“Probiotic” is a buzzword within the wellness space commonly used to market fermented foods––think: kombucha, kimchi, and yogurt. Brands often misuse the under-regulated term to sell their products solely because fermentation requires microbes, like living bacteria, to ferment the food. But, this is barely half of the reality.

Prior to 2001, there have been only 760 papers about probiotics. Now, research has conducted over 50,000 studies with “probiotic” within the title. The industrial market of probiotics is hitting a high, too, reaching nearly $60 billion dollars in 2023 and projected to succeed in over $100 billion by 2031. 

Nevertheless, the actual definition of a probiotic defined by the UN/WHO expert panel is “live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health profit on the host.”

While “all diseases begin within the gut,” in keeping with Hippocrates, eating only fermented foods doesn’t mean you’re consuming gut-healthy probiotics. So, I turned my kombucha addiction into taking Seed’s DS-01® Daily Synbiotic. 

The gut is linked to conditions like type 2 diabetes, obesity, IBS, depression, and even cancer. It also controls the health of our skin through what known as the “gut-skin axis.”  While the skin microbiome isn’t as vast because the gut microbiome, its estimated trillions of microbial cells play a significant role in our skin’s defense against the environment, helping maintain homeostasis. 

From managing inflammation to skin type, texture, and adult acne, the each day synbiotic (containing each living probiotics and non-living prebiotics) has been the inspiration of my weight loss program for the past month. I ordered a 30-day supply of 60 capsules, that are arguably probably the most effective synbiotics available on the market as a result of their double-capsule shell engineered to actually survive digestion and deliver potent strains to the colon.

Taking two capsules per day, I noticed gradual improvement in my skin’s health throughout the month. Initially, I had less breakouts. Relatedly, for the irregular pimples I did have, I experienced minimal inflammation which caused my hyperpigmentation to be less dark and easier to fade. I had a smoother texture and hydrated skin, even after frequent use of tretinoin and benzoyl peroxide, which helped regulate my oil production.

As a beauty author refusing to make use of buzzy topical formations––like “probiotic” eye creams and skin serums––to exchange the verified whole-body advantages of potent strains (DS-01® has 53.6 billion AFU), taking oral supplements has proven to heal my body from the within out.