Supplements for Acne

If you struggle with acne, you should know that it’s possible to reverse it naturally – without chemicals or drugs!

Did you know that many traditional cultures eating ancestral diets did not have words in their language for acne?  This is because they didn’t suffer from it. Acne is largely a more modern ailment that is largely associated with inadequate nutrition and toxin/waste processing.

Vitamin K2-MK4 with C, D, A, Magnesium, Essential minerals, and Glutathione not only help fight aging on a cellular level, but they also support clear skin! Acne is caused from within and should be treated from within. People with clear skin show higher levels of these various nutrients and antioxidants. In fact, many modern prescription acne medications are based on derivatives of vitamin A, often called “retinoids”. Acne severity often worsens as levels of key nutrients decrease and food-borne antinutrients increase.

Our families personally struggled with cystic acne before we started using the Regenesis Protocol. As a result, we have witnessed severe teenage cystic acne dramatically reduce in 60 days and adult cystic acne breakouts stop.

How these micronutrients help with acne:

• Preventing root causes of acne
• Reducing the number and severity of breakouts
• Balancing hormones, which are one root cause of acne
• Decreasing incidence of clogged pores
• Reducing the inflammatory response (redness, swelling)
• Reducing the incidence of scarring from acne
• Healing from acne outbreaks
• Protein formation to maintain healthy skin cells
• Facilitating skin cell turnover
• Clean up free radicals causing cell damage
• Improve metabolic waste clearance in liver and kidneys vs. skin

What the Research Shows on Supplements, Antioxidants, & Acne: 

• Vitamin K2 is essential for skin health and acne prevention. K2 promotes protein formation and other cellular processes that maintain healthy skin cells. This helps prevent acne breakouts and reduces the incidence of acne scarring. 
•  K2 and D3 have been shown to balance hormones which are a root cause of acne.
• 50% of people with acne are shown to have a vitamin D deficiency compared to 23% of those that don’t have acne. Even adding 1000 IU’s of D3 per day for 2 months was shown to decrease the appearance of acne lesions in those that were deficient.
• Vitamin A is used as a supplement for acne by dermatologists because it regulates the body’s ability to shed dead skin cells, helping to keep pores clear of sebum. It is also a powerful antioxidant helping to minimize swelling and redness in inflammatory acne breakouts. 
• Magnesium and Calcium taken together can reduce inflammatory acne symptoms and facilitate skin cell turnover and waste clearance, decreasing the incidence of clogged pores.
• Small amounts of Zinc with Magnesium can help treat acne. Studies show that patients treated with Zinc noticed a decrease in active breakouts compared to those who didn’t. Also, Zinc helps with wound healing that helps minimize acne scarring.
• Individuals with a copper deficiency convert testosterone to dihydrotestosterone which promotes the production of sebum leading to acne. Copper, through its involvement in the formation of several key enzymes, is not only involved in the release of energy inside the cell but also contributes to the function of many antioxidants that mop up the free radicals that cause cell damage. 
• In 2013, researchers in Saudi Arabia showed there is a clear correlation between acne severity and inflammatory damage.  They also looked at antioxidants glutathione and superoxide dismutase.  These materials help neutralize free radicals and other inflammatory molecules.
• People with clear skin show higher levels of these antioxidants. Conversely, these antioxidant levels drop as acne gets worse.  
• In 2012, an Iraqi placebo-controlled study showed that antioxidant supplementation can reduce acne by 50%. The study showed there is a correction between glutathione levels and acne severity. As the antioxidant level drops, the number of pimples goes up.  They had 4 groups of individuals including one with a placebo, one with milk thistle, one with NAC and one with Selenium.  After 8 weeks, the groups with milk thistle and NAC showed a reduction in pimples (NAC stimulates the production of Glutathione).  The group with selenium supplementation also showed improvement but it was slower.

Shop our Regenesis protocol to boost these nutrients in your body, including GSH Builder which supports natural glutathione production, and our All Natural Skincare online, or visit us at the Tomball Farmers Market to learn more. Our healthy lifestyle coaching can also help with cleaning up the diet for best results.

References:

1. Cranenburg EC, Schurgers LJ, Vermeer C. Vitamin K: the coagulation vitamin that became omnipotent. Thromb Haemost. 2007 Jul;98(1):120-5. PMID: 17598002.
2. Kucharska A, Szmurło A, Sińska B. Significance of diet in treated and untreated acne vulgaris. Postepy Dermatol Alergol. 2016;33(2):81-86. doi:10.5114/ada.2016.59146
3. Kotori MG. Low-dose Vitamin “A” Tablets-treatment of Acne Vulgaris. Med Arch. 2015;69(1):28-30. doi:10.5455/medarh.2015.69.28-30
4. Lim SK, Ha JM, Lee YH, et al. Comparison of Vitamin D Levels in Patients with and without Acne: A Case-Control Study Combined with a Randomized Controlled Trial. PLoS One. 2016;11(8):e0161162. Published 2016 Aug 25. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0161162
5. Stewart TJ, Bazergy C. Hormonal and dietary factors in acne vulgaris versus controls. Dermatoendocrinol. 2018;10(1):e1442160. Published 2018 Feb 22. doi:10.1080/19381980.2018.1442160