Why we built Gut Reset the way we did
If you’ve followed me for a while, you probably know why I became so interested in gut health in the first place.
I’ve spent years trying to understand my own skin, diet, digestion, and basically everything in between.
And the more I read, the more one thing became clear:
Your gut doesn’t exist in isolation from the rest of your body.
It constantly communicates with your immune system, metabolism, nervous system, and even your skin.
And what we call the gut–skin axis isn’t just another TikTok buzzword. It’s a real and growing area of research.
That doesn’t mean: “Bad gut = acne.”
The body obviously isn’t that simple.
Acne is multifactorial and can be influenced by genetics, hormones, sebum production, keratinisation, inflammation, diet, the microbiome, and a lot more.
But research increasingly suggests that the gut microbiome and the compounds produced by our gut microbes may be part of that bigger picture.
That was the starting point for Gut Reset.
Not to create an “acne cure.”
Not to make another detox.
And definitely not to throw 25 ingredients into a pouch just so the back of the packaging looked impressive.
I wanted to build a simple daily foundation around some of the most fundamental things for a healthy gut environment:
Fibre. Different fibres. Fermentation. Regularity. And a stable probiotic.
And most importantly: in amounts that actually mean something.
First: What is the gut–skin axis?
Your gut and your skin are two very different organs.
But they’re both major barriers between your body and the outside world, they both have their own microbiomes, and they both communicate with the rest of the body through immune and metabolic signalling.
A review specifically looking at acne, the microbiome and probiotics describes acne as a complex inflammatory skin condition in which both the skin and gut microbiomes may play a role.
Researchers highlight several possible routes of gut–skin communication, including the immune system, inflammation, intestinal barrier function and metabolic pathways.
And this isn’t based on one paper alone.
Several reviews have found associations between changes in the gut microbiome and inflammatory skin conditions, including acne.
But there’s an important distinction here:
Association does not automatically mean causation.
We don’t know that one particular composition of gut bacteria causes your acne.
What we do have is enough evidence to take the gut–skin axis seriously.
Research: Sánchez-Pellicer et al., 2022, Acne, Microbiome, and Probiotics: The Gut-Skin Axis.
Read the study on PubMed
Research: Salem et al., 2018, The Gut Microbiome as a Major Regulator of the Gut-Skin Axis.
Read the study on PubMed
Research: Mahmud et al., 2022, systematic review of the gut microbiome and inflammatory skin disorders.
Read the systematic review
So where does fibre come into all of this?
This is where I think it gets really interesting.
Fibre isn’t just something that “helps you go to the toilet.”
Certain fibres pass through the small intestine without being fully broken down and eventually reach the large intestine, where they become available to our gut microbes.
Through fermentation, these microbes can produce compounds including:
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acetate
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propionate
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butyrate
Together, these are known as short-chain fatty acids, or SCFAs.
SCFAs have been studied extensively for their role in the intestinal environment, immune signalling, metabolism and gut barrier function.
And this is a big part of the reason Gut Reset doesn’t just contain “fibre.”
We use different types of fibre.
Because PHGG isn’t the same thing as resistant starch.
Resistant starch isn’t the same as inulin.
And inulin doesn’t behave like psyllium.
Different fibres have different physical properties, are fermented differently and can interact with different groups of gut microbes.
That’s the whole idea.
Research: Reviews of dietary fibre and SCFA production describe how fibre type, microbiome composition and intestinal transit can influence microbial fermentation and the SCFAs produced.
Explore the research on PubMed
Why Gut Reset uses 7 different fibres
1. PHGG — the calm foundation
PHGG stands for Partially Hydrolyzed Guar Gum.
And if I could only choose one fibre to build the foundation of Gut Reset around, PHGG would be very high on my list.
Why?
Because it has actually been studied in humans for bowel habits, gut comfort and the microbiome.
In a human study, repeated PHGG consumption helped normalise stool form while producing measurable changes in the gut microbiome, including an increase in Bifidobacterium.
