Could Probiotics Cure Acne?

This article originally appeared on YouBeauty
A breaking study suggests that the cure for acne could lie in the science of bacteria.

For decades, scientists have puzzled over the main mystery of acne: If the zit-causing bacteria known as P. acnes lives on everyone’s skin, why do some people react to it with relentless breakouts, while others get to enjoy clear, resilient complexions?

Now, a new study published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology has discovered a possible answer. Researchers from UCLA lifted P. acnes bacteria from the pores of 49 acne-prone and 52 clear-complexioned volunteers. What they found were more than 1,000 strains of the bacteria, from which they were able to identify genes unique to each strain.

And it turns out that all P. acnes was not created equal.

“We were extremely excited to uncover a strain of P. acnes that’s common in healthy skin, yet rarely found when acne is present,” said principal investigator Huiying Li, an assistant professor of molecular and medical pharmacology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

In other words, those with clear skin had “good” bacteria that appeared to keep the “bad” pimple-triggering bacteria at bay, and genetics seem to play a crucial role in who gets doled out the lucky hand.

“Not all bacteria is bad—we have good bacteria in our bodies that keep us in check and help us stay healthy,” explains Joshua Zeichner, M.D., director of cosmetic and clinical research at Mount Sinai’s department of dermatology.

It’s a bacterial concept that many women are already familiar with, thanks to the nuisance of yeast infections. But before you slather on a Dannon Light mask the next time you spot a zit, the good news is that scientists already have a lead on […]

Promising Research From NYC Doctors on Probiotics

This article originally appeared on Metro.us 

Your doctor might hold the cure for a problem that’s been bugging the medical community. Read on to learn about three local physicians’ exciting fieldwork.

Doctor-patient communication’s importance in cancer prevention

Who’s doing it? Columbia University’s Dr. Charles Basch, colorectal cancer researcher for the American Cancer Society

What did he do? Basch’s research is a follow-up to a previous study that led to increased awareness of colon cancer screening. But with screening rates still low, more needed to be done. “This study targets doctors as a potential source of communication,” he says. “We need to provide doctors with adaptive training and educate them on the barriers patients face. Doctors need to make patients more comfortable.”

When will treatment be available? He’s hoping to discern the study’s effectiveness “in the coming months,” he says. “All doctors agree that colonoscopies prevent colon cancer, but we need to tailor the conversation. Then we can implement it better.”

New minimally invasive procedure for diabetes and weight loss

Who’s doing it? Dr. Louis Aronne, Sanford I. Weill professor of metabolic research at Weill Cornell Medical College

What did he do? Aronne helped develop a liner “to block the absorption of calories from the first part of the intestine.” The non-surgical procedure takes a half hour to insert, and patients go home the same day. “It’s an alternative to gastric bypass and might reduce the amount of drugs diabetics take.”

When will it be available? FDA registration trials will take a couple years, but it will be longer before the procedure is available. Right now, “we’re recruiting people for the trials,” Aronne says.

Probiotics for healing acne and rosacea, and slowing skin aging

Who’s doing it? Dr. Whitney Bowe, clinical assistant professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Medical Center, and member of […]

Can Probiotics Give You Flawless Skin?

This article originally appeared on health24.com

We know probiotics are good for your digestive health and weight control, but could this non-digestible food ingredient be the next big thing in skincare?

Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that help to maintain the health of the intestinal tract and aid digestion.

They also help keep potentially harmful organisms in the gut (some bacteria and yeasts) under control. Now researchers are saying that by getting a good daily dose of probiotics it can also help clear up problem skin while therapists are starting to use them in skincare products in the fight against problem and ageing skin.

They help the gut, but is there a knock-on effect?

Research studies, including by the British Journal of Dermatology and Journal of Dermatological Science, have discovered a range of benefits associated with p, suggesting that it can help improve the balance of bacteria in your skin the same way it improves the bacteria in your digestive system.

These studies have shown an improvement in eczema as well as acne if you regularly eat products containing probiotics – either through a supplement such as acidophilus or in specially formulated yoghurts or fermented products such as kimchee, keiffer, miso, tempeh, aged cheese, some soy beverages and sauerkraut.

According to Natural Solutions (Jul. 2008, issue 109, p.89), probiotics can clear up one’s complexion. Authors concluded that when the good bacteria enter the body, they strengthen the skin’s acid mantle and protects the outermost layer of the skin from pathogens and free radicals.

Probiotics in skincare 

When you cleanse your face, depending on the product you use, you often strip all the good and bad bacteria off it, leaving it vulnerable. By using a skincare product – cleanser, cream or serum – with a built-in probiotic, you put the good ones right back.

According to the Health & Wellness Trends […]

Are Probiotics The New Beauty Food?

This article originally appeared on Yahoo! Health

Taking a daily dose of probiotics may help you achieve beautiful and healthy skin, suggests early research on the live, friendly bacteria and skin health.

Combined with effective stress management strategies and a healthy diet, oral probiotics may help to reduce inflammation, explains Whitney P. Bowe, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and clinical assistant professor of dermatology. By promoting a healthier digestive system, probiotics may prevent toxins in the gut from leaking into the bloodstream. In turn, this may help to reduce inflammation throughout the body, including acne and rosacea flares on the skin.

“To maximize the benefits of probiotics, you should try to reduce stress and minimize refined carbohydrates in your diet,” suggests Dr. Bowe. “Eat more complex carbohydrates, more fibre, more deeply coloured fruits and vegetables. All of those things will set the stage for adding healthy bacteria.”

