Physiological effect of a probiotic on skin.

Normal human skin can produce a range of antimicrobial chemicals that play an important part in eliminating potential cutaneous pathogens. Lactobacillus plantarum is a gram-positive bacteria that produces antimicrobial peptides, which when applied to the skin can act like an anti-inflammatory as well as enhance the antimicrobial properties of the skin. Clinical studies were conducted to determine the effect of lactobacillus extract on improvement of skin barrier and reduction of erythema from chemical irritant, skin microflora, and acne. Results show that lactobacillus extract was effective in reducing skin erythema, repairing skin barrier, and reducing skin microflora, thereby exhibiting an effective reduction in acne lesion size and erythema at 5%, but not at 1%.Based on the results of these studies, lactobacillus extract (5%) can be used to treat mild acne lesions.