Other clinical trials have investigated PHGG in areas such as constipation and IBS.
It’s exactly the kind of ingredient I love.
Not particularly sexy.
Probably not something you’re going to build a crazy TikTok hook around.
But it makes sense.
Study: Yasukawa et al., 2019 — PHGG, stool form and changes in the gut microbiome.
Read the full study
Study: Chan et al., 2022 — PHGG and constipation.
Read the study
Study: Niv et al., 2016 — randomised placebo-controlled trial of PHGG in people with IBS.
Read the full study
2. Resistant Starch Type 2 — food for the microbiome
Resistant starch is a little different.
As the name suggests, it’s starch that resists digestion in the small intestine.
That means some of it can reach the large intestine and become available to the microbes living there.
Human studies with RS2 show something I think is actually really important:
Not everyone responds in exactly the same way.
Your microbiome isn’t my microbiome.
But research shows that RS2 can influence the composition and activity of the gut microbiome, and resistant starch is particularly interesting in relation to microbial fermentation and butyrate production.
That’s why RS2 has such an important place in our fibre blend.
Not because “resistant starch clears your skin.”
That would be a massive oversimplification.
But because it’s a genuinely interesting fermentable fibre when the goal is to support the gut microbial ecosystem.
Research: Chen et al., 2024 — extensive review of resistant starch and the gut microbiome.
Read the full review
Human research: Venkataraman et al., 2016 — individual microbiome responses to resistant starch type 2.
Read the full study
3. Psyllium — because a healthy gut also needs to work practically
Not everything has to be about fancy microbiome mechanisms.
Sometimes it’s also just about being able to go to the toilet properly.
Psyllium has a strong clinical history when it comes to stool consistency and regularity.
A 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis found that fibre supplementation improved outcomes in chronic constipation overall, with psyllium among the fibre types showing particularly clear effects.
Randomised trials have also demonstrated improvements in constipation-related outcomes with psyllium.
That’s why it’s in Gut Reset.
It interacts with water and contributes a very different function from our more fermentable fibres.
Research: van der Schoot et al., 2022 — systematic review and meta-analysis of fibre supplementation in chronic constipation.
Read the research
Study: Noureddin et al., 2018 — randomised study of psyllium versus placebo.
Read the study
Study: McRorie et al., 1998 — psyllium, stool water content and laxation.
Read the study
4. Inulin — the classic prebiotic fibre
Inulin is probably one of the best-known prebiotic fibres.
And there’s a reason for that.
In a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial, researchers investigated different doses of inulin and found a bifidogenic effect — meaning an increase in Bifidobacterium.
A later review of human studies similarly found that inulin-type prebiotics can alter the composition of the gut microbiome.
But there’s an important detail here:
More isn’t always better.
Inulin can ferment relatively quickly and may cause gas and bloating in some people, especially if you go from eating very little fermentable fibre to consuming a huge amount overnight.
That’s why we use inulin as one part of the system, rather than making it the entire system.
Study: Kolida et al., 2007 — double-blind, placebo-controlled human study investigating the bifidogenic effect of inulin.
Read the study
Review: Le Bastard et al., 2020 — human studies on inulin and gut microbial composition.
Read the review
5. Acacia — another layer of fibre diversity
Acacia, also known as gum arabic, is another fermentable dietary fibre.
In a controlled human study, researchers investigated different doses of gum arabic and observed prebiotic effects, including changes in bacterial populations.
And again, what interests me most is the combination.
I didn’t want the entire Gut Reset formula to depend on one single rapidly fermenting fibre.
Instead, we combine fibres with different properties.
That’s also why the ingredient list is slightly more complex than:
“10 grams of inulin. Done.”
Study: Calame et al., 2008 — Gum arabic establishes prebiotic functionality in healthy human volunteers.
