Good for it or bad for it?

Niacin (Vitamin B3) completely changed my oily face. Ever since I hit puberty (like 10 years ago) I've had the oiliest skin you can imagine, with actually very little acne but the oil was extreme and extremely embarrassing as well, I washed my face just to notice a couple of hours later that i had oil all over with the distinctive shine. I have literally tried every product, commercial or otherwise and never quite found anything that really helped.... Until I tried Niacin. For the first time in years my face was normal I would even say dry, so much so that I don't have to worry at all about washing my face more than once a day, or wiping it out every couple of hours, I'm taking 750mg (3 pills of 250mg each) a day of Niacin from GNC (I suppose any other brand works just as well, I only bought it there cause it was the nearest)

The niacin gives you a warmth feeling or flush only for a few minutes after taking it each day, and then you're set for the rest of the day, maybe the first couple of days it might be weird or somewhat uncomfortable, by now I'm not only used to it but I actually enjoy it. Is note worthy that the flush happens only for a few minutes and goes away, I actually have noticed that afterwards it helps me regulate my body temperature (before I began taking Niacin I was always cranking up the a/c cause I felt hot, temperature wise, lol). Ok so the flushing is pretty much the only side effect, which is completely normal by the way.

And about the quantity I'm taking, well up to what I've researched, the toxicity kicks in when taking 1500mg to 3000mg a day over long periods and the toxicity has been tied to other types of vitamin B3 namely the slow release type, and not to the normal "run of the mill" niacin and certainly not at the 750mg a day dose that I recommend

I sincerely hope this post helps anyone one out there, I wish I had know about this years ago...Best wishes everyone

Hi all!

After reading some posts here I decided to buy some vitamins and this evening, with dinner, I took 12 of them! I didn't overdose, I stayed within the recommended dosage by the manufacturer but about 15 minutes after taking them my face suddenly felt like it was on fire. I checked in the mirror and from the chest upwards I was bright red with very blood shot eyes and my arms were red also.

Because it's the first time taking vitamins I'm not sure which it could be but if there's anything I should avoid mixing or avoid altogether please let me know? Here's what I took:

B-2 100 mg.
Magnesium
Niacin B-3
Vitamin B-1 100mg.
Timed Release Pantothenic Acid
Vitamin C-1000 with Bioflavonoids
Vitamin E Capsules 400iu.
Chromium Picolonate
High Strength Zinc Tablets 15mg.
B-6

I have moderate acne now, and had a saliva test done and a nutritionalist and he said I was extremly low in zinc! Do you think this could be causing my acne?

I just started taking a better multi vitamin with zonc in it. How long till I see results generally?

Hey guys,

I plan on buying some vitamins/supplements for my health (20 male, small), and also for my acne. I have the occasional breakouts (normally after having oily/sweet food). My diet consists of cereal(oats)/bread for breakfast, rice/noodles + vege + meat&seafood for lunch/dinner.

I plan on buying these supplements:
Zinc Picolinate (25mg)

Omega 3 Fish Oil Concentrate Capsules (1000mg)

Vitamin C-500mg with Bioflavonoids

Vitamin E Capsules (400iu)

Complete B Vitamin B Complex

Are the dosages fine? Is there anything else that I should be taking (5 pills seems to be a lot to take everytime though)?

Thanks for the help.

Well, I think I've found it... I think it's finally over! it's been about 2 months, and *no new breakouts*. Absolutely none. I'm... shocked! After all this time, I think I finally found the acne cause and solution, for me.

Two months ago, I started taking vitamin D supplements, about 1000IU per day. Nothing else changed: work has been no more or less stressful, my diet hasn't changed, nothing significant in personal life. I just noticed that my skin is always better after getting a little bit of sunshine, so decided to try taking vitamin D... and, voila! My skin has *never* looked better... It actually looks kind of pretty!

