The Beauty & Vitality Story
Studies of the gut-skin-brain axis are highlighting a strong link between the health of our gut microbiome, our mental health and skin health, and how with the right combination of prebiotics, probiotics and nutrients improvements in gut health can improve skin health.
Skin is the body’s first barrier and largest living organ. The outer layers, (epidermis & dermis) are covered by a protecting and hydrating biofilm known as the microbiome; home to millions of micro-organisms that live, protect & nourish the skin. The delicate balance of this microbiome is under constant attack from diet, lifestyle, smoking, alcohol, stress, preservatives in make-up, even our sleep position. These, combined with adverse environmental factors such as excessive sun/UV exposure, domestic chemicals and cleaning products etc, leave the microbiome having to constantly adjust to maintain a healthy balance.
Over time our skin and its microbiome change as the effects of ageing take hold. In youth, skin tends to be at its best: bright, glowing and with high levels of natural oil production, leaving it sometimes prone to breakouts and blemishes. As we age the epidermis thins leading to fine lines as collagen levels and elastic fibres that allow our skin to stretch start to degrade; the sebaceous glands produce less oil, leaving our skin feeling dryer and rougher; and hormones change further affecting skin and microbiome.
Emerging research highlights a strong link between facial skin, the ageing process and the health of the microbiome, suggesting improvements in the skin’s microbiome can improve the look and feel of our skin and reduce the signs of skin ageing.
Microbiome health can be improved through topical applications and ingestion of pre and probiotics which in combination have the capacity to optimise, maintain, even restore the skin’s microbiome, by boosting the good bacteria and minimising the bad. One study reveals the positive effects probiotics have on slowing the signs of skin ageing, and how they can restore acidic skin pH, alleviate oxidative stress, reduce photoaging, improve the skin barrier function, and enhance hair quality[2]. Other studies suggest there may be beneficial treatments for Acne and Atopic Dermatitis (AD). Further studies[4] have concluded when the gut and skin’s microbiome ecosystem is out of balance, this can lead to infections and skin conditions such as acne, eczema and rosacea.
Skincare products, with prebiotics and probiotics, taken both orally and when applied directly to the skin help to restore microbiome balance which can help reduce eczema, acne, dry skin, even wrinkles and skin aging. Probiotics feed healthy bacteria to balance the skin’s pH and protect against free radical damage. Think of prebiotics as fertilizer for good bacteria that help balance the skin’s pH and support the skin’s barrier function boosting healthy bacteria. Applying a prebiotic and probiotic directly to the skin is the most effective way to boost the microbiome and they “work more efficiently when paired together. [5] Probiotics taken orally help create a healthy gut, reducing toxicity in the blood stream and so improving the absorption of important minerals, vitamins and nutrients that help the body’s ability to rid itself of waste that causes inflammation.
These research insights encouraged the Beauty&Vitality team to further ingredients and formula. Our dermatology and nutrition team developed the new skincare range that contains never-seen-before combinations of the latest in prebiotics, probiotics and skin nutrients. Formulated to suit the changing needs of skin over time, these innovative formulae are delivered via skin creams and supplements to nourish and boost the microbiome, improve skin health, counter breakouts and the menopause to restore radiance.
Beauty & Vitality comes in 2 variants:
- Beauty & Vitality Flawless Skincare: balanced care to help keep your skin looking its best; nourishing the microbiome to counter everyday pathogens, optimising moisture levels, improving immunity to counter blemishes and breakouts, leaving your skin feeling softer, naturally clear and flawless.
- Beauty & Vitality Radiant Skincare: a moisturiser and supplement combination designed to help rebalance and protect your skin’s microbiome to help counter the signs of ageing and the menopause, to help restore dull and lifeless skin for a more radiant complexion.
Beauty & Vitality’s skin creams and supplements protect, rehydrate and rebalance the microbiome, purifying the bad bacteria and strengthening the good. Beauty & Vitality – the new holistic approach to skincare giving you the glow inside out.
[1] Impact of Prebiotics and Probiotics on Skin Health 2014 F H Al-Ghazzewi, R F Tester)
[2] Anti-Aging Effects of Probiotics Jan2016 written by Divya Sharma, Mary-Margaret Kober, Whitney P Bowe
[3] Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Lactococcus, Lactobacillus, and Enterococcus are the ones which showed the highest potential to control acne, and Vitreoscilla filiformis (V. filiformis), Staphylococcus epidermidis (S. epidermidis), and species of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium in the treatment of AD. An Approach on the Potential Use of Probiotics in the Treatment of Skin Conditions: Acne and Atopic Dermatitis (2018) by Vitória H M Mottin, Edna S Suyenaga
[4] Healthline article: Brainy Beauty: What do Probiotics have to do with our skin. Medically reviewed by Sara Perkins, MD — Written by Colleen de Bellefonds on September 9, 2020
[5] Debra Jaliman, MD, a board certified dermatologist in New York City and author of the book “Skin Rules: Trade Secrets from a Top New York Dermatologist.”
