Your personalized advice

The following advice and recommendations are based specifically on the answers you have given.

Advice

Recommendations

Supplements:

• Zinc has anti-inflammatory properties and has been shown to improve acne symptoms. Taking 25-50mg of zinc per day (zinc gluconate is preferable) may be beneficial. Do not take more than this! Too much zinc can be toxic. Also, be sure to take zinc with food. It can cause nausea on an empty stomach. Zinc is best for red, inflamed acne. If your acne is primarily non-inflamed (blackheads), zinc may be unnecessary.
• Eat lots of fish or take several fish oil supplements daily. Omega-3s are important to reduce inflammation.
• Aside from fortified dairy products, we get vitamin D only from the sun. If you do not consume dairy or plan on eliminating dairy, either get regular sunlight on your body (try to keep acne prone areas out of the sun) or consider a Vitamin D supplement (1000 I.U. daily). Make sure your vitamin D supplement is specifically D₃ to aid in absorption.

Regimens:

• The Acne.org Regimen works remarkably well for people with light to moderate acne, however many people with more severe acne symptoms have reported good results.
• For spot treatment, click here.
• Reducing stress can reduce acne symptoms. Ask your friends or family if they have any stress relieving techniques, such as deep breathing, that you might try. This webpage offers lots of good advice as well.
• Need to pop a zit? Check out this page for a variety of opinions and methods.

Products:

• For recommended over-the-counter products that work well with The Acne.org Regimen, check out the finding supplies page.
• For products made specifically for The Acne.org Regimen, click here.
• Try not to use cosmetics. I realize this is not possible for many women, so if you must use them, make sure each product is oil-free and specifically states that it is non-comedogenic on the label. Then, use it as sparingly as possible. (Tip: Try using a tinted benzoyl peroxide cream as a gentle cover-up. Since most tinted creams are in 10% strength, use them sparingly and only on spots themselves.)

Diet:

• Despite what we've been told for decades, new studies and information are showing us that diet and acne may be related. You may want to try eating a low glycemic diet. Choose vegetables, seafood, lean meat, fruit and nuts over grains, legumes, sugars and starches.
• Iodine may be related to acne. I have heard conflicting ideas regarding this from researchers I have spoken to. However, there is some evidence that high levels of iodine may affect acne. In order to not make yourself too crazy about avoiding foods that contain trace amounts of iodine, instead it may be a good idea to simply avoid kelp. Kelp contains extremely high levels of iodine. Kelp is most often found in seaweed salad and in supplements.

Community:

• For help and advice on acne medications, scar treatments, diet, and more, check out the Acne.org Message Board.