It's hard to believe it could be so simple, yet it kind of makes sense: I never had acne until moving from Arizona to Seattle, and, it always got worse in the winter. The only other time I had acne in my life was while still living in Arizona, I tried a brief stint of eating a very, very low-fat diet (yes, I was young and foolish), and wearing sunscreen religiously; perhaps since vitamin D is fat-soluble, and I was avoiding the sun, I was just unable to synthesize or absorb it. And, sure enough, once I abandoned the low-fat foolishness, the acne disappeared as well. Until I moved to Seattle, that is, when it returned with a vengeance.

The only heavy-duty medications I tried were retin-A for a year, and orthotricyclen for four months. Both were ineffective, unfortunately: the retin-A had absolutely no effect (after a frickin year!!) and on orthotricyclen I still had reliably regular monthly breakouts, plus some in between. I tried eliminating various foods from the diet: chocolate, dairy, peanuts, and citrus, all to no effect.

Also, I have a digestive condition that prevents me from eating processed foods or very much sugar; in fact, I eat a very, very strict diet of whole foods, lots of veggies, low sugar, lots of fish oils, only grass-fed organic meat when I do eat meat, blah, blah, blah, all the usual recommendations. I got extremely sick of claims that acne is punishment for dietary transgressions -- I *don't* eat crap, at all, yet still had acne. It's possible that the acne was related to my digestive condition, but not because I eat processed or junk food.

Anyway! All this is to say that after 3 years of trial and error, I've been pretty much stumped! Until now... taking vitamin D. It's very weird. It's possible that this one simple thing, vitamin D deficiency, has been the problem the entire time. Wow.

It's been about 2 months, so I'm hoping this keeps up. If anything changes, I'll let you guys know, but... so far, so good!

If anyone is still trying the litany of various dietary/medical/vitamin tricks, well, don't forget to give this one a try. Not the cause for everybody, I'm sure, but if there are any others out there like me, maybe this will help!

So I never thought I would actually get clear, but right now I am 100% acne-free. All I have to do is deal with acne marks (thankfully no deep-pitted scars) that are annoying--as if acne itself wasn't enough! Nonetheless, I want to share what I take and perhaps it can help you.

*Note: I probably shouldn't be taking all these supplements, but my gosh acne has ruined my life to the point where I have convinced myself that 'no acne' outweighs any potential side effects. Stupid? Yeah. Did it work for me? Yeah.


I take:

-Vitamin A (10,000 IU with a fatty meal)
-Vitamin C (500mg--helps with the Immune System which indirectly helps with acne by destroying free radicals)
-Zinc Picolinate (50mg with a meal)
-Vitamin B5 (I use to take like 5 a day, but now I take 1 a day because I didn't feel comfortable overdosing on this vitamin--500mg)
-Fish Oil (1,200 mg and I take 4-5 a day)
-Niacin (500mg [taking two 250mg tablets] the flush kind...has helped with bacne and inflammation quite well)
-Vitamin D3 (1,000 IU and I take two, it makes my skin glow )
-Magnesium Malate (I hear it helps by regulating hormones; 2-3 tablets a day)
-Taurine (1-2 tablets a day)
-Evening Primrose Oil (Even though I am a male, I still take it because of the GLA and it helps with hormones--I take about 3-4 softgels a day and I believe it's 1,000-1,200mgs I don't remember)
-Alpha Lipoic Acid (I take two 600mg a day--it's a super-powerful antioxident)
-Glutathione (500mg--once a day)


Yeah, that's a crapload of pills. But the Vitamin A & C have helped my body (whether or not my acne), Zinc, Fish Oil, Magnesium Malate & Evening Primrose Oil are keeping my hormonal acne in check, Vitamin D, Glutathione, and Alpha Lipoic acid are making my skin glow. As for Taurine and Vitamin B5...I may take these out of my diet since I don't see much of an effect. Then again, I'm take so many pills I doubt I would notice!

I typically have had oily skin...but now I feel like these vitamins keep that in control (not completely dry, but not completely drenched in oil...normal :])


I have used S.A. and I find it doesn't do much, so I switched over to BP (Neutrogena On-The-Spot). I occasionally use the BP, maybe every now and then but I feel like I don't need it as much. I use the Acne.org Alpha Hydroxy Acid about once every three days to help speed up the red marks I had from previous acne (as well as over my body...makes my skin baby smooth!).

