Probiotics are NOT the gold standard for acne

For years, probiotics have been marketed as the cure-all for anyone whose acne is from 'poor gut health'. As a medical biochemist working with chronic acne clients, I can tell you this: probiotics are rarely the solution people think they are. In many cases, they don’t address the actual biochemical issues driving inflammation and breakouts.

Most clients who come to me at Derm360º have already tried multiple probiotic brands. They expect clearer skin but end up with the same stubborn acne, because the real problem isn’t a lack of good bacteria at all. It’s usually deeper issues like leaky gut or low stomach acid, which probiotics cannot fix.

Leaky gut: The inflammation loop feeding your acne

Leaky gut happens when the intestinal lining becomes compromised and starts allowing irritants, toxins, and partially digested food particles into the bloodstream. This triggers a constant immune response and a cascade of inflammation. That inflammation doesn’t stay in the gut, it shows up in the skin as redness, sensitivity, and persistent acne.

Probiotics alone can’t repair that damaged gut lining. Rebuilding it requires identifying irritants, calming inflammation, restoring mucosal integrity, and making sure the gut environment is stable enough for healthy bacteria to thrive. Only then can probiotics play a supportive role.

Low stomach acid: The silent driver of nutrient deficiencies

Another commonly overlooked factor is low stomach acid. Despite the popularity of antacids, many people actually have too little stomach acid, not too much. When stomach acid is low, digestion slows and nutrient absorption plummets, especially for zinc, B vitamins, and amino acids that are essential for hormone balance, skin healing, and barrier repair.

If those nutrients never get absorbed, acne becomes almost inevitable. Probiotics can’t restore stomach acid levels or improve digestive breakdown. That requires supporting the digestive process itself: slowing down meals, reducing stress, and in some cases using targeted digestive support to rebuild proper acidity.

Why probiotics still have a place, just not at the start

Probiotics can be incredibly useful, but only once the gut lining is repaired and digestion is functioning properly. When added too early, they often do very little, and sometimes make symptoms worse, especially for those with bloating or overgrowth issues.

When the foundations are corrected, probiotics help maintain gut diversity, but they’re not the foundation themselves.

The real root cause approach

Chronic acne linked to gut health is almost never caused by a simple lack of good bacteria. The real disruptions usually happen upstream: a weakened gut lining, impaired digestion, and nutrient deficiencies that silently fuel inflammation.

Fix those, and the skin finally gets what it needs to calm down, regulate oil production, and heal.

Clear skin isn’t built on probiotics. It’s built on a healthy gut ecosystem that’s fully functioning from the very beginning of digestion to the very end.

Written by Shweta Patel

Medical Biochemist | Founder of Derm360º

Shweta helps people struggling with chronic acne uncover the root biochemical causes behind their skin challenges. Through advanced hormone and gut testing, functional nutrition, and barrier restoration, her evidence-based approach delivers lasting, clear-skin results.

📩 Ready to look deeper than your blood test results? Book your consultation at www.derm360.co.uk or contact hello@derm360.co.uk