How Your Gut Health Affects Your Skin

Gut health and skin health are both important aspects of overall wellness, but their overlap is only just beginning to gain attention. The connection between the two, which is sometimes called the gut-skin axis, revolves around the fact that an unbalanced gut microbiome can cause various skin issues, ranging from acne to psoriasis. This is why some people don’t find success in clearing up their skin with topical skincare regimens alone, as the root cause often comes from within. The good news is this means a balanced microbiome typically translates to healthier, more radiant skin. 

But how are they linked? This article covers the key aspects of the gut-skin connection, including skin conditions related to gut health, the gut’s impact on inflammation, foods and supplements that support gut and skin health, and lifestyle changes that support a healthy gut and clearer skin. 

The science behind the gut-skin connection

Your gut microbiome, which refers to the complex ecosystem of trillions of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms in your gut, plays a key role in many areas of overall wellbeing. Their functions range from helping break down food to the synthesis of various key vitamins and even immune support. When the balance of this ecosystem is disturbed, a cascade of effects that reach far beyond the gut can occur. For example, disruption to gut bacteria can produce chemical signals that impact inflammation, hormones, and skin cell function. Inflammation is the key thread that connects the gut and skin, as it can begin in the gut and manifest in various skin conditions like acne, eczema, psoriasis, and rosacea. Inflammatory molecules like cytokines and lipopolysaccharides (LPS) can escape from the gut and enter the bloodstream, triggering or worsening skin flare-ups.

One condition that illustrates this connection is leaky gut syndrome. Although not universally recognised in mainstream medicine, it refers to the intestinal lining becoming more permeable than normal. This allows partially digested food, toxins, and microbes to "leak" into the bloodstream, provoking immune responses and inflammation throughout the body, including in the skin. People with leaky gut often report experiencing breakouts, rashes, or heightened skin sensitivity, which may improve when gut health is addressed.

Common skin conditions linked to gut health

Here’s a closer look at the links between the gut and some common skin conditions:

• Acne: An imbalance between harmful and beneficial gut bacteria, which is known as gut dysbiosis, can increase systemic inflammation and alter hormone levels. Both of these are common acne triggers. Additionally, an unhealthy microbiome may also negatively impact nutrient absorption, causing problems with skin repair and oil regulation.
  
• Eczema & Psoriasis: Chronic skin conditions, including eczema and psoriasis, are commonly linked to gut inflammation. By overactivating the immune system, an imbalanced microbiome can result in inflammatory skin responses. It’s also worth noting that a large number of people living with these conditions often also report digestive issues.
  
• Rosacea: Digestive problems, including small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (known as SIBO), have been linked to rosacea in several studies. In addition to inflammatory responses, poor gut health may also increase vascular reactivity, both of which can worsen rosacea and cause flare-ups.
  
• Dry Skin: Proper gut health supports healthy digestion and nutrient absorption, including key nutrients like zinc, vitamin A, and omega fatty acids, all of which are essential for skin hydration. Therefore, poor gut health can interfere with this process, leading to dry skin and related issues like dullness or flakiness.
  
  
  

Best foods for gut and skin health

Here are some key types of foods to work into your diet for optimum gut and skin health:

• Probiotics & Fermented Foods: Probiotics & fermented foods introduce beneficial bacteria into the gut. This helps balance your microbiome and reduce inflammation, leading to healthier skin. Some examples include kimchi, sauerkraut, tempeh, and kefir.
  
• Prebiotics: Prebiotic foods are high in fibre and provide fuel for the good bacteria present in your gut. Keeping your microbiome well fed supports digestion, immune health, and skin cell function. Popular options include garlic, onions, asparagus, leeks, and bananas.
  
• Anti-Inflammatory Foods: As chronic inflammation can contribute to both gut issues and skin flare-ups, including anti-inflammatory foods in your diet can help reduce both issues. Easy additions include turmeric, berries, leafy greens, olive oil, and green tea.
  
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Omega-3 fatty acids play key roles in gut and skin health by reducing inflammation, strengthening the skin barrier, and supporting the integrity of the gut’s lining. Sources include flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts, and hemp seeds.
  
  

Supplements to support gut and skin health

To further support both gut and skin health, it’s worth considering adding certain supplements to your daily regimen:

• Probiotics: Supplementing your diet with probiotics, such as our Bio Cultures Complex, can help restore the balance of good bacteria in the gut. This may support a reduction in inflammation and therefore result in clearer skin. While they can be taken at any time, they’re most important after antibiotics or during periods of digestive upset.
  
• Vitamin D: Vitamin D is involved in immune regulation and supports the health of your gut’s lining, in addition to managing inflammation. This can benefit chronic skin conditions like eczema and acne.
  
• Zinc: Zinc plays a crucial role in skin repair, immune function, and inflammation, while helping to maintain gut lining health. This can help prevent or ease leaky gut symptoms, having knock-on effects on skin health. 
• Vitamin A: Supplements containing vitamin A can help support normal skin cell turnover and sebum regulation while also promoting a healthy immune system and gut lining. This type of supplement may be especially beneficial for acne-prone or dry, flaky skin.

Lifestyle changes to improve gut health for clearer skin

In addition to diet and supplements, certain lifestyle habits and changes can have an impact on both gut and skin health. Managing stress is important as high stress levels can cause microbiome disruptions, leading to breakouts, flare-ups, or skin sensitivity, in addition to digestive symptoms. Hydration is equally important, as water supports key functions like digestion, nutrition absorption, and skin hydration. 

It’s also key to make sure you get enough sleep, which is often overlooked. Sleep is when your body repairs both the gut lining and skin tissue, so poor sleep can negatively impact both systems. Finally, try to make sure you exercise regularly, as this helps stimulate gut motility, encourages diversity in the microbiome, and boosts circulation, which can result in glowing skin and a happy gut. Small changes and consistency over time can make a significant difference in the health of your gut and skin.

Key takeaways

Here are the key points to remember about the links between gut and skin health:

• A healthy gut microbiome supports digestion, immunity, and skin health.
  
• The gut links to the skin via the gut-skin axis.
  
• Inflammation from an unhealthy gut can lead to skin issues.
  
• Leaky gut may cause toxins to enter the bloodstream and affect the skin.
  
• Acne, eczema, psoriasis and rosacea are often linked to gut imbalances.
  
• Probiotic and prebiotic foods help balance gut bacteria and improve skin.
  
• Anti-inflammatory foods and omega-3s support both gut and skin health.
  
• Supplements like probiotics, vitamin D, zinc, and vitamin A can help with both gut and skin issues.
  
• Managing stress, getting enough high-quality sleep, proper hydration, and regular exercise all benefit the gut and skin.
  
• A balanced lifestyle and diet are key to supporting the gut-skin connection.