I use Head & Shoulders Classic 2-in-1 Shampoo (I find it doesn't give me acne flare-ups nor makes my face red after a shower with typical shampoo. Also, I think it may help clear up my back).

I hardly touch my face and pretty much I have a 'Relaxation Session" where for an hour or two I listen to YouTube videos of hypnosis/relaxation 10-min clips to relax me and eventually put me into a light nap. The point is it helps relieve stress.

I have done 2 Chemical Peels (one 10% to begin with and then a 15% TCA Peel). I will do a 20% TCA peel in like 4-5 weeks. I'm 18 so I don't have any wrinkles period, but it does make me look like i'm 15 or 16 lol.

**And that's it! I have spent well over 500 on my face and it looks...ok. My chin & forehead acne have completely cleared up. Both sides of my cheeks have completely cleared up, but unfortunately I am spotted with red acne marks. I'm hoping that by 2010 I can have a clear face, free from red marks and acne

You don't know how GOOD it feels to wake up and not see any new bumps. I have been doing this 'regimen' for about 3 months now. Although I have added the glutahione, vitamin D, and alpha lipoic acid recently (about 2 weeks ago?)

If you have any questions, just ask.

I also attached a picture of how I currently look. My hyperpigmentation is on the extreme right side of my face, which is the side I turned away from when taking the picture lol.

Ever since I started taking vitamins B2 and Niacin, my urine has been bright green. Should I stop taking the vitamins or stick with it?

Hello everyone,

I noticed a lot of post regarding the success using Vitamin B5 AKA Panthothenic Acid. I wanted to ask people on here how many mg of B5 is recommended. I have seen that 5-8 grams is required to get major results and I think that is a high dosage. Also, I read that once you get off of it, your acne comes back but twice as worse. Why is that so?

I don't know if the niacin is flush-free or w.e but it says Niacin ( vitamin B-3 ) 100 mg
--- vegeterian formula --
And the brand for Vitamin D is called h o l i s t a
I hope it's a good brand.


I'm going to buy Complex B-50 and acidophilus next.

I just want to be healthy that's why I'm trying this out! Also, I'm about 97% clear, I have two small acne around my mouth.

Hi guys

I am currently taking lymecycline (1 per day), after oxytetracycline stopped working after about 8 months of use.

I want to start taking all these vitamins I've heard people are taking to see if this will work. Which ones should I take and how often?

Cheers,
Danny

Hey Guys. I was at the store today looking for vitamin e capsules for my scars. I was wondering about the IU amount. 40, 50, 100 etc? Thanks.

So I've tried EVERYTHING under the sun apart from prescription meds to combat my oily skin, and am currently taking:

- Saw Palmetto
- HRI Clear Complexion Tablets
- Pantethine
- Zinc
- Riboflavin

These don't seem to help a great deal, and now my parents have suggested that maybe the cocktail of supplements are actually causing the severe oil. Is there any possible truth in this?

Hey guys, like everyone else here i've tried EVERYTHING and recently (about 2-3 weeks ago) decided to go down the vitamin route. I've suffered from mild- moderate (just enough to be extremely annoying) acne since i was about 12, i'm 18 now and have noticed a SIGNIFICANT increase in breakouts in just the last year! This is completely rediculous as i thought i would have grown out of this by now and can simply not deal with this anymore. I guess you can say i've gone a bit crazy and am trying any vitamin i've heard will help.

This is what I take daily:
10g B-5
40,000 IU Vitamin A
120mg Zinc Citrate
1 capsule B complex
4 greens+ Perfect Skin (acne multi-vitamin containing zinc, vit. E, geen tea extract, fish oil etc.)
1 capsule Mannatech Glyco-Antioxidant

Basically my main focus is the B-5 and i HAVE noticed a different in my skin but not neccessarily less break outs, but to be fair i had ALOT of acne under the skin and i'm hoping that the B-5 is just bringing these out and I will see better results soon.

