Ah, beautiful creamy delicious yogurt. It’s a super duper beauty food we all have access to and quite possibly one of the most underrated. God knows why it’s mostly marketed as something to “keep you regular” – and sure, it helps – when it is so, so much more than that.
Yogurt is a skin care must have. Yogurt makes you glow.
Happy, healthy skin starts from within and rich, creamy yogurt is something that really goes to bat for you from the inside out. Ever heard the saying “You’re only as healthy as your colon?” Maybe not, but it’s true – gut health is crucial for keeping you (and your biggest organ – your skin) healthy and glowing.
And that’s where the biggest benefits of yogurt for your skin begin. You see, yogurt is bursting with lactobacteria, the gut-friendly bacterial cultures that combat harmful substances and fosters healthy bacteria in your colon. Having bugs in your bowels might not sound so great, but oh, there are perks. Here are some skin benefits of eating yogurt:
- Improves digestion. This is especially helpful for people with lactose intolerance since is helps you digest the lactose in dairy products, lessening lactose-related problems (i.e. gas).
- Keeps you regular. The yogurt industry’s not kidding – lactobacteria helps food move through the intestines leading to…regular bowel movements.
- Boosts immunity. Lactobacteria keeps your gut health in check by combating the growth of harmful bacteria and fungi. This extends beyond the colon – research shows that eating just eight ounces of yogurt a day decreases the incidence of vaginal yeast infections.
- Produces good stuff. These cultures found in yogurt actually helps make essential fatty acids called short chain fatty acids (SCFA) that serve as nutrients for your intestinal cells while simultaneously producing cancer-fighting substances. Oh, lactobacteria also produces B-complex vitamins and vitamin K – these are some multi-tasking bowel bugs 🙂
Not to mention that yogurt is a rich source of nutrients like calcium, protein, vitamin D, zinc, potassium, and vitamins B6 and B12 – all awesome for skin (and general ) health – while being low in fat and calories. It’s the perfect highly nutritious, weight-loss, skin care food.
Plus, it’s very affordable – you can even make your own yogurt quite easily if you want. And it is amazingly versatile. That’s right – there’s no need to just scoop it from a tub. Yogurt can be transformed into an array of delicious dessert alternatives and stored in your fridge for whenever you need a healthy sweet fix that powers your gut and improves your skin.
And that’s not all. You don’t have to eat the stuff to get at the yogurt skin benefits you want. So if you’ve ever found yourself wondering…is yogurt good for your face? We’ve got some answers for you – here’s why this is one ‘gut food’ that’s worth smearing on your skin:
- What is yogurt good for? Like, really, really good for? Acne. You see, yogurt’s rich in zinc, which is great news for people with acne. Zinc is anti-inflammatory and helps reduce redness and swelling while helping regulate oil production when used topically.
- Acne’s not the only thing yogurt’s great for – it has awesome anti-aging benefits as well. Yogurt is a natural source of lactic acid, a skin-penetrating alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that helps gently and naturally exfoliate the skin and clear blocked pores by breaking down the protein bonds that bind the dead cells on the surface of your skin. This gentle “sloughing-off” process cleans blocked pores, stimulate collagen production, and improves fine lines, wrinkles, and skin discoloration.
- Yogurt naturally rejuvenates your skin – the AHAs help cell turnover rates as it gently removes superficial skin cells, cleansing your skin and revealing fresh, bright skin cells underneath.
- Yogurt is extremely nourishing and soothing on the skin. It gently hydrates and refreshes and serves as the perfect base for DIY recipes featuring slightly drying ingredients (i.e. baking soda).
And it’s really advantage of the above yogurt benefits for skin – you can totally use yogurt as the base for a lot your DIY all-natural face masks. Not to mention, it also makes a wonderful base for many awesome homemade facial cleansers.
What You Should Know about Using Yogurt for Skin
- Not all yogurt is created equal. Go for the full fat, non-flavored yogurt with no extra stuff in it. Greek yogurt is great.
- Make sure you’re using sunscreen when doing regular yogurt washes and masks. AHA can cause sun sensitivity.
- IMHO, yogurt is a wonderfully non-toxic, all-natural and effective natural skin care product. Still, it will not produce immediate results like a deep AHA peel from a dermatologist might – give it a few weeks of regular use. You’ll notice results.
