If you have acne, certain vitamin and mineral acne supplements can be very useful for fighting it.
If you’re considering taking acne supplements however, it’s important that you don’t take too much of any one supplement, because taking too much can actually make acne worse instead of better. It’s also important to use the correct form, because certain forms of vitamin and mineral supplements won’t help acne. This article will provide information on the benefits of different vitamin and mineral acne supplements and how to take them.
Vitamin A
As an acne supplement, vitamin A helps skin cells grow – skin cells that don’t mature end up in the lower layers of the skin. These cells keep the skin tight – this causes sebum to be produced, which contributes to acne development. When using vitamin A as an acne supplement, be sure that you don’t exceed 5,000 units a day – this is the best dosage for keeping skin healthy. Taking more than that will cause the skin to turn red and start flaking because of how fast it’s growing. Most vitamin A supplements must be taken as a capsule – the exception is Retinol, which only stays fresh in a tube.
Vitamin B
Vitamin B supplements won’t help acne directly, however if you use acne medications such as Retin-A, Tazorac or Differin, your body may have problems using vitamin B12. If you need to take vitamin B12, you won’t be able to take it alone, because vitamin B12 also needs vitamin B6 and folate to work properly. It’s best to take a supplement that contains B6, B12 and folate – you can find these at any drugstore or at stores like GNC. When taking these supplements, be sure you choose one that contains no more than 1000% of any one B vitamin.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C acne supplements are used as a topical remedy rather than being taken orally – they are used to help prevent brown spots that can form on the skin as acne heals. When looking for a vitamin C supplement, be sure to choose one that is squeezed from a tube – oral vitamin C supplements in jars will start decomposing as soon as the container is opened; this makes them unusable as acne supplements.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D acne supplements are important if you use sunscreen. Though we’re told to put on sunscreen every time we go outside, vitamin D can actually help prevent skin cancer and many other forms of cancer. If you feel it’s necessary to put on sun screen, make sure you take a vitamin D supplement to compensate for the vitamin D that your skin won’t be able to absorb. When taking vitamin D supplements, take vitamin D3 rather than vitamin D2 – vitamin D3 is the type of vitamin D that’s produced on your skin when you go outside. Taking about 1000 units of vitamin D3 is best for general health; however your doctor may prescribe more if you have a vitamin D deficiency.
Vitamin E
Go for a vitamin E supplement that’s squeezed out of a tube when you’re looking at vitamin E supplements. Just as with vitamin C, vitamin E supplements in jars will start decomposing as soon as the jar is opened. In addition, vitamin E supplements taken by mouth help restore your body’s vitamin C, however they don’t do anything for your skin. When you’re looking for vitamin E to use as an acne supplement, look for tocopheryl acetate in the ingredient list.
Selenium
Selenium is a mineral that helps calm skin that’s susceptible to acne. It’s used to make several different antioxidant compounds in the body; many of these help lessen irritation to the skin. Tree nuts are an excellent source of selenium – for example, if you eat just a few Brazil nuts a day, you’ll get enough selenium to fight acne; in addition, you’ll provide your body with the essential fatty acids it needs to reduce inflammation. However if you are allergic to tree nuts, you’ll want to look for acne supplements that contain 100 micrograms of selenium.
Zinc
Zinc is a nutrient that’s important for the skin because the body uses it to make the hormones that regulate the immune system and keep inflammation from destroying skin that’s susceptible to acne. Zinc is taken orally – you’ll notice a difference with just 15 mg a day of zinc. If you’re told take more, be sure you don’t take more than 30 mg of zinc a day regularly; if you do you’ll also have to take 1 to 3 mg of copper a day. When taking zinc to help your skin, be sure you take zinc capsules rather than sucking on lozenges; the zinc in lozenges that are used to help fight colds is spread over the throat with saliva, whereas the zinc capsules will go into your bloodstream.
Probiotics
The probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilous is important because it “teaches” the immune system that not all bacteria are bad. The skin then receives this message, and as a result it doesn’t release as much inflammation against the otherwise armless acne bacteria. The best way to get probiotics is to take supplements in capsule form. You can also eat yogurt or mazan or drink kefir in small amounts; these foods and beverages will provide probiotics.