Anyone know why I break out with this multi-vitamin? Literally taken 2 tablets for two days and my skin is breaking out in little red spots.
Vitamin C, Bulking Agents (Di Calcium Phosphate, Microcrystalline Cellulose), Vitamin E, Niacin, Vitamin A, Glazing Agent (Hydroxy Propyl Methyl Cellulose, Glycerine, Carnauba Wax), Vitamin D3, Anti Caking Agents (Magnesium Stearate, Silicon Dioxide), Thiamin.
I read the original post here about a year ago and I came here to say that vitamin D has had no effect on my skin or oiliness.
There's a lot of hype here about vitamin D and I guess it can help oiliness, but I highly doubt it can clear acne. If you or have heard someone clear their acne completely, then post pictures, otherwise it's very hard to believe.
I experimented with levels of 1,000 to 10,000 iu's with no effect. I still take 1,000 iu of d3 daily, but for other reasons than acne.
Glad it's working for you guys! Please do keep us updated...we'd like to hear your success stories. I've stopped takin D3 and switched to omega fish oil, been taking for more than a week now, no improvement...i'm gonna give zinc a try too. I'm starting to believe this might be hormonal. What's weird though is when I have my period, that's the only time of the month when my skin looks good. Most girls I know usually breaks out during their period, but i'm the opposite.
After reading the original post i also decided to give vitamin d a try. I currently follow a paleo type diet which has improved my skin but not cured it. I have been taking 1000IU a day for a month now. I haven't noticed any change in my skin yet so mayb i need a higher dose BUT i have found it has benefited my health in other ways so wanted to share! for the past 2 yrs i have been suffering from awful aching muscles in my legs. Went to drs and had tests done - couldnt find anything wrong. After 2 weeks on the vit d my legs improved so much i couldnt believe it. They still ache a bit with exercise but at rest they are not hurting. This may not sound like a big deal but it is horrible when your legs ache ALL the time - even just lying in bed. So i am definitely going to continue with the vit d. It has also improved my energy levels as well.
There are many factors that contributed to my oily skin.. I noticed that vit D helped a little, but it certainly wasn't the cure. I take multiple things to significantly reduce my oily skin. This is going to be a long post, but everything I mentioned has helped my disgusting oil slicked face become normal.
I went from using THREE Clean & Clear oil blotting sheets in 45 minutes to just ONE in six HOURS.
I got blood work done for vitamin D during a recent routine physical exam more than a month ago. I told my doctor that the vitamin D blood test was simply for curiosity to see if it can be the cause of my oily skin. My results showed that I was at about 18 ng/ml. This was really nothing to worry about, but it's certainly a little low considering the normal range is between 20 to 50 ng/ml. My physician just suggested an over the counter vitamin D supplement @ 5,000 iu per day.
And, upon hearing that the blood work was to see if it can be the cause of my oily skin, he prescribed a shampoo that I can apply to my face called Ketoconazole that contains anti-androgens!
I picked up vitamin D3 5,000 iu tablets as well as magnesium glycinate tablets. I take roughly 800mg/day of magnesium glycinate with 5,000 iu of vit. D3 per day. Magnesium in the body is burned out with the introduction of more vitamin D. Taking vit. D3 and magnesium together is crucial to see results for your skin.
As for ketoconazole, the shampoo my doc prescribed for my face, I use it 3-4 times per week. I simply apply it onto my DRY face and rinse it off with water after 5 to 10 minutes. It leaves my skin feeling and looking so clean and it makes a difference in oil production throughout the day.
However, after taking vitamin D, magnesium, and washing my face with ketoconazole 3-4 times a week for a month, my oil only reduced by maybe 25%. My face was still oily. I noticed that I used less oil blotting sheets, but it still looked just as shiny as before and that's what bothered me. I produced tons of oil to begin with, so a reduction of oil by 25% or so is nothing, honestly. This basically meant that my skin was actually producing less oil, but it still looked very oily and messy on the surface. Before vit D, magnesium, and ketoconazole, I would press an oil blotting sheet to my cheek and it would instantly be saturated and the oil would somehow seep through the sheet and get all over my fingers too. But with vit D, magnesium and ketoconazole, the oil blotting sheets are less saturated.