However, I'm impatient and am relly starting to get discouraged and want to try more vitamins, even if it's just to make myself feel better and have hope that somehting else will work. I would like to add:

Panthetine ( I've heard it works better than the B-5 and is more potent but is it still safe for me to take my 10g of B-5 and also add the Panthetine?)

Alpha Lipoic Acid (supposed to be a super antioxidant, anyone tried this? it's pretty pricey)


And i guess my overall question is IS THIS TOO MUCH?

I've been battling Acne for 15 years....read the forums here but never posted....till now

Finally found Vitamins that completely cured my acne....been acne free for 5 straight months....

Flush Free Niacin Isositol Hexanicontinate - 500 MG
Zinc - 50 MG
Chromium Picolinate - 400 mcg

This combination has worked wonders for me....maybe it could help others as well....

Hey Everyone. I was considering taking zinc supplements to help with my acne, but when I brought home the bottle, it said that, "Zinc supplementation can cause a copper deficiency." The supplements are 25mg each. Should I go ahead and take them anyway? Also, can I take them while also taking omega-3? Thanks.

Ive heard from a few people that you should never take/buy supplements at places like walmart because they don't absorb well and are poor quality. If this is true... can anyone recommend a good reputable brand that is affordable... Would rather it be something I can easily buy around here, but a link to a website would be helpful also.

I have some left over Potassium Gluconate 550MG tabs says equal to 90mg potassium that my mom can no longer take and gave to me. Is this the same as regular potassium and is 90mgs too much? I got most of the dosages to take of each for acne from a really good nutritional healing book...feel free to add your opinion on them.


I plan to buy the following next month...
Also wondering if this is a good start? Rather new to taking supplements..

Acidophilus
Chromium Picolinate
Colloidal Silver
Fish Oil
Potassium
A 5,000 IU
B Complex 100mg of ea major B vita 3x daily
Extra B3 100mg 3x daily
C 1,000-1,600mg 3x daily
D3 400 IU daily
E 400 IU daily
Zinc 30-80mg daily
Garlic 2 caps 3x daily
Chlorophyll
L-Cysteine 500mg daily

I want to order one with good ingredient

http://www.herbs-wholesale.com/VitaminD1000-24859.html
Or is there a good one here- http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/search/en/que...5002%3Acat10026

Just came across this product today. How helpful would this be in the 'fight'?

The serving size is 2 tablets a day. 2 tablets a day gives you...

Vitamin A: 1,000 IU
Vitamin C: 150 mg
Vitamin E: 50 IU
Vitamin B-6: 20 mg
Zinc: 50 mg

http://www.puritan.com/zinc-166/zinc-for-acne-002580

Seems like it may be worth trying.

Im always on a workout regimen where I need to be more aggressive about my diet and vitamins. I always knew to much Iodine was bad, but you should still have it in your diet. But NO strong multi-v is Iodine free from what I can see, there all week multi-vs.
They have 150mcg Iodin in them that cat really effect your skin that much can it?

My father bought calson fish oil and I would like to start taking it as well.
Since I don't eat fish, I should start taking fish oil, right?

I Want to start taking Vitamin B6 supplements , but I want to know more information. Has anyone taken them before?

I am a 25yo/female and have been taking vitamins forever. My mom really believes in them and I do think they have made me a healthier person as I don't get sick much. I sometimes wonder though if what I'm taking is working against my skin and would like some guidance.

The best way to describe my skin is congested pores. I have non-inflammed acne, blackheads all over my nose and just clogged pores overall. I have tried topicals before and went off all of them for one reason or another.

Vitamins I am taking:
--A (just started this about a month ago)
--B Complex
--C
--E
--Magnesium, Potassium, Calcium combined vitamin
--Chromium
--Zinc
--Fish Oil

I was taking a 1-a-day pill and Flaxseed but stopped taking them a while ago. People have told me fish oil can actually cause acne in some people and I feel like my acne has been persistent ever since college (when I started taking the fish oil - could just be my imagination though). I also just ordered vitamin D.