Some probiotics might also be applied to the skin to act as a protective shield, guarding against harmful microbes that can trigger acne, rosacea, and other skin conditions. Dr. Bowe explains that friendly bacteria can produce antimicrobial substances, which kill unwelcome germs. Certain strains of probiotics may also calm skin cells, helping to limit unsightly immune responses, such as inflammation, redness, and bumps.

Probiotics may boost skin health
Much research remains to be done – and probiotic hype may exceed actual health perks. However, investigators have found evidence linking friendly bacteria to healthier skin. For example:

In an in vitro study, Dr. Bowe and colleagues found that the probioticStreptococcus salivarius produced a zit-zapping substance that limited the growth of Propionibacterium acnes, a bacterium linked with acne.

When applied to the skin, two probiotic strains of Lactobacilli helped to protect against skin infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus, report researchers from The University of Manchester, UK. Among […]

Can Probiotics Clear Your Acne?

These days, it seems like there’s nothing bacteria can’t do. It can cure nasty diarrheal infections through a trendy fecal transplant. It can help heal leaky guts. And now, research is showing that it can even clear your skin.

That might seem counterintuitive to anyone who’s been prescribed rounds of acne-fighting   antibiotics by their dermatologist. But some derms are now prescribing probiotics alongside the antibiotics. This pairing can help calm antibiotics’ negative side effects, like yeast infections—but they may also have an unintended benefit for acne sufferers, said Dr. Whitney Bowe, a New York-based dermatologist and researcher.

“After they’d finish the antibiotics, my patients would come back and say they were still taking the probiotics, because they were really helping their skin clear up,” she said.

How do probiotics pack such acne-healing power? Digestion is affected by stress, anxiety, and a low-fiber, high-processed diet, which shifts our inner microbial colonies for the worse.

“When that happens, levels of system-wide inflammation are increased,” Bowe said, including in the skin. “By taking oral probiotic supplements or by eating probiotics in your diet, you can theoretically restore a healthy environment in your gut and keep the skin from getting inflamed.”

This gut-skin connection isn’t a new idea: In 1961, a case report found that of 300 acne patients given a probiotic, 80 percent had clinical improvement. But the notion has captured a lot more attention lately.

Recent studies conducted in Russia and Italy found that probiotics help acne patients heal better and faster. And one small 2010 study published in the journal Nutrition found that acne patients who consumed a Lactobacillus-fermented beverage for 12 weeks produced less sebum (oily secretions) and had fewer acne lesions.

New research is looking at how topical probiotics can have […]

Early Research Shows Link Between Probiotics and Clear Skin

This article originally appeared on Skin Inc

In recent years, probiotics have become synonymous with helping maintain good digestive health. Whether as live active cultures found in some yogurts or as daily supplements, probiotics are live, “friendly” bacteria that may benefit a person’s health. Now, emerging research is finding that the benefits of probiotics may extend beyond the digestive tract to the skin. In fact, skin prone to acne or rosacea has shown improvement with daily probiotic use, giving dermatologists reason to consider supplementing traditional acne therapy with a dose of this beneficial bacteria.

American Academy of Dermatology expert
Information provided by Whitney P. Bowe, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist and clinical assistant professor of dermatology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York, and adjunct assistant clinical professor of dermatology at State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate College of Medicine in Brooklyn.
The science behind probiotics effect on the skin
 

Most bacterial cells that live inside and on the body are harmless, and studies show that, in fact, they can be extremely beneficial to the body’s normal functioning. Bowe noted that while the science of how probiotics can work to interfere with the development of acne and rosacea is very complex, Bowe noted that researchers are studying how this type of healthy bacteria applied topically to the skin or taken orally can benefit these skin conditions.
Topically applied probiotics
Currently, some cosmeceutical manufacturers have started using probiotics in their products based on this early research—including probiotic masks, creams or cleansers. There are different ways that topical probiotics can benefit the skin:

Protective Shield.

In patients with acne and rosacea, living microorganisms on the skin are recognized as foreign by the body’s immune system. The immune system […]

5 Ways Probiotics Make You Prettier

This article originally appeared on Prevention
Make your skin care come alive
You already know that eating or taking probiotics can improve your skin from the inside out. But as a new batch of products and research would suggest, you can reap the anti-aging benefits of probiotics by applying them topically, too. “We have good and bad bacteria on our skin, just as we do in our gut,” says Ellen Marmur, MD, an associate professor of dermatology and genetics at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. “If the balance is off-kilter, it can result in acne or rosacea.” The right bacteria may also keep skin young. “A study found that probiotics can stimulate skin’s protective mechanism from the inside, and this may also happen with external application,” says Eric Perrier, a cosmetic scientist.

Scientists weren’t the only ones impressed. Here, five products that treat serious skin woes with, well, bacteria.
1. Smooth Dry Skin

Burt’s Bees Intense Hydration Night Cream ($18; drugstores)

Look for probiotics in a night cream—like this one by Burt’s Bees—to give the active cultures a full 8 hours to do their dirty work. Here, the probiotic technology helps your skin retain the moisture it has while natural butters feed your skin restorative antioxidants that combat fine lines and wrinkles.

2. Minimize redness or rosacea
Clinique Redness Solutions Makeup SPF 15 ($27; clinique.com)

Facial redness, chronic or not, is caused by inflammation, which makes your blood vessels visible at the skin’s surface. This liquid makeup—the first of its kind—actually treats facial redness while you wear it. Little invisible yellow- and green-tinted pearls neutralize and camouflage the visual redness while active probiotic Lactobacillus and a slew of natural extracts calm, soothe, and strengthen the skin’s barrier to lessen redness […]