We’ve all been there: We follow the strict cleanse-tone-moisturize skin care regimen of 3-steps (or 5-steps with exfoliation and a serum, or 10 steps if you’re super into Korean skin care). We invest money into the latest and greatest skin care ingredients and treatments. We read skin care obsessed blogs like this one, subscribe to the skincare Reddit groups, and consult with the best dermatological and aesthetic experts.
And yet, most of us still end up with periodic acne, eruptions of sunspots, and increasing signs of aging year after year. What’s up with that?
The simple (and surprising) answer:Â You may be overcleansing.
In a new must-read book, [easyazon_link identifier=”0316509825″ locale=”US” tag=”cosmeticswiki-20″]The Beauty of Dirty Skin[/easyazon_link], renowned dermatologist Dr. Whitney Bowe (yes, the one you’ve seen on Good Morning America and Dr. Oz, amongst others) explains that upsetting your skin’s delicate microbiome triggers all kinds of skin disorders and concerns, ranging from acne to rosacea, eczema to accelerated aging (as a result of increased inflammation).
Despite popular belief, proper cleansing should not mean that you are wiping out all germs. In fact, healthy skin is covered in trillions of microscopic bacteria arising from over 1000 species! The vast majority of these bugs are actually protecting our skin from infection and sun damage, helping our skin to trap moisture, and even encouraging our skin’s production of healthy fats like ceramides. We are more bacteria than we are human! For every 1 human cell on your body, you have between 3 and 10 bacterial cells above or beneath it. In [easyazon_link identifier=”0316509825″ locale=”US” tag=”cosmeticswiki-20″]The Beauty of Dirty Skin[/easyazon_link], Dr. Bowe explains that if we don’t learn to embrace, nurture and love these good bugs, we will never have healthy, radiant skin.
Cleaning you skin the right way means that you are protecting your skin’s healthy barrier, cultivating, supporting and maintaining healthy bacteria. Dr. Bowe recommends removing harsh cleansers, soaps, loofahs, and body scrubbers from your skin care regimen to ensure you’re not overcleansing. She also recommends tossing any soaps that say “antibacterial” on the packaging. Despite what most people think, antibacterial cleansers offer no more protection against infection than regular soap and water, but they can damage our good bugs and even lead to dangerous superbugs over time!
If you want to make small changes which can help you achieve healthy, radiant skin, read on!
What Exactly is the Microbiome?
Officially, “microbiome” is just a fancy word for all of the microorganisms living in a particular environment. The microbiome in your gut and the microbiome on your skin includes bacteria, fungi, yeasts, parasites, and viruses. Of these types of microorganisms, bacteria dominate.
Arguably, the most important function of the microbiome is to boost, regulate, and support your immune system. When your immune system is healthy, healthy bacteria dominate. As a result, your skin is able to serve as a physical barrier, and to help detoxify and regulate itself. When your immune system is disrupted, healthy bacteria are less dominant. While healthy bacteria will always outnumber unhealthy bacteria, keep in mind studies show a loss of even 1% of your healthy bacteria can result in symptoms. The skin’s ability to protect and support itself is diminished.
How Do You Know If Your Microbiome is Healthy?
Overcleansing is just one way that you can disrupt your skin’s microbiome. You can also disturb your skin’s delicate balance through excessive antibiotic use, sources of stress or inflammation (including pollution, sleep deprivation, a lack of exercise, excessive heat and/or UV exposure), an unhealthy diet (i.e., rich in sugars, artificial sweeteners, casein, processed food, and the like), and emotional stress.
Furthermore, certain autoimmune health conditions, such as psoriasis, lupus, inflammatory bowel disease, and rheumatoid arthritis have been associated with an upset gut-brain-skin connection, indicating that you may have a disrupted microbiome. If you are experiencing these symptoms, your body’s healthy, natural balance is
likely out of sync.
