How Much Probiotics to Take for Acne?

Acne as a skin concern is one of the most common that many of us have suffered from at least once in our lifetime (if you haven’t then you are extremely lucky!)

Having said that with a skin concern as common as acne and breakouts, there isn’t simply one treatment to help combat the problem overnight. There are a vast number of factors that can contribute to acne flare-ups, therefore suffering from acne can often feel extremely frustrating, disheartening, or downright irritating.

When targeting acne and breakouts, there are many effective and potent skincare ingredients that have gained a reputation for clearing acne quickly. However, most recently there have been some whispering about probiotics becoming a potential secret weapon to calming and treating blemish-prone skin. Yes, believe it or not, your gut health has a strong connection to the overall health of your skin. So, with that in mind, we can take a closer look into how probiotics can help and how much you will need to take to effectively clear acne and restore your skin’s clarity.

Which probiotics is best for acne?

With research into the full benefits of probiotics being an ongoing task, there is always something newly discovered about the various strains of probiotics. There is, however, a couple of strains that has shown impressive results in reducing acne is Lactobacillus Acidophilus, also known as L. Acidophilus and Lactobacillus Bifidobacterium, or L. Bifidobacterium. By introducing these in supplement form into your everyday routine, you’ll find that the size of your blemishes and the longevity of them remaining will be significantly reduced. This is due to the two strains of probiotics being able to reduce the inflammation around the follicle, which develops into a spot once it has become clogged with various impurities from excess sebum, bacteria, debris, and dirt. You will also find that with your gut health functioning to the best of its ability you will be able to see a marked improvement in the overall look and feel of the skin.

Will taking probiotics help with acne?

Yes, once you have found the best strain of probiotics to include into your daily routine, you will find any flare-up in acne will be significantly reduced, here are some examples of the benefits you can expect to see when using probiotics to treat acne. 

• Can prevent the over-production of bacteria

By using topical probiotic treatments or enriched skincare, you’ll find there is a reduction in the production of Propionibacterium acnes, also known as, P.acnes. This is the bacteria that occurs on the skin surface that can often develop into flare-up in breakouts, blackheads, and more severe cases of acne.

• Protects the skin from environmental aggressors

Whether you are taking probiotics internally or using them in external formulations, both can counteract the damaging exposure the skin has to environmental aggressors, such as pollution, UV rays, and other free radicals. By combating nasty, bad bacteria you are able to reduce any inflammation and calm the skin enabling to remain in its healthiest state and functioning correctly.

• Calms inflammations inside and out

When you take a probiotic supplement, you can target any potential inflammation that can occur internally. It can do this may regaining balance of the gut’s microbiome ensuring there is enough good bacteria to help keep any remaining traces of bad bacteria dormant allowing the gut to function to the best of its ability.

How much probiotics should I take a day?

This is very much dependant on the particular brand of probiotics or the formulation they come in. Generally speaking, you’ll find that taking one dosage of probiotics a day is the optimal amount to reap the rewards of the billions of live cultures found in the blend.

Word of warning however, when you first use probiotics as a new addition into your routine, you may find you suffer from the following concerns, loose stools, stomach cramps, and bloating. These are common side effects to probiotics and should clear up after a day or two, if you find they become more severe you must seek the help from your doctor.

If you wanted to know more about how to take probiotics, check out our dedicated blog post about it over on the Health Insiders.

How long does it take for probiotics to clear skin?

This can vary from person to person depending on how long it takes for their bodies to adjust to the addition of probiotics in their routine. For many of us, you can expect to notice an improved difference as quickly as 1-2 weeks after the first initial side effects have worn off. Once a couple of weeks have passed you will find the results you have seen for your general gut health will move onto an improved look and feel of the skin. It will appear calmed, glowing, and healthy.

Is acne related to gut health?

Yes, some cases of acne can be connected to an imbalance of good and bad bacteria in the gut’s microbiome. Many find that if they experience a flare-up in certain skin conditions such as acne, rosacea, eczema, and psoriasis, taking a probiotic supplement will help prevent any further disruption to the gut and its general health. Once the gut microbiome is balanced, you’ll find the skin is calmed and signs of inflammations reduced.

As I have already mentioned, there are various factors that contribute to acne so don’t feel disheartened if you find probiotics have not effectively cleared the skin. This simply requires you taking some time to continue your research into the cause of your acne. With this you will need the help of a doctor, medical professional, or dermatologist.

Do probiotics help with hormonal imbalance?

Absolutely! Probiotics are a vital for helping to restore balance to hormones. Many of us are unaware of our gut functioning as a second brain which if it encounters an imbalance will have a knock-on effect on almost every part of the body and general health and wellbeing. If you are unwilling to find a probiotic that will work for you, you can instead opt to increase the probiotic rich foods into your diet such as kerfir, sauerkraut, kimchee, and miso to name a few.

There you have a bit more of an insight into how much probiotics to take for acne, don’t forget if you had any other questions, you can find us on Instagram.