What do yogurt, kombucha, and pickles all have in common? When eaten, they are healthy sources of probiotics in your diet. But did you know these friendly bacteria are also excellent beauty ingredients? Let’s take a closer look.

“Probiotics are really beneficial for the skin,” explains celebrity aesthetician Joshua Ross of SkinLab (www.skinlabusa.com). “Probiotics work similarly to the way they benefit the gut; by creating a healthy bacterial environment to help regulate the skin. From aggressive exfoliation and changes in diet, sometimes those strains of microorganisms can be depleted from the skin, and probiotics in skincare can help replace them.”

So, what are the added benefits of using this ingredient? Dr. Peterson Pierre of the Pierre Skin Care Institute in Thousand Oaks, California (www.pierreskincare.com) shares just why probiotics are worth including in your daily skincare regimen. It’s all about restoring and balancing the skin’s natural microbiome. “All of this helps to reduce inflammation,” Dr. Pierre explains.

“They also fight free radicals produced by the sun and pollution and may possibly even protect against skin cancer,” he continues. “Probiotics can build up our skin’s natural defenses and promote healthy function. These properties allow probiotics to be very useful for inflammatory skin conditions such as acne, rosacea, eczema, and psoriasis, and in preventing premature aging.”

The best part? You can find probiotic options in nearly all the skincare products you love already!

Aurelia Skincare offers their Brightening Eye Serum, which contains the brand’s probiotic ingredients to manage inflammation and promote the production of collagen and hyaluronic acid. Its signature eye complex also reduces wrinkles and gives you smooth, radiant skin.

Nordic Renewal Pre + Probiotic Cream was just launched by skyn ICELAND. This multi-tasking moisturizer is packed with prebiotics and probiotics to encourage cell renewal while simultaneously providing visible, lasting hydration.

If you are in the market for a new facial serum, try BIOMILK’s Complete Nutrition Daily Serum. It feeds your skin the healthy nutrition it craves with clinically proven prebiotics and probiotics, in addition to plant-based superfoods, to achieve visibly healthy-looking skin.

Other great finds include the KORRES Greek Yoghurt Probiotic SuperDose Face Mask, which rehydrates, rebalances, and reduces redness in less than 10 minutes.

Botanics’ Revive & Protect Postbiotic Gel Cleanser does the same. It is infused with antioxidant-rich black tea kombucha and cleanses makeup, excess oil, product build-up, and pollutants.

With so many formulations to choose from, it’s easy to find probiotics that enhance your skin just as they improve your gut health. Be proactive about probiotics!

2. skyn ICELAND Nordic Renewal Pre + Probiotic Cream

3. BIOMILK Complete Nutrition Daily Serum

4. KORRES Greek Yoghurt Probiotic SuperDose Face Mask

5. Botanics Revive & Protect Postbiotic Gel Cleanser

1. Aurelia Skincare Brightening Eye Serum $72.00 from www.aureliaskincare.com 2. skyn ICELAND Nordic Renewal Pre + Probiotic Cream $48.00 from www.skyniceland.com 3. BIOMILK Complete Nutrition Daily Serum $25.00 from www.biomilkskincare.com 4. KORRES Greek Yoghurt Probiotic SuperDose Face Mask $49.00 from www.ulta.com 5. Botanics Revive & Protect Postbiotic Gel Cleanser $9.99 from www.target.com