Probiotics and skin health

Probiotics are well known to act upon intestinal dysbiosis. Their effect on skin health is not as disclosed as on the intestinal front, but through oral administration the indirect effect on skin has been reported. Recently, the topical probiotic application has received more attention under the premise that applying probiotics directly to the skin will positively affect the local skin microbiome. While to date there have not been many clinical trials looking at topical probiotics for skin conditions, research so far suggests that they may prevent growth of harmful bacteria through competitive exclusion, production of chemical substances such as bacteriocins, organic acids and hydrogen peroxide, promotion of mucins secretion leading to the improvement of barrier function, stimulation of defensins release from the host cells, production of growth substances (vitamins) and competition for nutrients. In this chapter, we look at the skin structure and its microbiome and evaluate the role of probiotics on the normal function of healthy skin as well as their role in the prevention and therapy of skin disease.