By Hilary Metcalfe
When I first became fascinated with hormones, it wasn’t skincare I looked at, it was digestion. I’d seen how bloating, sluggishness, or food intolerances could throw my energy, moods, and cycles completely off balance. Later, as we began formulating at The SABI, the science became clear: gut health and skin health aren’t separate. They’re part of the same hormonal story.
This connection is now called the gut–skin axis. And it explains why what you drink, eat, and absorb can show up directly on your complexion, maybe sooner or later, but it does. And, why nurturing your microbiome, both inside and out, can be one of the most powerful ways to support hormonal health.
The Gut Microbiome: Where Hormonal Balance Begins
Your gut is home to trillions of microbes. Far from being passive passengers, they:
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Regulate oestrogen metabolism through the estrobolome, the collection of gut bacteria that break down and recycle oestrogens (Baker et al., 2017).
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Shape immune function and inflammation, key drivers of hormonal conditions like PCOS, endometriosis, and perimenopausal shifts.
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Influence nutrient absorption, including zinc, selenium, magnesium, and B vitamins essential for both hormone production and skin repair.
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Excess hormone elimination through bowel movement, an essential pathway for hormone balance by detoxifying and clearing.
When the gut microbiome is imbalanced, from stress, antibiotics, or diet, hormones struggle to stay in rhythm. The result? Systemic inflammation that can look like: irregular cycles, breakouts, bloating, fatigue.
From Gut to Skin: The Microbiome Connection
The gut and skin communicate constantly through immune signalling, metabolites, and the nervous system. This is why:
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Gut dysbiosis (microbial imbalance) is linked with acne, eczema, and rosacea (De Pessemier et al., 2021).
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Inflammation in the gut can weaken the skin barrier, making it more sensitive and reactive.
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Hormonal imbalances driven by poor digestion often show up first in the skin — as breakouts, dryness, or accelerated ageing.
Supporting the gut microbiome doesn’t just improve digestion. It helps stabilise hormones and calms the skin from the inside out.
The Digestive: Inner Microbiome Support
That’s why we created The Digestive Infusion, a herbal infusion formulated to soothe, rebalance, and strengthen the gut.
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Fennel and Cinnamon calm bloating and gas by relaxing the digestive tract.
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Vervain reduces inflammation and supports both gut lining and stress resilience.
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Nettles and moringa improve motility and ease nausea.
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Holy basil acts as a nervine, calming the gut–brain axis and reducing cortisol’s disruption of digestion.
By feeding and calming the microbiome, The Digestive supports the estrobolome’s ability to process hormones cleanly. For me, it became an everyday ritual: one pot in the morning, another in the afternoon, creating space for my gut to reset.
The Skin Microbiome: Your External Barrier
Just as the gut has its microbiome, your skin is covered in its own ecosystem of bacteria, fungi, and even viruses. This community:
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Protects against pathogens by outcompeting harmful microbes.
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Influences inflammation and barrier strength.
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Interacts with hormones -especially androgens and cortisol- to affect oil production and sensitivity (Byrd et al., 2018).
When stripped by harsh cleansers or disrupted by synthetic chemicals, the skin microbiome loses its resilience. Flare-ups follow.
The Prebiotic Cream: Feeding Your Skin’s Good Bacteria
The Prebiotic Moisturiser was designed to nourish your skin’s ecosystem.
Unlike probiotics, which often don’t survive in skincare jars, prebiotics are plant fibres and compounds that feed beneficial microbes already living on your skin. Our formula combines:
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Prebiotics to strengthen your skin flora and rebalance the microbiome.
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Hyaluronic acid for deep hydration and plumping.
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Collagen-supporting botanicals to improve firmness and barrier repair.
Together, these create a fertile environment for your skin microbiome, so it can defend, repair, and regulate itself naturally.
Why This Duo Matters for Hormonal Health
For women moving through postpartum, PCOS, or perimenopause, the gut and skin microbiomes are especially sensitive. Stress, sleep loss, and hormone shifts destabilise them quickly. That’s why I see The Digestive + Prebiotic Cream as a microbiome ritual:
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The Digestive: rebalances gut microbes, supports hormone metabolism, calms digestion.
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Prebiotic Cream: feeds skin microbes, strengthens barrier, reduces sensitivity.
By working from the inside and the outside, they close the loop of the gut–skin–hormone axis. Hormonal health isn’t just about blood tests or prescriptions. It’s about the everyday ecosystems that sustain us: our gut and skin microbiomes. When these are nourished, hormones flow more smoothly, skin becomes more resilient, and we feel more at home in our bodies.
That’s why at The SABI, we believe in rituals, not quick fixes. A daily cup of The Digestive and a layer of Prebiotic Cream don’t just support digestion and hydration, they nurture the invisible ecosystems that make hormonal balance possible.
From gut to skin, from inside to out: it’s all connected.
HORMONAL & PROUD
Created as a brand to help women navigate the toughest moments in pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum — and practically every stage of life –– The SABI is changing the narrative around our hormones from one of taboo, embarrassment, and loneliness to awareness and even, pride. As more than a wellness brand, The SABI offers a carefully-crafted line of products to carry you through your hormonal journey, including rituals, supportive tools, and ancient herbal remedies that have been tested time and time again by women and now come backed by medicine. The SABI is a blend of science and nature conceived by women who have experienced the joys and deep struggles of bringing a child into the world, the pains of a heavy, difficult period, miscarriage, and difficulty conceiving.
We invite you to get to know your body and its cycles better –– to really understand what is going on inside. Learn to use your hormones to your advantage no matter your stage of life, and know that you can support and balance your hormone levels. We are here to help with the information, understanding and natural tools to support your body and the emotional process along with it.
DISCLAIMER
The SABI blog and articles are not meant to instruct or advise on medical or health conditions, but to inform. The information and opinions presented here do not substitute professional medical advice or consultations with healthcare professionals for your unique situation.
References
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Baker JM, Al-Nakkash L, Herbst-Kralovetz MM. Estrobolome and women’s health. Curr Opin Endocrinol Diabetes Obes. 2017.
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De Pessemier B, et al. Gut–skin axis: current knowledge. Nutrients. 2021.
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Byrd AL, Belkaid Y, Segre JA. The human skin microbiome. Nat Rev Microbiol. 2018.
