is healthy and balanced, your skin is likely to stay fresh and clear. But a number of factors can influence this delicate balance. The major key to keeping the balance intact is diet. Processed foods, alcohol, sugar and low fibre intake can all negatively impact your microbiome. Notoriously, long term antibiotic use impacts both the good gut bacteria alongside the bad bacteria. However, it’s important to consider non-dietary factors such as stress, sleep quality, and environmental toxins as these are also all common culprits for disturbing the gut-skin axis.

How to nourish your microbiome for a happy gut and glowing skin

If you would like to level up your skin health game, it’s certainly worth starting with your gut! In order to help your gut bacteria thrive, aim to eat plenty of unprocessed foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables that are packed in fibre. Consuming low amounts of fibre in your diet is usually a common issue that may be getting your gut backed up and irritated! Fibre-rich diets, on the other hand, are linked to a higher and more diverse gut microflora - great news for the gut (and skin).

One of the quickest and easiest ways to boost your fibre intake is by including our Herbal Colon Cleanse Complex in your diet. Our Colon Cleanse tablets contain 8 active ingredients that can help boost your gut health and fibre intake. It's packed with fibre-rich and plant-derived psyllium husk, making it perfect for those looking to add some extra fibre to their diet.

Probiotics are also a key player in gut health. Probiotics are live microorganisms (the good kind of bacteria) that support a healthy gut microbiome. They are also great for fighting off bad bacteria when you have too much of them! You can increase the number of probiotics in your body by consuming fermented vegetables like kimchi and sauerkraut, and by taking a daily probiotic supplement.

Don’t forget to include our Bio Cultures Complex supplement in your daily supplement routine to help restore balance in the gut. Many digestive issues are usually linked to a lack of healthy bacteria in the gut, and our Bio Cultures Complex helps to improve the gut environment by introducing healthy bacteria to your gut in the form of probiotics (the good bacteria) and prebiotics (food for the good bacteria).

Riya Lakhani ANutr is a registered nutritionist and health writer with a special interest in plant-based nutrition. She has completed a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Human Nutrition, and has developed a passion for writing about all things plant-based.