Should you be putting probiotics on your face for clear, flawless skin?

Years ago, while battling the near constant acne breakouts, one of the warnings I heard repeated over and over again was to avoid touching the face.  This was because we're constantly touching random things and could spread the icky bacteria to our faces.  Acne, some claimed, was triggered by the influx of bad bacteria clogging up the skin.

So what did we do, we scrubbed harder in hopes that intense cleansing would keep our faces clean and free of acne.  But over cleansing stripped the skin, which made it even more irritated and might have even promoted more breakouts.  Times have evolved and now we know the merits of maintaining a good bacterial balance.  In order to maintain a healthy gut, we rely on healthy "good bacteria" to keep unwanted strains of bacteria in check.  Researchers have realized that the same goes for our skin.

According to one study, researchers sampled the skin of 49 acne-prone and 52 participants with clear skin.  When studied, the lab identified 2 unique strains of acne triggering bacteria found in 20% of those with acne prone skin.  Those who weren't acne sufferers didn't show signs of this acne causing bacteria on their skin. But it gets better. They went on to find one strain of good bacteria from those with clear healthy skin that acne sufferers weren't lucky enough to have.  The research is on going but their next step is to determine if probiotic skin care products could eliminate acne causing bacteria thereby "preventing pimples before they start."  I've read some accounts of people who've successfully utilized pro-biotic skin care products to address their breakouts.

I would have loved to know this back when struggled mightily to keep my skin clear.  My medicine cabinet would have been stocked with probiotic skin care products.  Actually, there wasn't much talk of probiotic skin care years ago, but now the conversation is more prevalent and skin care companies are stepping up. Nowadays, you can cleanse with probiotic soap, follow up with a probiotic moisturizer and follow up with a probiotic toner.   While we're on the topic, let's not forget about "prebiotics" which are food for probiotics (for lack of a better word).  They provide the ideal environment for probiotics to flourish.  If you recall, coconut vinegar contains prebiotics.  I use coconut vinegar daily as toner to help combat my seborrheic dermatitis.  It's acidic pH really keeps my skin happy.  Maybe coconut vinegar has helped keep my skin clear of eruptions.   

If your skin isn't responding to traditional acne remedies, try shifting your strategy to focus on balance.  Use acidic products to keep your skin and try a probiotic acne regimen.  And don't forget to take high quality probiotic supplements because a healthy gut is imperative to keeping skin clear of breakouts.