How Gut Health Affects Your Skin: A Guide

Over the years, you might’ve followed a fair share of skincare tips, such as using branded lotions, creating face packs with natural ingredients, and drinking more water—these are the usual recommendations. However, one aspect that often gets overlooked is gut health. Strange as it may sound at first, the state of your gut can have a significant influence on the appearance of your skin. After all, your skin is a reflection of the inner workings of your digestive system.

Connection of the Skin and Gut

Your skin and gut are connected in two main ways –

Through the Immune System

When your gut is not healthy, it can send signals (called cytokines) that cause inflammation in the body. These signals can further lead to the onset of problems like psoriasis and eczema.

Through Stress

When you feel stressed, your body releases stress hormones. These hormones can disrupt the balance of the bacteria in your gut and weaken the skin’s protective barrier. This can then lead to more skin inflammation and flare-ups.

Key Signs Your Gut is Impacting Your Skin

The gut-skin axis, as this relation is often referred to, represents a two-way connection. This means what happens in your gut can affect your skin, and vice versa. When it comes to skin issues, there are noticeable signs that indicate your gut may not be functioning optimally.

• Inflammations

Skin inflammations, such as eczema and acne, can sometimes be triggered by an imbalance in the gut microbiome, a phenomenon known as dysbiosis.

• Reactions to Treatment Options

At times, your gut may not react well to certain treatment options that you’ve been prescribed. This can create a hindrance in the activity of the gut flora, potentially leading to skin inflammations or reactions.

• Flare-ups From Certain Foods

Processed and sugar-rich foods can also trigger gut disturbances, which may result in unexpected breakouts or dryness of the skin. Additionally, if dairy products don’t agree with you, incorporating them in your daily meal routine can lead to similar results.

The Gut Health Factors That Affect the Skin

• Gut Bacteria

Your gut is home to trillions of bacteria, some of which are good and an absolutely important part of your health. But when the scales of balance get tipped in favor of the bad bacteria, it can trigger inflammation, the brunt of which is often borne by your skin. This is because such an imbalance makes the immune system overtly active, which then leads to flare-ups (especially in those with conditions such as psoriasis and eczema) and breakouts. A healthy mix of gut bacteria, thus, not only plays a key role in keeping your digestion healthy, but also your skin health in check.

• Integrity of the Gut Lining

You might have heard of a condition called “leaky gut.” It is a health situation when the gut lining becomes weak or compromised.

Think of your gut lining as a protective wall. When it’s strong, it prevents unwanted substances from entering your bloodstream. But if it gets weakened, toxins and undigested food particles can pass through and trigger adverse immune responses. Ultimately, these responses may show up on the skin as inflammation and flare-ups.

• Improper absorption of nutrients

You are always told the importance of following a balanced meal routine, rich in vital nutrients. But sometimes, even if you eat all the right items, you may not receive all the benefits from the nutrients. This happens because the digestive system is not absorbing the nutrients properly. And in the case of vitamins like A, C, and E, and minerals such as zinc, lack of absorption can directly affect the skin, giving it a dull and dry appearance, or making it more sensitive than usual.

• Hormonal Activity

The gut significantly influences hormone regulation, so when gut health is compromised, it can disrupt hormonal balance. This imbalance, particularly involving hormones like insulin and cortisol—which are linked to stress and inflammation—can lead to noticeable effects on the skin. You might observe an increase in oiliness and/or breakouts, like acne.

Remedies to Manage the Effects

• Include Prebiotics and Probiotics

Prebiotics serve as food for your good gut bacteria. They support the growth of these microbes and help maintain a balanced digestive system. So, try including more foods that benefit the gut flora. Some common foods rich in prebiotics include garlic, onions, bananas, oats, and flaxseeds.

Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that can help restore balance to your gut flora and reduce internal inflammation. The effects of these can have a positive impact on your skin. You can find probiotics in fermented foods such as yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, and miso. Even a small serving each day can lead to significant improvements over time.

• Reduce Added Sugars and Processed Foods

Taking care of the gut goes beyond just adding the right foods to your diet; it is also important to eliminate those that can be harmful. Foods high in added sugars and ultra-processed items can adversely impact gut health. These foods can lead to dysbiosis, which may trigger inflammatory responses in the body.

• Maintain a Healthy Sleep Cycle

Disruption to sleep patterns and circadian rhythm ( the 24-hour clock in the brain) can adversely affect the gut microbiome. To maintain gut health, which is crucial for skin health, it is essential to get an adequate amount of sleep at night—about 7 to 8 hours.