They’ve been hanging around the shelves of the health food aisles for years and your gut loves them - this week is all about probiotics. You’ll probably know a bit about probiotics already. Like they’re good for your gut and more commonly found in yoghurt than a natural deodorant. But it’s 2021 guys and now it’s all about bacteria that works from the outside in.
Cleansers, masks, mists, serums, and - most importantly - natural deodorant. We’re putting it in everything and as it turns out, there’s a lot of evidence to suggest that it really is worth it. Read on to find out everything you need to know.
Sweat and bacteria
The first thing to know about sweat is that it doesn’t actually smell. Yep, you heard us. It’s actually bad bacteria breaking down your sweat in your armpits that causes B.O. Just like in your gut, your armpits have their own microbiome with their own delicate ecosystem of good and bad bacteria. The good and the bad balance each other out. But nowadays, with daily bathing and excessive use of soap, the good bacteria tends to get wiped out and the smelly ones take over.
Hang on, what is the microbiome?
Put simply, the microbiome is the collection of all the microbes, such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses (yes, including those!) that naturally live in and on us. It might sound weird to think that there are millions of microscopic organisms crawling all over and and inside us, but they’re actually super cool.
Everyone's microbes are different. A bit like a fingerprint, your core microbiome is formed early in life and is host to a unique community of microbes. Although you might not be able to see them, your microbes are grafting hard to protect you from pathogens, support your immune system and help you digest your lunch. And guess what? Probiotics are a key player in keeping your microbiome healthy.
What are probiotics?
Essentially, probiotics are the superheroes of your microbes. They are the live bacteria (the good kind) that provide benefits to the overall health of your digestive system. They’re found in yoghurts and food supplements and help in balancing gut bacteria and block pathogens - the bad guys.
And how about prebiotics?
While our probiotics are working hard to keep our gut healthy, we also need to think about keeping our probiotics happy and healthy. Enter the prebiotics i.e. probiotic nutrients. Confused yet? You can ensure that you’re getting enough prebiotics by simply eating a wide variety of fruit and vegetables, which all contain different kinds of prebiotics. Bananas, berries, tomatoes, onions, green veg and cereals are all great examples.
How do probiotics help your skin?
Although they’re in completely different parts of the body, probiotics in skincare work in a similar way to those in your stomach. Just as the your gut microbes help promote good bacteria, those on the skin utilise a surge of good bacteria to look after your cells. And happy cells means happy skin. Think less acne or dryness and more hydration and clarity.
Probiotics for acne
The future of acne treatment is probiotics. That’s what the experts are saying. Rather than using antibiotics to starve the bad guys, it just makes more sense to feed the good guys. Lactobacillus (also found in our Fussy Natural deodorant) has been found to be effective in treating acne, which is a game changer for so many of us. They can provide a calming and balancing response to the build-up of bad acne-causing bacteria.
Probiotics for sensitive skin
If you didn’t think probiotics were cool enough, they also have the ability to strengthen and rebuild the skin’s barrier. Sensitive skin often takes longer to repair after damage, but by adding probiotics to your skincare routine, you could help build skin resilience and immunity.
Probiotics for polluted skin
Most of us will be exposed to pollution on a daily basis and it’s not so great for the skin. Free radicals such as polluted air accelerate aging and suck the radiance from skin. But guess what? Probiotics are the heroes here too! They can boost the skin’s natural defence system and ensure that your skin is ready to defend itself against elements everyday. By calming the immune response stimulated by stress and pollution, probiotics prevent damage to collagen and healthy cells. It’s like an invisible shield against all that we put our skin through on a daily basis.
Using probiotics in natural deodorant
Just like in your gut or on your face, probiotics in natural deodorant work to rebalance your armpit’s microbiome and reduce body odour. They do this by replacing the good bacteria, that as you now know, we all seem to be washing away. It’s literally as simple as adding more good bacteria to control the bad.
So we can’t take all the credit for the effectiveness of our natural deodorant. It’s all thanks to our friend lactobacillus who just loves to eat up your B.O molecules. Mmm, tasty.
Say no to B.O and get ahead of the trend. Probiotics in natural deodorant is where it’s at so get yours now!
