Dr Lalitha Badul
Your body contains both good and bad bacteria. Bad bacteria comes from the environment causing infection and disease. Good bacteria, known as probiotics, are essential in our diet. They help to break down food particles, absorb nutrients, expel toxins and dispose of waste matter.

Your skin is a major organ responsible for ridding the body of harmful toxins through the skin.

Health issues can arise when there is an imbalance between good and bad bacteria. Too much bad bacteria can make the body and skin more prone to infection. Additional probiotics foods or supplements are recommended when taking prescription antibiotics to combat illness as antibiotics destroy both good and bad bacteria.

Food supplements come in the form of tablets or powder. Some topical skin care crèmes contain probiotics ingredients.

Probiotics form a protective layer on the skin which helps to prevent acne-causing bacteria from infecting the skin. In combination with other medication, probiotics are used to control rosacea, eczema and prevent other inflammatory disorders of the skin.

As far as anti-ageing goes, there is some evidence to show that probiotics do help to build collagen in the skin.