Read the study
6. Apple fibre — another source of fibre diversity
Apple fibre is included as another plant-based source of fibre in Gut Reset, adding to the diversity we want from the overall fibre blend.
And there is actually some interesting research around apples and their fibres.
In a small human study involving healthy adults, researchers found that consuming apples for two weeks was associated with a significant increase in faecal Bifidobacterium. The researchers also investigated apple pectin and identified it as one of the components that may contribute to the effects of apples on the intestinal environment.
Research using human gut microbiota models has also shown that apple fibre can be fermented by gut bacteria and contribute to the production of short-chain fatty acids.
That doesn't mean apple fibre on its own is going to transform your microbiome.
And that's not why it's here.
I see it as another piece of the bigger idea behind Gut Reset:
Not one miracle fibre, but multiple fibre sources with different properties.
Human study: Shinohara et al., 2010 — apple intake, faecal microbiota and metabolites in healthy adults. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20304079/
Research: Aguirre et al., 2014 — fermentation of apple fibre and other substrates and the production of short-chain fatty acids in a human gut microbiota model. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25426858/
7. Baobab
Baobab naturally contains dietary fibre and polyphenols and is one of the more whole-food-based components of the blend.
Human research has investigated baobab in relation to post-meal glycaemic response.
It isn’t the main reason Gut Reset works as a fibre product, but it gives us another different plant-based fibre source within the overall blend.
Study: Coe et al., 2013 — baobab, starch digestion and glycaemic response in humans.
Read the study
Study: Rita et al., 2022 — baobab and postprandial glycaemia in healthy adults.
Read the study
Why not just use one fibre?
This might actually be the most important question.
And the answer is:
Because “fibre” isn’t one thing.
Psyllium doesn’t do exactly the same thing as inulin.
Inulin doesn’t behave like resistant starch.
PHGG has its own properties again.
And people can respond differently to individual fibres depending on things like their existing microbiome.
From the beginning, I’ve therefore been much more interested in fibre diversity than trying to find one “miracle fibre.”
Gut Reset is built as a system:
7 fibres → different properties → one simple daily ritual.
And then there’s Bacillus coagulans
I’ve always been a little sceptical of products that just put “PROBIOTICS” in huge letters on the front.
Because probiotic on its own tells you almost nothing.
The strain matters.
The dose matters.
Stability matters.
And obviously it matters whether those microorganisms are still viable when you actually consume the product.
That’s why we chose Bacillus coagulans.
It’s a spore-forming bacterium, which makes it particularly interesting for a powdered product where stability matters a lot.
Bacillus coagulans has also been investigated in randomised human trials.
For example, one placebo-controlled trial found significant improvements in abdominal pain and bloating in people with IBS.
Other randomised trials have also investigated different B. coagulans strains in relation to gastrointestinal symptoms.
And there’s an important detail here too:
Different strains of the same bacterial species are not automatically interchangeable.
Results from one Bacillus coagulans strain cannot simply be copied 1:1 onto every other strain.
But the research helps explain why a stable, spore-forming probiotic bacterium made sense as part of the Gut Reset concept.
Study: Hun, 2009 — randomised placebo-controlled study using Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086.
Read the study
Study: Gupta et al., 2021 — randomised study using Bacillus coagulans LBSC.
Read the full study
What about ginger, peppermint and dandelion?
They’re not the foundation.
The fibres are the foundation.
But Gut Reset isn’t only designed around feeding the microbiome. I also wanted the formula to include a smaller “comfort” layer alongside the fibre blend.
That’s where ginger, peppermint and dandelion come in.
Ginger
Ginger has been investigated in human studies in relation to gastrointestinal motility.
In a small randomised double-blind study in people with functional dyspepsia, gastric emptying was faster after ginger than after placebo.
That is not the same thing as saying the amount of ginger in Gut Reset treats dyspepsia.
It doesn’t.
But research like this is part of the reasoning behind including ginger in the comfort side of the formula.
Study: Hu et al., 2011, ginger, gastric motility and functional dyspepsia.
