When either your gut or skin microbiome is out of whack, things can get uncomfortable – you might struggle with indigestion, acne, inflammation, and more nasty side effects. 

Fortunately, there are a few simple things you can do to help get your good bacteria back on track and kick those negative side effects of an overgrowth of bad bacteria to the curb.

(Not sure what your microbiome is? Read this before you go any further!)

Here are the top 3 things you can do to help improve your body’s microbiome:

• Diversify your diet
• Eat pre- and probiotics foods
• Take a topical or oral probiotic supplement

Let’s take a closer look.

The 3 best ways to help your gut and skin microbiomes

1. Diversify your diet

Studies have generally found that the more diverse range of foods you eat, the better for your body and microbiome. This is because different fruits and veggies support different bacteria, so you’re exposing yourself to a wider range of microbes (which is good!). Seasonal eating, for example, where you focus on what’s in season, helps vary your diet. 

It’s important for your microbiome that your diet include lots of fruits and vegetables, especially high-fiber veggies like asparagus, onions, and artichokes, plus foods with polyphenols like olive oil and green tea. 

These are prebiotic foods, which brings us to our next point!

2. Eat pre- and probiotics foods

Eating a diet that includes probiotics – fermented foods like kimchi and yogurt – can help provide additional good bacteria. But that’s not all! You should also be including prebiotic foods in your diet, meaning foods that feed the good gut bacteria you’re trying to boost. 

It’s one thing to consume more good bacteria, but once you have them, you want to keep them healthy and thriving to help keep things in balance. Prebiotic foods include:

• Legumes (beans, peas, lentils)
• Nuts and seeds
• Alliums (garlic, onions, leeks)
• Root vegetables
• Whole grains
• Apples 
• Bananas
• Raspberries
• Chickpeas
• Broccoli

Adding more of these to your diet (and avoiding foods that can trigger acne) can help give your microbiome the support it needs or maintain an already healthy microbiome so you don’t develop problems down the line.

3. Take a topical or oral probiotic supplement

If you know that you have an imbalance in your gut or are struggling with acne that just won’t go away, adding tailored probiotics to your diet can help get things back in working order. Imbalances can be caused by a wide variety of things, from diet to previous infection or antibiotic courses and more.

At Dermala, our skin-friendly probiotic products are designed by scientists. In a blind clinical study, our SCANTILY Pads (with our patented pre- and postbiotic mix - SE Microbiome Complex®) beat over-the-counter equivalents in every metric. That’s because the right probiotics can make a huge difference! Probiotic acne solutions are gentler and help treat the root of the problem, not just the symptoms.

And those are our top tips for a healthy microbiome

You’re ready to go out there and give your microbiome a boost! Kefir! Apples! New and diverse foods! (Just remember to talk to your doctor before starting any new supplements if you’re on any medications to make sure it’s safe!)
And if you’re ready to give probiotic solutions a try, take the skin quiz or go shopping for the product that’s right for you.