I guess if you don't have severely oily skin to begin with, this combination can do the trick for you and you can just stop reading here lol
However, THE REAL solution to my oily skin is just staying away from sex or just orgasms in general. Yes, I'm being 100% serious. After a month of being frustrated of my vitamin D, magnesium, and ketoconazole not working as well as I expected, I went online to find more solutions. This thing called Saw Palmetto extracts and Stinging Nettle extracts came up. They are natural herbs that suppress DHT. High levels of DHT cause acne, oily skin, and are also contributed to balding.
So, I thought I should just give it a shot since they're all natural anyway. No harm in trying.
All these herbal extract supplements did for me was reduce my sex drive. Yeah, I know that's completely irrelevant to my skin, but I actually realized that this was the best solution. The Saw Palmetto and Stinging Nettle allowed me to go for weeks without ANYTHING sexual with myself or others .. and I'm an 18 year old boy. I went from 4-5 times a week or so to maybe once a week or once every two weeks.
I noticed that this "abstinence" drastically reduced my oil. Within just one and a half weeks of a lower sex drive and no orgasms, I went from looking oily all day to looking matte for 6 hours every day. I'm talking really drastic. My skin hasn't been this matte since I was 12 years old.
To this day, I still take vit. D, magnesium, and ketoconazole, but I also take Saw Palmetto extracts and Stinging Nettle extracts. Together, they both help my oily skin to begin with and prevent me from... urges that can lead to oily skin.
The vit D, magnesium, and ketoconazol help reduce/control the oil from low vitamin D levels, and my Saw Palmetto and Stinging Nettle help hormonal oiliness stop by limiting my sex drive.
To further prove my point, I honestly notice that if I orgasm two days in a row, my skin becomes super oily within minutes afterwards EVEN THOUGH I still take the herbal extracts with vitamin D, magnesium, & ketoconazol. I can see my face go from matte to an oil slick within an hour or two after the second orgasm. From there, it's like I started all over. I have to wait about a week after orgasm until the extreme oil dies down again. TMI, maybe, and I'm sorry for that, but I'm really just trying to help you guys find a solution.
I now only allow for orgasms once a week because this really does stop my skin from going oily. Once a week does not mess with my skin. If I orgasm two days in a row, it goes back to crazy oil again.
Staying away from orgasms with the help of the herbal extracts also helps my oil go from thick, slimy type like olive oil, to a more thin and subtle type.
In fact, after taking these herbal extracts, staying away from orgasms, along w/ vit. D, magnesium, & ketoconazol for a week, the reduction in oil was so drastic that I could feel dead skin tickling my face. I never noticed how much dead skin and dirt built up on my face before simply because the oil would leave it trapped and stuck on my face despite the fact that I washed morning and night and exfoliated about twice a month. I was shocked to see gray clumps of dead skin just roll off of my face if I ran my finger across it. That's how much my oil production changed. Obviously, my skin also looks like a completely different color now that the oil, grime, dead skin, and all that other crap is gone.
To all you guys out there with REALLY oily skin, this could be your solution. Just take the herbal supplements and you won't even have the urge to do anything sexual that leads to hormonal oily skin. I'm sure staying away from orgasms alone can reduce your oily skin by 70% because that's what it did to me!
Plus, the saw palmetto and stinging nettle extracts have been shown to reduce the chances of balding if taken long term, or at least that's what I heard. Plus, they're all natural! It's a win-win situation.
Needless to say, I'm glad that I'm no longer the kid that ran off into the bathroom to use 2 or 3 oil blotting sheets between class, only to become greasy again by the end of the next class. Lol
I'll provide before and after pics. Both were taken an hour after washing my face. I know the lighting is different in each, but you get the point
On 1/22/2013, 609, RJT623 said:Great post, very interesting. Certainly seems worth a try. I've read elsewhere that vitamin D can be very effective with acne, due to it being a hormone. I hope you maintain your amazing results!
On 1/22/2013, 408, SebumSucks said:I registered today just to tell my story that I feel compelled to share with others.
After 22 years of suffering from extremely oily skin and acne I have finally found what I believe is my own personal cure. It's been a very long road to get here and I still can't quite believe it, but Vitamin D supplements have COMPLETELY eliminated my super oily skin and acne. I'm not talking a little bit here, not a 50% or even 90% reduction. I'm talking 100%. I still can't get over it having suffered for so long.