Read the study
Peppermint
Peppermint is also interesting in relation to gastrointestinal comfort.
A meta-analysis of 12 randomised trials involving 835 participants found greater global symptom improvement in IBS with peppermint oil compared with placebo.
Again, an important distinction:
Gut Reset is not an IBS medication, and the peppermint ingredient in Gut Reset should not be treated as equivalent to the specific enteric-coated peppermint oil preparations used in those clinical trials.
But the research is part of the reason peppermint made sense to us as another component of the comfort blend.
Research: Alammar et al., 2019, meta-analysis of 12 randomised trials investigating peppermint oil in IBS.
Read the meta-analysis
Dandelion root
And finally, dandelion root.
Dandelion has a long history of traditional use for digestion, and there is interesting preclinical research around its phytochemicals, gastrointestinal function and bile-related pathways.
But this is also an ingredient where I think it’s important to be transparent:
The human clinical evidence is nowhere near as strong as it is for ingredients like psyllium, PHGG or inulin.
So I don’t want to turn dandelion into some magical “detox” ingredient just because that sounds good in marketing.
That isn’t why it’s here.
We use dandelion root as a smaller botanical component alongside ginger and peppermint within the broader formula, while the actual foundation of Gut Reset remains what the evidence is strongest for:
A diverse, meaningful daily intake of fibre.
That distinction matters to me.
Because the goal isn’t to make every ingredient sound revolutionary.
It’s to build a formula where every ingredient has a reason for being there, and be honest about how strong the evidence behind each one actually is.
So can Gut Reset improve your skin?
This is where I want to be very precise.
Gut Reset is not a treatment for acne.
And I’m not going to tell you that one scoop of fibre powder is going to “cure” your skin.
That would be misleading, and it would completely ignore how complex skin actually is.
But there is biological communication between the gut, microbiome, immune system and skin.
And the research around that connection is growing.
A 2022 review on acne and the gut–skin axis concluded that both the gut and skin microbiomes appear to be involved in the complex picture surrounding acne.
And a 2026 systematic review has now specifically examined the evidence around prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics in acne vulgaris.
That makes the area really interesting.
But the evidence still isn’t strong enough to say:
“Take Gut Reset → get clear skin.”
You’ll never hear me say that.
What we can say is that the gut and skin do not exist in two completely separate universes.
And if we can support a healthy gut environment, consume enough fibre and maintain normal digestive function, I personally think it makes a lot of sense to view that as one part of the bigger foundation.
Not the whole answer.
But potentially one part of it.
Research: Sánchez-Pellicer et al., 2022.
Read the review
Systematic review: Prebiotics, Probiotics, and Postbiotics for Acne Vulgaris, 2026.
Read the systematic review
Review: Gut-Skin Axis: Current Knowledge of the Interrelationship between Microbial Dysbiosis and Skin Conditions, 2021.
Read the review
And that’s also why Gut Reset isn’t a “detox”
I actually like the word detox less and less.
Your liver and kidneys already handle the body’s major detoxification processes.
Gut Reset isn’t here to “flush toxins out of your body.”
And it isn’t going to completely “reset” your microbiome in seven days.
The name Gut Reset is about the routine.
Doing something fundamentally good for your gut every single day.
Getting more fibre.
Getting different fibres.
Supporting regularity.
Giving your gut microbiome fermentable material.
And making it simple enough that you can actually stay consistent.
It’s less sexy than:
“7 DAY TOTAL BODY DETOX.”
But it’s also much closer to how I personally think about health.
What can you realistically expect?
Everyone is different.
Some people notice changes in their digestion relatively quickly.
Others barely notice anything at first.
And because Gut Reset contains fermentable fibres, increasing your fibre intake too quickly can also mean more gas or changes in bowel habits in the beginning.
It’s not a competition to reach a full serving as quickly as possible.
If you normally eat very little fibre, it makes much more sense to give your gut time to adjust.
