There are different ways that topical probiotics can benefit the skin. In patients with acne and rosacea, living microorganisms on the skin are recognized as foreign by the body’s immune system. The immune system springs into action to counter this potential threat, resulting in the inflammation, redness, or bumps common with these skin conditions.
When using topical Columbia Probiotic on skin surface it prevents the skin cells from seeing the bad bacteria and parasites that can cause this immune system response. This is known as “bacterial interference,” as probiotics protect the skin and interfere with the ability of bad bugs (or bacteria and parasites) to provoke an immune reaction.
In addition, Columbia SkinCare probiotic formulations have antimicrobial properties – they can create holes in bad bacteria and kill them. Similar to the way antibiotics work in the treatment of acne and rosacea, probiotics can help fight harmful bugs from triggering inflammation.
We also have evidence that when our strain-specific probiotics are placed in contact with skin cells, they calm the parts of the cells that may want to react to the presence of bad bacteria that they see as a threat. These healthy signals produced by the probiotics stop the skin cells from sending “attack” messages to the immune system that result in flares of acne or rosacea.
The rapid increase in the medical use of probiotics has confirmed their excellent safety profile. As immune modulators, they have been used in treating inflammatory skin conditions, including atopic dermatitis. Their role in acne, wound healing, and photoprotection is ubiquitous, therefore the use of probiotics represents an alternative, and perhaps a more efficacious approach to the treatments currently being offered by skin care professionals.
