Microbiome - do we need to look after it?
Last year I had an amazing opportunity to take part in excellent online conference hosted by Dr Oskar Kaczmarek. The conference focused mainly on acne and disorders on the intestine-brain-skin axis. I think this knowledge could be successfully applied to other skin conditions, not just acne - at least in my case 😉
So what's that all about? 🙃
Our microbiome is the living microorganisms ON our skin and IN our gastrointestinal system. It evolved with us throughout the evolution to help us survive basically. People of today are doing a terrible damage to the good bacteria that are here for a reason - I was the same. I will not go into the details too much, because I would like to focus on the skin and how it is affected by changes to the microbiome.
Dr Kaczmarek is adamant that to have healthy, glowing, good looking skin there has to be a diversity in our microbiome ON the skin. That means we need all sorts of microorganisms to be living on the skin ( it might sound unhygienic, but it is not actually 😅). Due to overuse of some cosmetics such as exfoliators, acids (even in small doses) and retinoids or use of cosmetics not tailored to the needs of the skin in general we are stripping it from its microbiome. I am not saying stop washing your face or stop using that peeling 😂 - just be conscious of what you use and how often you use it. The proper layering of skincare products is important here too! Listen to your skin - find balance and stick to it.
That's one part of this very complex system. The other part lays inside - our internal microbiome that lives in the gut. It needs good nutrients from different sources to keep its diversity. Nowadays, with the vast amount of processed food and tonnes of sugar everywhere, our intestinal microbiome is getting weaker and weaker. Dr Kaczmarek explained how poor microbiome in our intestine can affect the microbiome on our skin and aggravate acne. My skin condition does not involve acne but it certainly got better and easier to manage since I implemented some advice given by Dr Kaczmarek. 😄
I make sure my diet is balanced, with low glycemic index and full of essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. (most of the time 🙈 ), I drink plenty of water, I swapped dairy for plant milk and products. I can honestly say that the difference is huge! I do not get that red, flaky patches on my face anymore, my skin has a healthy glow and blemishes are less frequent. 💪🏼
I think this conference is still available to purchase, it is in Polish though 🙃 maybe we should ask Dr Kaczmarek to do an English version of it? Anyway, I am a believer of holistic approach to every problem and skin problems are no different - if you think that some food/ product may make your skin condition worse why not try to eliminate it for a bit and see what happens.
Always ask your GP or other medical professional for help if in doubt and make small changes so you can track them easily ☺️
Share your experience with us - what helped you in terms of managing you skin. Your tips might be helpful for someone else ❤️