So start slowly
Begin with around half a serving and gradually build up.
And drink enough water.
It sounds simple.
Because it is.
How long should you give it?
I think one of the biggest mistakes people make with something like Gut Reset is judging it after three days.
This isn’t caffeine.
You don’t take it and feel a kick 20 minutes later.
You’re changing your daily fibre intake and the material available to your gut microbiome.
So I’d much rather ask:
How is my digestion functioning after a few weeks?
Am I more regular?
How does my stomach feel after meals?
Has Gut Reset become an easy part of my daily routine?
And if your skin is one of the reasons you’re interested in the gut–skin axis, I’d be even more patient.
Skin changes slowly.
And it’s influenced by a lot of different things at the same time.
The short answer: Why is Gut Reset built this way?
Because I didn’t want to make another powder where the front of the pouch was better than what was actually inside it.
I wanted:
A meaningful amount of fibre.
Multiple different types of fibre.
Both fermentable fibres and psyllium.
A stable, spore-forming probiotic.
Ingredients chosen for a reason — not just to make the ingredient list longer.
And a formula simple enough to actually use every day.
That’s the whole idea behind Gut Reset.
Not magic.
Not a detox.
And not a promise of perfect skin.
Just a really strong daily foundation for your gut.
Your daily fibre ritual — in one simple scoop.
The research behind Gut Reset
If you’re like me and actually want to open the studies yourself instead of just taking our word for it, here are some of the key papers behind the thinking:
Gut–skin axis & acne
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Sánchez-Pellicer P. et al. (2022). Acne, Microbiome, and Probiotics: The Gut-Skin Axis.
PubMed -
Salem I. et al. (2018). The Gut Microbiome as a Major Regulator of the Gut-Skin Axis.
PubMed -
De Pessemier B. et al. (2021). Gut-Skin Axis: Current Knowledge of the Interrelationship between Microbial Dysbiosis and Skin Conditions.
PubMed -
Mahmud M.R. et al. (2022). The role of gut microbiome in inflammatory skin disorders: A systematic review.
PubMed -
Prebiotics, Probiotics, and Postbiotics for Acne Vulgaris: A Systematic Review (2026).
PubMed
PHGG
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Yasukawa Z. et al. (2019). PHGG, stool form and the gut microbiome.
Full study -
Chan T.C. et al. (2022). PHGG and constipation.
PubMed -
Niv E. et al. (2016). Randomised placebo-controlled trial of PHGG in IBS.
Full study -
Waitzberg D.L. et al. (2012). Inulin/PHGG, tolerance and microbiota.
PubMed
Resistant starch
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Chen Z. et al. (2024). Resistant starch and the gut microbiome.
Full review -
Venkataraman A. et al. (2016). Individual microbiome responses to resistant starch.
Full study
Inulin
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Kolida S. et al. (2007). Double-blind, placebo-controlled study of inulin's bifidogenic effect.
PubMed -
Le Bastard Q. et al. (2020). The effects of inulin on gut microbial composition.
PubMed
Acacia / gum arabic
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Calame W. et al. (2008). Gum arabic establishes prebiotic functionality in healthy human volunteers.
PubMed
Psyllium
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van der Schoot A. et al. (2022). Systematic review and meta-analysis of fibre supplementation in chronic constipation.
PubMed -
Noureddin S. et al. (2018). Psyllium versus placebo.
PubMed -
McRorie J.W. et al. (1998). Psyllium and bowel function.
PubMed
Bacillus coagulans
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Hun L. (2009). Bacillus coagulans and abdominal pain/bloating.
PubMed -
Gupta A.K. et al. (2021). Randomised trial using Bacillus coagulans LBSC.
Full study
Ginger & peppermint
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Hu M.L. et al. (2011). Ginger, gastric motility and functional dyspepsia.
PubMed -
Alammar N. et al. (2019). Meta-analysis of peppermint oil in IBS.
PubMed
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