Vitamins and Acne

I have been an Acne Specialist since 2012. In this time I have seen thousands of clients struggling with acne. Besides having a genetic predisposition to acne, many of these clients were taking multivitamins, supplements and/or protein powders. These formulations can cause problems when you are acne prone. Taking certain vitamins/supplements make it harder to clear your acne. The ingredients shared below do not cause acne, they aggravate the pores or cause inflammation in the body when taken in excess. This excess contributes to breakouts.

Vitamins are healthy! So, which ones should you avoid?

I am not a physician nor do I have a nutrition background. Yet, I have found these ingredients to be a challenge for my clients.

B12
Biotin (B7)
Iodine (forms of Kelp and Potassium Iodide) this includes iodized salt
Seaweed
Sea Moss

The below ingredients are found in protein powders (green formulas) and green juices. Brands to avoid include Suja, Bolthouse Farms and Naked:

Spirullina
Chlorella
Algae

What makes these ingredients bad? Many of us get enough of these nutrients through a balanced diet. If you are deficient, that is one thing. See your physician or naturopath. Get bloodwork to be sure you are actually deficient in nutrients. Many formulas contain 200% to 8,000% above the recommended daily requirements. As an acne prone individual you don’t need this much excess.

What other supplements can you take to help your acne?

Omega 3s help regulate oil production, reduce inflammation and make oil “less sticky”. This reduces breakouts. A great brand is OmegaVia. www.omegavia.com

Zinc also reduces inflammation.

The best form of Zinc for acne prone skin is Zinc Monomethionine. Found in a zinc supplement by Source Naturals called OptiZinc. This supplement contains zinc and copper making it especially good for acne. Zinc and copper coexist in a certain ratio in the body. If you have too much of one it can cause a deficiency in the other. OptiZinc contains the ideal ratio of the 2 micronutrients which help absorption.

I have spent many hours scouring vitamin labels. It is next to impossible to find multivitamins and prenatals without the above ingredients.  Because of that, we created our own! If you need to be on a multivitamin or prenatal supplement and you are acne prone check out our vitamins. They may be exactly what you are looking for!

Besides not including the ingredients that aggravate acne, they contain wonderful inflammation reducing ingredients. These ingredients are Zinc Monomethionine, Copper, Reishi mushroom, and Turmeric. As well as Quercetin and Boron Citrate to promote healing.

Here’s to healthy, glowing skin,

Teri Eastin, LE
Acne Specialist