I know some of you aren't going to believe what I just said or what I am about to explain. I would have my doubts too if I were reading this just a few months ago, but I am 100% telling the truth of my own personal experience. So here I go...
I am a male, now in my late 30's and have suffered with excessively oily skin (way way way too much sebum) and severe acne since puberty around 14yo. I have taken EVERYTHING over the years. This gets said a lot around here by 16-18 year old acne sufferers, and I can certainly sympathize, but trust me when I say I have had over 20 years of experience trying EVERYTHING from prescription meds to over the counter topicals to various supplements. I have tried every systemic and topical antibiotic prescription known for acne. I have tried every topical retinoid. I have been on 3 courses of Accutane. I have been on doctor prescribed very high doses of Vitamin A (a safe aqueous form) after my 1st course of accutane when my acne flared back up after treatment. I have tried and used many of the over the counter washes, scrubs, masks with BP, salicylic acid, tee tree, etc. over the years. Fed up with prescription meds that never fully worked (or in the case of Accutane worked only while on them), over the last few years I have also tried various supplements, including fish oil, cod liver oil, B5, vitamin B multivitamins, antioxidant multivitamins, borage oil, and others.
About 4 weeks ago I began supplementing with Vitamin D3 1000IU. Why? Well a year ago I got a blood test done showing my Vitamin D level was low. It was a 19 which is considered quite deficient (normal I think is 50-70; reference values have been upped recently). At the time my doctor prescribed Vitamin D over a 3 month period but at the time I saw no results so stopped after 2 months (this was to try resolving fatigue not acne anyway). But this winter I started reading up on Vitamin D again as my fatigue was increasing again and came to find out that the Vitamin D that is prescribed via a pharmacy is of the D2 form which some studies have now shown is ineffective in vivo. So I decided to start taking over the counter Vitamin D (in the D3 form), like I said about 4 weeks ago. Again, the intent was to possibly help with fatigue and perhaps immune support, not necessarily help with my oily skin or acne. But to my amazement, about one week in I began to see significant reduction in sebum on my skin. By week two my skin had become COMPLETELY normalized. I can't even believe I am saying that after so many years of super oily skin. The only medication capable of doing that for me is Accutane (isotretinoin). Nothing else could reduce or control sebum production for me. Not prescriptions or supplements of any kind, even B5. Remember I'm a male, so there is no other option other than Accutane for us males like BC or Spiro to try and normalize hormones/oily skin.
After taking Vitamin D for 4 weeks now my skin is tighter, smoother, looks normal, and I haven't had a new pimple of any kind surface in 2 weeks which for me is nothing short of a miracle. Most amazingly is my oily skin is completely gone and hence why I'm confident this is going to work long term for me. In fact the results, both sebum and acne elimination, are just as good if not better than Accutane (Accutane can be super drying in normal doses and can affect wound healing).
I was going to wait 3-6 months to tell my story because I know there will be naysayers that say 4 weeks isn't long enough to judge long term efficiency, or maybe this is just an anomaly, or something like that. But after 22 years I have more than enough experience with my oily skin and acne to know that this is a fundamental change in my skin that I have never seen before (other than again with Accutane usage). So I just couldn't wait that long to post. I felt compelled to do so today in the hopes that my experience might help some others right now, not months from now.
So anyway, completely amazed by this result I have experienced with Vit D I have been doing quite a bit of research online about it and the more I research the more things make sense of how this is affecting my skin. Vitamin D is actually a hormone and was mislabeled a long time ago as a vitamin because at the time researches didn't realize the body (skin) can actually produce vitamin D. In a strict sense, vitamins must be supplied by diet, while hormones are produced in the body. Now, we all know acne is a result of what is most likely an imbalance of hormones in the body. This is why it is very rare for pre-pubescents to have acne, their pubertal hormones haven't kicked in yet which is when most acne first appears.
