Repairing Your Skin From Within - Why You Need To Focus On Your Gut
I have helped many clients with skin concerns, ranging from acne, eczema, psoriasis to stubborn rosacea flares.
People normally come and see me for help because they have tried multiple creams and supplements. While these topical solutions and nutrients may have offered some relief, they rarely fully resolve the skin concern completely.
However we often see real and lasting improvements when we change our focus and look at the digestive tract and gut.
What the Latest Science Says About the Gut-Skin Axis
The gut-skin axis is now being researched and results from 2026 are providing strong evidence for how the health of the bacteria in your gut, if out of balance, can trigger chemical messengers (cytokines) that travel through your body and directly activate your immune system in ways that can cause skin concerns such as dermatitis, eczema, acne, rosacea and psoriasis.
Both research and my own daily experience with clients regularly supports that by improving certain gut bacteria and balancing out less favourable bacteria you can observe significantly less inflammation of the skin.
Clients have also seen improvements when they have taken specific herbs and nutrients to help repair the lining of their gut (the leaky gut connection). A weakened gut lining can result in unwanted bacteria/toxins entering your blood which can trigger the inflammation of your skin.
Research has also shown how a healthy balance of gut bacteria helps to support the production of short-chain fatty acids (like butyrate) that act as natural anti-inflammatories for your skin. So when you have low levels of certain bacteria your skin can lose some of its natural defense system, making it prone to irritation, acne and inflammation.
Practical Steps to Start at Home Today
Diversity on your plate to feed your gut bacteria!!
Eat a variety of plant foods of different colours to provide different nutrients and benefits for different gut bacteria. Some experts recommend aiming for 30 different plant foods each week - and yes, herbs and spices count too!
Aim for antioxidant rich foods like berries, kiwifruit, citrus, leafy greens, nuts, seeds and herbs.
Include wholegrains (oats, quinoa, brown rice, buckwheat, spelt) and legumes (chickpeas, kidney beans, lentils).
Include some resistant starch, in the form of cooled down potatoes/rice/oats or underripe bananas.
Include Omega-3 fatty acids in your diet- such as fatty fish like salmon, flaxseeds and walnuts.
Consider fermented foods if you can tolerate them, such as sauerkraut, kimchi, miso and yoghurt.
Specific herbs to cook with that can help repair the lining of your gut include- turmeric, ginger, rosemary, cinnamon and oregano.
Specific herbs to cook with to support the repair of your skin include- turmeric, rosemary, cloves, cinnamon and garlic.
Improving your skin often requires a multi-layered approach. We often need to work from within your body, using targeting topical applications as well as supporting your sleep and nervous system. It is very rarely caused by just one thing!
For clients that are interested in functional testing, microbiome and leaky gut testing options can also be discussed. Functional testing can also help to identify if there is anything specific that may be irritating your skin or gut.
If you would like more personalised advice to help relieve your specific skin concern please reach out for a free discovery call or contact me to book a consultation.
References:
Kim, Y., & Lee, S.-J. (2026). The gut–brain–skin axis: Systemic effects of functional ingredients in healthy skin aging. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 27(15), Article 6814. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27156814
Malgesini, A., Marsiglia, M. D., Borghi, E., Marzano, A. V., & Nazzaro, G. (2026). The Emerging Role of Gut Microbiota in Inflammatory Skin Diseases: A Systematic Review. Experimental dermatology, 35(3), e70234. https://doi.org/10.1111/exd.70234
Guo Z, Yang J, Zang R, Yang Y, Wang Q and Xu C (2026) The brain–gut–skin axis in inflammatory and disfiguring skin diseases: mechanistic insights, clinical correlations, and therapeutic strategies. Front. Immunol. 17:1737303. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2026.1737303
Zhang Y, Zhang Q, Wang M, Pan Z, Xu K, Tian J and Li Y (2026) Multi-omics integration of gut–skin axis in probiotic-treated dermatological conditions. Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol. 16:1834120. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2026.1834120
Lesiak, A., Krawczyk, A., Piasta, J., Spałek, J., Szajkowska, J., Papros, E., Kręcisz, B., Durnaś, B., Gosiewski, T., & Bucki, R. (2026). Gut and skin dysbiosis in acne vulgaris: a comparative microbiome analysis. Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology, 16, 1904271. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2026.1904271