Prebiotics and probiotics have been health buzzwords for years now. However, many people still don't truly understand exactly what these words mean and how they may impact your health. To further confuse matters, pre and pro as prefixes have extremely similar but slightly different meanings. Consider that precede means to come before something, whereas proceed refers to an action continuing forward. Is your head spinning yet? Don't worry, we will get to the good stuff!
Prebiotics and probiotics work in tandem in healthy bodies. Today, we will be defining these two terms, discussing their role in digestion, how prebiotics and probiotics can be used for skin health, and some examples of skincare products which harness their natural potency.
Definition of Prebiotics and Probiotics
Prebiotics are a type of indigestible fiber which are found in many natural sources. Common sources of prebiotics include onions, apples, beans, leeks, garlic, bananas, and many more. Prebiotics often contain short-chain fatty acids which can aid in a healthy functioning metabolism. Prebiotics are non-living.
Probiotics are live bacteria which can be found naturally in our digestive system or sourced from certain foods. There are two primary types of probiotics: lactobacillus and bifidobacterium. These probiotics can be found in yogurt, dairy products, kimchi, sauerkraut, and other fermented foods.
Prebiotics Interact with Probiotics for Digestion
So this begs the question, what is the link between prebiotics and probiotics? Let's go back to the definitions of pre and pro. Prebiotics are responsible for starting the process and probiotics are responsible for continuing the process further. The simplest way of viewing this relationship is that prebiotics feed probiotics.
This creates a symbiotic relationship where a healthy amount of prebiotics in our digestive tract will lead to healthy production of probiotics. Probiotics can then do their job of aiding digestion, neutralizing certain diseases, reducing the symptoms of IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), and much more. In fact, healthy probiotic function in our guts has been linked to a lessened dependence on antibiotics, lowered risk of gestational diabetes, greater control over eczema symptoms, and much more!
Topical Probiotic Power for Skin Health
Much like in our guts, our skin has an active microflora with living bacteria. While we might not want to think about this too much, it is perfectly natural and normal! In fact, one of the primary issues with many skincare routines today is that they deprive the users of their natural beauty by stripping away our skin's microflora.
Topical prebiotics and probiotics work with your skin rather than fight against it. This is especially true for individuals who suffer from common skin conditions such as eczema, rosacea, or even acne. Probiotics can naturally protect skin from outside irritants and boosts your body's ability to heal itself.
Probiotics have also been shown to work as germ killers! The American Academy of Dermatology explains that "similar to the way antibiotics work in the treatment of acne and rosacea, probiotics can help fight harmful bugs from triggering inflammation." Probiotics can help to eliminate unwanted bacteria while feeding the naturally beneficial microflora on your skin.
Skin Care Products Using Prebiotics and Probiotics
GLOWBIOTICS is at the forefront of probiotic technology for skin beauty and health. We strongly believe in nurturing skin's ability to care for itself by creating beauty products with proprietary Probiotic Derived Bioactives (PDBs). This allows our products to be highly effective, natural, potent, and shelf stable for your convenience.
Our products harness the power of prebiotics and probiotics to reverse skin aging, fight against acne breakouts, reduce skin swelling and redness, and promote a healthy bacterial balance for your skin. Rather than strip away your skin's ability to regenerate itself, why not feed it with the good bacteria your body needs!
Available prebiotic products include, among others, our probiotic cleanser, acne treatment cleanser, and revitalizing cleanser. These products blend together prebiotics and probiotics to gently cleanse skin, hydrate skin, and balance your skin's healthy bacteria levels.
As our name suggests, our probiotic products run the gamut from cleansers to moisturizers, to sun care, eye creams, and everything in between. We offer different lines of products for end users with normal skin, dry skin, oily skin, acne prone, and much more. We also offer deluxe trial kits for those who are interested in trying out the power of probiotics at home!
While historically, prebiotics and probiotics have been known to aid in digestive health, we now know how greatly they can benefit all areas of your body and health, particularly your skin. Caring for your skin in a holistic way involves an overall approach, both internally and externally, and can have lasting benefits for the life of your skin.