"Vitamin" D, being a HORMONE needed in vital bodily functions, can be one of those hormones that is deficient. Vitamin D is produced via UV light action on the skin. In fact, it is produced in the oily cells (sebocytes) in the skin. Interesting but slight gross side note - I read somewhere that dogs and cats actually get their Vitamin D intake from licking the sebum on their face and hair follicles where the vitamin D is created
(their skin cannot directly absorb the vitamin D through the skin). Apparently (and luckily for most humans) human skin can directly absorb vitamin D on the skin
.
So I've been pondering, perhaps very oily skin (and associated acne) is a negative feedback of low vitamin D levels in the body. With lower and lower Vitamin D in the body, the skin produces more and more sebum in efforts to create more Vitamin D to bring the body in balance. Perhaps those like myself who have consistently super oily skin have an impairment in the ability to create or absorb Vitamin D in the skin. (I don't really see a reduction in oil during the summer when I get a fair amount of sun). For me, perhaps the only way to increase my vitamin D levels is not through sun exposure but through supplementation. There are very few sources of foods with sufficient levels of vitamin D so the only way to get it in sufficient amounts is through vitamin supplements.
In my research I also found out that Vitamin D will bind to some of the same skin cell receptors as certain forms of Retinoic Acid (one of the metabolites of Accutane). I believe this is likely why Accutane works in a similar fashion (normalizes sebum production) by binding to the same Vitamin D and related receptors in the skin. Now this is my own hypothesis here, but perhaps when those receptors have vitamin D or retinoic acid bound to them, they in essence tell the skin they have enough Vitamin D and not to produce any more sebum. Perhaps Accutane works by substituting for and mimicking Vitamin D in the skin . This could possibly explain some of the side affects of Accutane like bone and joint pain which can be a symptom of Vitamin D deficiency (accutane thereby exacerbating the Vit D deficiency). I could go on about this but this is getting a bit tangential to the subject.
Anyways, I am completely beside myself that Vitamin D has worked better than anything else out there, and that I have suffered with acne for so long due to what appears to be a simple Vit D deficiency. I really implore others to try this too. It is cheap and easy to do with no side effects. The amount I am taking is 1000IU and is considered a relatively low and completely safe dose. I am not going to state this is the cure for everyone as I am a case study of one right now (although I have read here and on other websites others having great results with Vit D as well). But if you have very oily skin, especially into adulthood, I would give vitamin D3 a try.
Not that I think it matters, but in light of full disclosure, I am taking "Natures Made" Vitamin D(3) 1000IU tablets once a day. I don't think the brand will matter so much, just make sure it is Vitamin D3 and not D2. I am also taking Safeway brand Vitamin C 500mg tablets at the same time (this is your generic ascorbic acid Vit C). Note these are run of the mill vitamin brands, not anything special. It's possible the Vitamin C is adding a synergistic affect to the Vit D; I really don't know. But I do know Vitamin C alone hasn't done squat for me over the years that I have taken it so Vitamin C alone isn't causing the amazing results I'm seeing. (I am taking Vitamin C for immune support). These are the only two supplements I am currently taking. I have dropped all topicals other than washing my face in the morning and night and have just begun moisturizing at night with Aloe Vera Gel.
I'm hoping others will try this as perhaps this might be the solution for them as well. I'd be more than happy to answer anyone's questions.
After reading to all the related sebumsucks post and others, ive just started my first dose of vit D3 1000IU a day. Keeping my fingers crossed and hoping to get the same results. Im blessed n happy to have read ur post. Thnx again.
I too have noticed a big improvement in my skin ever since taking vitamin d3 (I take a d3 + k2 supplement). I take about 4.000 IU a day. Still somewhat oily skin, but haven't had a breakout since. Hopefully it will stay that way, but I do recommend people to try it out as it did 'work' for me.
I started taking 10,000 IU of Jarrow brand vitamin D almost 2 weeks ago and after some purging, no new ones! I don't really get any sunlight because of my job and the fact that it's winter. Make sure to get a brand that has olive oil as the ingredient and not soybean oil.
Hello,
I wasprescribedAccutane,my doctor said that lack of vitamin D does not cause acne,but i do not believe him.
I made blood test and i have deficit(14.32ng/ml.), so istart taking 5000IU vitamin D3 per day(one pill is 5000IU)From 2 -3 days i have headache.(this is not typical for me).I stop taking the pills and i have no headche.