I keep reading about liver failure and kidney failure and how I shouldn't take A and Zinc together etc etc etc and I just am not sure what I need and what I don't.

Iodine isn't an ingredient in any of my vitamins also...I checked already.

Thanks to anyone who can help!

Hi,

I think taking all acne-alleviating supplements discussed here (and elsewhere on the internet) would be too expensive for most people. It would be great if we could reach some kind of consensus regarding which supplements are the most proven/have the overall most consistently positive results, i.e. which should be considered "essentials"!

I made a list of the supplements that seems the most commonly discussed for treating acne. How would you order these in terms of their effectiveness?

• Zinc
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin A
• Omega 3
• Magnesium
• Vitamin D
• Vitamin B5
• Chromium

(Also, are there perhaps certain combinations of these supplements that are known to work especially well?)

Well at the store I forgot to get flush-free, but I read flush free uses niancimide but on the supplement facts it says Niacin (as inositol hexaniacinate) 100mg. so is this the right kind but just without the flush or what; im so confused.

all i can say is this stuff did it. 20 y/o male with teenage acne and this stuff has cleared me up. Still have oily skin but less blackheads so I dont care. Fish oil made me break out in cysts both times this stuff is amazing. no more bacne either. Im going to try borage oil next. Very odd about fish oil but I suppose my body has an intolerance to it. GLA in evening primrose is a powerful anti inflammatory and inhibits DHT so I reccomend people give it a chance. 3-4 pills a day

Hi,

I am thinking of taking a Multi-Vitamin.

It has:

Vitamins: Vitamin B1 (thiamine mononitrate) 35 mg; Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) 35 mg; Niacinamide 50 mg; Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride) 15 mg; Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin) 30 mcg; Biotin (d-biotin) 15 mcg; Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) 500 mg; Vitamin E (d-alpha tocopheryl acetate) 30 IU; Pantothenic Acid (calcium d-pantothenate) 20 mg; Folic Acid 1 mg

Minerals: Calcium (carbonate) 150 mg; Magnesium (oxide) 75 mg; Zinc (gluconate) 5 mg prepared in a nutrient base of rutin, hesperidin and bioflavonoids; acerola; rosehips; essential fatty acids from borage (GLA) and sunflower oil; digestive enzymes bromelain, papain, amylase, lipase and cellulase; vegetable complex of alfalfa, kelp, parsley and watercress

Does any of those Vitamins and Minerals has any skin benefits (eg: younger skin, acne defence?)

Now I know what this will help my stress levels and whatever.

Here is the link to the Jamieson Labratories: Sress Ease Pills: http://www.jamiesonvitamins.com/en/product...mp;UPCCode=2295

Thank You,

Jon

I was wondering if there was a helpful vitamin guide or if someone wanted to start one. I think it would be beneficial if we could simply see what would be good for our skin vitamin wise broken down into healthy doses. Plus say, for example, if we take extra zinc do we need to also take another type of vitamin so it works better etc etc.

I understand there may be threads spread about the forum it's just with this new section having a pinned guide would be really helpful. I know I would appreciate it-- I feel lost!

Hi all, just curious, has anyone ever taken a multivitamin and gotten a cyst afterwards, maybe even though you don't normally get cysts?

This happened to me twice, a while ago before I knew much about acne I just figured it'd be good for me so I went to the grocery store and bought the cheapest multivitamin I could find. I took it a few times and this horrible thing... like this weird, mutated zit appeared on my cheek. So I got scared and stopped taking it. A few months later I got curious and tried again and lo and behold, a deep cyst appeared on my other cheek, the kind that sits beneath the skin and doesn't come to a head...

Since then I've learned that many multivitamins contain iodine which can in turn cause acne... no idea if the one I was taking had iodine but I'd suspect so.

Ever since then I've been terrified of supplements, especially since the pimples I think the vitamins caused were terrible and have left scars / discoloration.