The following are 7 vitamins that have changed my life by helping me get rid of my hormonal acne:
*Note that I said “helping”. These vitamins are an aid to a lifestyle change and unfortunately don’t have a cure-all effect. If that were true, I would not need a gym membership! Also, please pay attention to the disclaimer below. I, in no way, am taking the position of your medical counsel. I’m just a blogger who has kicked acne in the face with some great insight. Now that that’s out of the way, back to the blog.
(1) Inositol
Commonly discussed in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) forums, Inositol is best known for improving insulin sensitivity. Most women with PCOS are lacking in D-chiro-inositol which is typically made in the body, but also comes in supplement form.
Why does this matter? Well, just like women with PCOS are lacking the inositol needed to be sensitive to the insulin their body is producing, so are women with hormonal acne. In fact, if you know anything about PCOS, you know that one of the most common symptoms of the ailment is acne.
I’m not saying that if you have hormonal acne that you have PCOS, or visa versa. I’m saying that hormonal acne and PCOS can both be dealt with by using inositol.
I take about 2000 mg a day. It seems like a lot if taken in tablet form, but it has done wonders for my skin and has even helped my body in other ways. If you want to know how much inositol to take I recommend the book called The Hormone Cure by Dr. Sara Gottfried. She not only does a great job of explaining this in depth, she gives great perspective on dosages to take based on her research.
(2) Chromium
Like inositol, Chromium is a natural supplement that helps overcome insulin intolerance. It’s great when it comes to lowering glucose levels and helps to clear up hormonal acne. Insulin intolerance has got to go!
Currently I take 600 mg a day.
(3) Vitamin D3
Word on the street is that Vitamin D is a hormone. You know what happens when one hormone is deficient or lacking amongst the rest? Yes, you guessed it — hormone imbalance.
Having low levels of Vitamin D3 which is usually absorbed from getting sun exposure and eating certain foods, can cause stress and your skin to become oily, which often leads to acne.
Therefore, making sure I take a Vitamin D3 supplement is highly important.
Some great things that Vitamin D does: reduces inflammation, reduces stress, and helps regulate the skin’s sebum production. Do you have oily skin? Maybe you’re lacking in Vitamin D.
(4) Zinc
Zinc is a big player in hormonal balance and the process of our skin renewing itself. Many people who are deficient in zinc have acne simply because their skin cells aren’t turning over fast enough. Therefore, I make it a point to take a zinc supplement.
I know for a fact that I don’t eat a lot of foods that contain zinc (like green beans, pumpkin seeds, etc) and I have even spotted some of the signs on my body that point towards me being deficient in zinc. Signs like: white spots on my finger nails here and there, dry skin, hangnails, hair loss and others.*
(5) Fish Oil (Omega-3s)
Our bodies are made to have a good balance of Omega-3s and Omega-6s, but because of a lot of processed foods and our modern day diets a lot of us tend to have an abundance of Omega-6s in our bodies. With an abundance of Omega-6s from processed foods and other things, we can experience inflammation and an excess of androgens, which leads to skin breakouts.
Therefore, taking Omega-3’s helps to reverse what an abundance of Omega-6s tend to do. Taking fish oil or eating Wild Alaskan Salmon helps to lower androgen levels and reduce the body’s inflammation. Too many androgens and inflammation are can cause acne. See what I’m getting at here?**
(6) Cinnamon
Cinnamon can come in bottles at the grocery store that allow you to sprinkle it on your food or in capsules at your local vitamin store. Both are equally effective when it comes to healing acne. Cinnamon has antibacterial properties that help kill bad bacteria (like the kind that causes acne) and is also of great use when it comes to getting rid of inflammation.
I sprinkle it on my apple slices in the morning and in my tea throughout the day. It’s actually quite tasty and I hear that a tablespoon consumed over the course of a day is a great way to decrease inflammation that causes pimples to grow.
(7) Probiotics
Living in the 21st century, we’re eating a lot of foods that are affecting our gut in a bad way. Bad bacteria that comes from food toxins (like gluten, processed sugars and other things) passing through our gut can hurt us by creating small holes in our intestinal walls. With this happening we can often end up with gut issues that affect our hormones and cause acne.
How do probiotics help? Well, the good bacteria found in probiotics can help us prevent and the breakdown of intestinal walls. In fact, I’ve had some gut issues in the past and probiotics were a great way to overcome them. Therefore, I continually take probiotics to be on the up-and-up and to prevent any gut damage that could happen in the future.
Like I mentioned above, vitamins and supplement are only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to getting rid of hormonal acne. The puzzle, when mastered, is a beautiful thing and with patience and consistent effort anyone can do it. To check out other “pieces of the puzzle” when it comes to getting rid of hormonal acne, you can read my blog titled “5 Things I Began Doing to Get Rid of My Adult Acne.”
It will give you better perspective of the lifestyle change I’m talking about and will help you tailor your very own lifestyle changes you need to make for your own life when it comes to overcoming acne.
With love and freedom,
xO – G
*signs provided by: http://www.clearskinforever.net/zinc-and-acne-does-zinc-help-with-acne/
** page 224 of The Hormone Cure by Sara Gottfried