What do you think, is my dosage higher ?(but how i will up levels with lower dosage) or i should take other vitamins with the D3 ?
Hi i also found i got a headache when i tried to increased my vitamin d. I currently take only 1000iu a day and also magnesium every second day. Magnesium helped the headaches. Apparently vitamin d uses up magnesium in the body - something like that anyway i forget the scientific explanation! So i think you should give magnesium a go and maybe also lower the dosage for now and increase more gradually.
The vit d hasnt really helped my skin but it fixed these muscle aches i was getting in my legs so will keep taking it. I want to try increasing the dose - but like you i am concerned about the headaches. But going slow i think is always a good idea with supplements.
I bought magnesium 200mg, so i will take 2 pills every day(400mg, i thing this dosage is enough) and for now i will reduce d3 to 2500IU a day.(i will observe if i have headache with this dosage)
After 1 week i will probably try to take 5000IU again and see if headache will return.
It is possible that you have deficit too and with this lower dosage not to increase d3 levels in the blood.
I tried 2400IU per day and after 2 3 days i felt fatigue again...I will try even more lower dosage but not sure if it will help.I am desperate again.Probably need more magnesium
I wonder what happens with people like SebumSucks,who have taken vitamin d3 before one or two years,is there long term effect, do acne returns or have no acne til now ?
I also wonder,if there is relatioship between accutane and d3,because more and more people first tried accutane and then tried d3 and there is effect then.Probably who haven't tried accutane have no effect with d3...
On 22 January 2013 at 7:55 AM, SebumSucks said:annunaki - Good idea, I might just do that and get a thread going of people who want to try Vitamin D and see if we can figure out what type of folks it might work for best. i.e. males versus females, oily skin versus dry. etc. Because it has eliminated my super oily skin I would think it might be better suited to those who have oily acne prone skin.
onefatalgoose - Unfortunately it's not that simple. First off in the northern latitudes it is impossible for the skin to produce vitamin D in the winter (depends on latitude but generally between Oct. through Mar. in much of North America and Europe). All the UVB is blocked by the atmosphere due to the low angle of the sun. Also especially if you are behind a window, even in summer, that would block UVB so your skin would not be able to produce vitamin D sitting behind a window. Only being outdoors in the summer months would allow one's skin to produce Vitamin D. Also, for us oily skin/acne suffers, it must be more complicated than that as plenty of other folks don't have this affliction I surmise it may have something to do with a genetic difference we have where our skin has at least an impairment or perhaps a complete inability to produce and or absorb the vitamin D on our skin during the summer months. So we are left with what we get in a our diet which is woefully insufficient since so few foods naturally have Vitamin D. (Note if it were not for the introduction of some Vitamin D fortified foods, specifically to milk starting in the 1930s, many children today would deficient and would suffer from rickets and other bone ailments.) Due to Vitamin D fortification of Milk rickets has all been eliminated since then. In fact, Vitamin D is so important for the prevention of disease (especially in growing children) that some countries, Canada being one, require by law, that all milk sold be fortified with Vitamin D.
The thread you made for the people that are trying vit D please comment the link I want to start vit d too
On March 20, 2013 at 4:57 PM, CBIOT13 said:Has anyone else had similar results with this? It seems like it may be a one hit wonder.
My coworker is in her 40s and always had acne. She started taking vitamin d supplements (liquid form) regularly just because her doctor said her vitamin d was low and we both see a huge difference in her skin!
Never had severe acne. Dermatologist prescribed me with retin A and finacea to help clear my skin overall. I do struggle with oily skin as well as black heads on the nose and cheek region. After about 5 months I noticed a slight improvement in my complexity but still had very oily skin and blackheads. Decided to take d3 5000 once a day. After 3 days I noticed an improvement in oil reduction. Slight improvement with the black heads. I'm hoping it cures it completely in about 2 weeks. I also apply cetaphil oil control sunblock whenever I go out. The retin A tends to make my nose red whenever I'm in the sun
Hello! I registered to the forum specifically for this thread. I undergo the absolute exact same life, although my sebum is mainly on the scalp and around the eyebrows and forhead. I purchased a Solgar 400 U.I but then I realized it's from fish liver oil source, does it matter???