As Dr. Bowe herself says in the book, “I rarely see a patient suffering from a chronic skin disorder who does not suffer from an imbalance elsewhere in the body.” Gut symptoms are particularly notable. A study quoted in the book, published in the Journal of Dermatology, involved more than 13,000 adolescents in China and showed that those with acne were also more likely to experience gastrointestinal symptoms such as constipation, bad breath, and gastric reflux. Other gastrointestinal (or “gut”) symptoms Dr. Bowe notes are inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis). “Brain” symptoms might include high stress, depression, and brain fog — as well as conditions associated with hormonal imbalances, like insulin resistance, obesity, and diabetes.
If You Have a Disrupted Microbiome, How Do You Reverse It?
If you are overcleansing your skin, or if you have otherwise disrupted your skin’s microbiome, fret not — there are numerous ways to reverse it. The best way is to actually follow the 21-day plan in Dr. Bowe’s [easyazon_link identifier=”0316509825″ locale=”US” tag=”cosmeticswiki-20″]The Beauty of Dirty Skin[/easyazon_link]Â book, which is neatly organized by week:
- Week 1 — Focus On Your Gut. Dietary recommendations and a menu plan are followed, which are continued throughout the three weeks. (Don’t worry, I’m trying it, and the diet is not hard to follow. The recipes are usually quite simple and no more than 7-8 ingredients, which I appreciate, because I’m super busy these days!)
- Week 2 — Focus On Your Brain. You’ll get moving, decompressing, and sleeping. (With a newborn, I’ll let you know how this goes on my end in another week — but I imagine I’ll be able to make incremental changes that still produce a significant result).
- Week 3 — Focus on Your Skin — You’ll follow a daily skin care regimen that results in stronger, healthier, more detoxified skin that allows your skin to thrive.
A Sample Day in the “Three Weeks to Radiant” Microbiome-Restoring Plan
Taken from [easyazon_link identifier=”0316509825″ locale=”US” tag=”cosmeticswiki-20″]The Beauty of Dirty Skin[/easyazon_link]:
- Breakfast: Bowe Glow Berry Smoothie
- Lunch: Decadent Salad with Spinach, Chicken, Crushed Walnuts, and Sliced Strawberries
- Snack (handful of nuts, or hummus and veggies)
- Dinner: Chilean sea bass or wild salmon, one tablespoon miso paste, collard greens, quinoa
- Dessert: Berries and dark chocolate
- Get moving! Exercise is important. If you’ve been sedentary, even ten minutes counts.
- Get quiet. Meditate or do a calming form of yoga.
- Get some beauty sleep! Start with where you are — most people need at least seven hours to be refreshed, but every minute counts.
Bottom Line
I personally was diagnosed with PCOS and insulin resistance in 2015. Before my condition was treated with metformin and a protein-rich, healthier diet, I noticed that I had a propensity to get sunspots, despite my religious use of the best skin care ingredients and avoidance of the sun. But once my lifestyle improved, I was less likely to get sunspots. The reason? I had a healthier microbiome — and the difference showed in my skin.
I’m a huge fan of Dr. Bowe’s philosophy, and I think that microbiome science is going to revolutionize skin care. In the future, I imagine physicians will think of microbiome analysis as being as crucial as blood or saliva samples. In the meantime, if you’re the type of skin care fanatic who has tried everything under the sun but is not still getting results, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of [easyazon_link identifier=”0316509825″ locale=”US” tag=”cosmeticswiki-20″]The Beauty of Dirty Skin[/easyazon_link]Â and learn the tips and follow as many of the tips and as much of the 21-day plan as you can incorporate into your lifestyle. You’ll notice healthier, brighter, more luminous skin! (I personally will be doing this, btw, and will be documenting my journey on the site and social media!)
To pick up [easyazon_link identifier=”0316509825″ locale=”US” tag=”cosmeticswiki-20″]The Beauty of Dirty Skin[/easyazon_link], visit the Amazon page to preorder [easyazon_link identifier=”0316509825″ locale=”US” tag=”cosmeticswiki-20″]here[/easyazon_link].