What Causes Acne?
Acne is a very common problem that can cause scarring, social insecurity and in extreme cases, depression. Just under the skin there a lot of glands called sebaceous glands. They secrete a natural moisturizer called sebum. This oil, sitting inside your pores, mixes with dirt and toxins on your skin and clogs the pores, which prevents oxygen from entering. This creates the perfect environment for a common skin bacteria, Propionibacterium acnes, to thrive: no oxygen and plenty of food (sebum).
The reason acne gets worse during puberty is because of the increase of certain hormones, like testosterone, in both males and females, causes the body to make more sebum. More sebum results in more clogged pores and provides food for acne bacteria.
Obvious Ways to Prevent Acne
Keeping your skin (pores) clean will obviously help prevent acne. But did you know using a certain type of lotion will help too? Your natural moisturizer, sebum, and many other skin lotions can be a food source for the acne bacteria to reproduce and spread. Skin moisturizers that do not worsen acne are called noncomedogenic (doesn’t create acne), because acne bacteria cannot use them as food. Cetaphil and its generic counterparts are examples of noncomedogenic lotions. They can also help prevent acne because when you apply it to your skin, your body senses that your skin is not dry and does not need to make its own moisturizer (sebum).
Vitamins That Help Prevent and Reduce Acne
Believe it or not, vitamins have been studied in clinical trials to actually help prevent and reduce acne. One study found that vitamin A and vitamin E play important roles in preventing acne. Patients with severe acne had significantly lower levels of both vitamin A and vitamin E than those who had less acne.1
Vitamins A and E have been shown to have a synergistic effect on acne.2 In other words they work even better against acne when taken together.
Vitamins A and D belong to the first group of substances found that act like skin hormones.3 Vitamin A is necessary for the growth, maintenance, and reproduction of skin cells. Vitamin D regulates the growth and development of keratinocytes, the type of skin cells that make up 95% of the outermost layer of the skin.
Niacin (vitamin B3) can also help reduce acne. It may be effective in treating acne by opening up pores.4
Vitamin B5, or pantothenic acid, and its effects on acne have also been examined. One researcher not only concluded that lower levels of vitamin B5 were found in patients with more severe acne, but oral administration of B5 lessened the severity of acne as well.5
Zinc is a mineral that may also be beneficial for treating acne. Studies suggest that people with acne have lower levels of zinc6,7 and many studies have shown that oral zinc supplementation decreases acne.8 Be careful not to take too much zinc though — people have become sick by trying to treat acne with really high doses of zinc.
High doses of vitamins can also be a problem. Large amounts of vitamins B6 and B12 have actually been shown to cause acne in some cases.9
Natural Products Used to Treat Acne
Tea tree oil has been studied as an acne treatment. 5% tea tree oil was topically applied to one group and compared to a placebo group for 45 days. Compared to placebo, tea tree oil was shown to be much more effective.10
Other natural products used for acne include burdock, chromium, red clover, and selenium. No clinical trials have been performed to examine their efficacy in treating acne, but some people swear by them.
Over-the-Counter Acne Products
Benzoyl peroxide has been used effectively for years to reduce acne. It is a common item used in prescription products and comes in a 5% and 10% creams over the counter. Brand names include: Proactiv, Benzaderm, Glytone, Oxy 5 & 10, Stridex Power Pads and many generic counterparts. If you have sensitive skin, start with 2.5 or 5%. Be careful not to get it on hair, eyebrows, and clothes because it will bleach them.
Salicylic Acid is also a common and effective gel for treating acne. Examples of brand name makers of salicylic acid gels include: Neutragena, Noxzema, Stridex, Dermalogica, and the makers of Oxy products. Salicylic acid works by sloughing off the top layer of skin so that your pores are less likely to clog.
Clear-Skin Tips for All
It is good advice for all of us to get sufficient amounts of vitamins from our diets or from a multivitamin, to keep our skin clean, and to use a non-comedogenic lotion once or twice a day. Over-the-counter products and prescription items can also help if that isn’t enough.
References
- El-akai Z, Abdel-Latif N, Abdul-Razzak K. (2006). “Does the plasma level of vitamins A and E affect acne condition?” Clinical and Experimental Dermatology 31(3): 430-4.
- Keller K, Fenske N. (1998). “Uses of vitamins A, C, and E and related compounds in dermatology: A review”. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 39(4): 611-25.
- Reichrath J, Lehmann B, Carlberg C, Varani J, Zouboulis CC. (2008). “Vitamins as hormones”. J Drugs Dermatol. 7(7): s2-6.
- Marchand WE. (1955). “The treatment of acne vulgaris with nicotinic acid induced vasodilatation.” Mil Med. 117(1): 60-2.
- Leung L. (1995). “Pantothenic acid deficiency as the pathogenesis of acne vulgaris”. Medical Hypotheses 44(6): 490-2.
- Pohit J, Saha KC, Pal B. Zinc status of acne vulgaris patients. J Appl Nutr. 1985;37:18-25.
- Amer M, Bahgat MR, Tosson Z, et al. Serum zinc in acne vulgaris. Int J Dermatol. 1982;21:481-484.
- Goransson K, Liden S, Odsell L. Oral zinc in acne vulgaris: a clinical and methodological study. Acta Derm Venereol. 1978;58:443-448.
- Sheretz E. (1991). “Acneiform eruption due to “megadose” vitamins B6 and B12”. Cutis. 48(2): 119-20.
- Enshaieh S, Jooya A, Siadat AH, et al. (2007). “The efficacy of 5% topical tea tree oil gel in mild to moderate acne vulgaris: a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled study”. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol. 73: 22-5.