There are no two ways about it: taking care of your skin means taking care of your overall health. Proper skincare is about more than just looks. Since the skin is the largest organ in the body, it’s one of the first indicators of your health.
Knowing the right beauty products to use is obviously important for your skin’s health. We’ve written about ‘The Best Beauty Gadgets to Boost your Skincare Routine’, and how these gadgets can improve your circulation and skin health. But that’s not all there is to skincare— what you eat is just as important.
If you want to know what your gut has to do with your skin, then you’ve come to the right place. Read on below to find out the relationship between your digestive system and your skin, and why you should be paying attention to both.
Why You Should Listen to Your Gut
When we think about skincare, the topic of what we eat doesn’t always come up. Sure, we all know that we should be drinking tons of water to keep our bodies and skin hydrated — experts interviewed by Harper’s Bazaar note that dehydration can cause our skin to look dry and flaky.
But water isn’t the only thing that matters when it comes to skin health. Your digestive system actually plays a pretty important role in the health of your skin and your body. According to research collated by the Canadian Digestive Health Foundation, there’s a definite link between your gut and your skin.
Research shows that people with rosacea are ten times more likely to have a small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) compared to those without. The same goes for those living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)— up to 30% of people with IBD are likely to have skin conditions as well.
How Does This Work?
Gut health expert Carla Oates says that the gut is where 70% of our immune system lies. It’s where all the magic happens, so to speak. The gut is where we metabolize hormones, nutrients, and enzymes, as well as neutralize some pathogens and create neurotransmitters.
If your gut isn’t healthy, then you’re definitely going to see some problems with your skin. The gut-skin connection is incredibly important, because your digestive system is where nutrition starts. If your skin is one of the largest places for your body to expel toxins from, then your gut is where you take in the good stuff.
What Should You Eat?
Since the gut is so important to proper skin health, it stands to reason that we should be more mindful of what we eat. The best way to ensure your gut health is by taking in probiotics, which are healthy bacteria that aid with digestion.
You can get probiotics from fermented foods such as yogurt, kimchi, or even apple cider vinegar. If you want to skip the hassle of diluting liquid ACV, the ACV gummies by Brightcore are made from organic, non-GMO apples. Gummies are easy to carry around, and a great way to boost your immunity without sacrificing convenience.
Another good source of nutrients for your skin is, of course, whole foods. Mayo Clinic recommends skin-friendly foods like carrots, apricots, dark green leafy vegetables, berries, and fatty fish. Since your skin is an organ, the best thing you can do for it is to eat a balanced diet, and to make sure that you’re getting the nutrition you need.