Acne.org Products
FWIW these are the ones I bought
http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/pages/product_detail.asp?pid=826&prodid=886&cid=163
Crazy the lady was telling me no more than one pill a day when some of you are on 5x that?!
Hi Diefenbaker3,
I also bought the same vitamin d3 pills from Holland & Barrett after reading how vitamin d can help with oily skin. I am now in my third week of taking the vitamin and have seen an noticeable reduction in oil production. I can now go nearly a whole day at work without having to dab my skin, whereas before I was dabbing oil at least 2 - 3 times a day.
I am currently taking 2 tablets three times a day - 2 in the morning, 2 at lunch and 2 in the evenings equating to 6000 IU a day.
So far I have not suffered any side effects from taking this amount and am very happy with the improvement in my skin after years of suffering from oily skin.
However, I would appreciate some advice from other people who are taking the vitamin to combat oily skin. How many IU do you take a day and how long were you taking the vitamin for before you started to see results.
Hi Diefenbaker3,
I also bought the same vitamin d3 pills from Holland & Barrett after reading how vitamin d can help with oily skin. I am now in my third week of taking the vitamin and have seen an noticeable reduction in oil production. I can now go nearly a whole day at work without having to dab my skin, whereas before I was dabbing oil at least 2 - 3 times a day.
I am currently taking 2 tablets three times a day - 2 in the morning, 2 at lunch and 2 in the evenings equating to 6000 IU a day.
So far I have not suffered any side effects from taking this amount and am very happy with the improvement in my skin after years of suffering from oily skin.
However, I would appreciate some advice from other people who are taking the vitamin to combat oily skin. How many IU do you take a day and how long were you taking the vitamin for before you started to see results.
I'm taking those too, ive only been taking them for a couple of days but ive only been taking 1200 IU (3x 400iu tablets), i think im going to up my dosage every day now and get it up to 6000. Great to hear someone has got results taking the same particular pills as me!
Sebum production and skin cell growth
"The skin not only produces vitamin D, but most skin cells also have vitamin D receptors. As acne patients we are especially interested in sebocytes (the cells that produce sebum). Test tube studies have shown that vitamin D reduces the growth of sebocytes. Fewer sebocytes means less sebum in the skin. But let™s keep in mind that these are test tube studies, and there™s no way to say if vitamin D supplementation or cream reduces sebum production in living humans."
just thought i'd share this as a little 'confirmation' that this actually does work 
There is no cure for acne. There is only remission through therapy or one fine day you finally "grow out" of the disorder. Vitamin D has been linked to improving insulin resistance (especially in women with PCOS and such) so I can see it perhaps with prolonged exposure "alleviating" acne symptoms in some women but not curing them. I can bet money your acne wasn't severe.
Hi Diefenbaker3,
I also bought the same vitamin d3 pills from Holland & Barrett after reading how vitamin d can help with oily skin. I am now in my third week of taking the vitamin and have seen an noticeable reduction in oil production. I can now go nearly a whole day at work without having to dab my skin, whereas before I was dabbing oil at least 2 - 3 times a day.
I am currently taking 2 tablets three times a day - 2 in the morning, 2 at lunch and 2 in the evenings equating to 6000 IU a day.
So far I have not suffered any side effects from taking this amount and am very happy with the improvement in my skin after years of suffering from oily skin.
However, I would appreciate some advice from other people who are taking the vitamin to combat oily skin. How many IU do you take a day and how long were you taking the vitamin for before you started to see results.
I'm taking those too, ive only been taking them for a couple of days but ive only been taking 1200 IU (3x 400iu tablets), i think im going to up my dosage every day now and get it up to 6000. Great to hear someone has got results taking the same particular pills as me!
Sebum production and skin cell growth
"The skin not only produces vitamin D, but most skin cells also have vitamin D receptors. As acne patients we are especially interested in sebocytes (the cells that produce sebum). Test tube studies have shown that vitamin D reduces the growth of sebocytes. Fewer sebocytes means less sebum in the skin. But let™s keep in mind that these are test tube studies, and there™s no way to say if vitamin D supplementation or cream reduces sebum production in living humans."
just thought i'd share this as a little 'confirmation' that this actually does work
Be careful where you get your information from. I see people quoting the author of that website all the time, but he's just a regular guy. His name is Seppo Puusa, and I think he has other acne websites, and he's a member of acne.org. I think this particular guy is smart and offers good advice, but it's better to cite peer reviewed articles like the ones from nih.gov. Literally anyone can make a website and write whatever they want on it.
There is no cure for acne. There is only remission through therapy or one fine day you finally "grow out" of the disorder. Vitamin D has been linked to improving insulin resistance (especially in women with PCOS and such) so I can see it perhaps with prolonged exposure "alleviating" acne symptoms in some women but not curing them. I can bet money your acne wasn't severe.
I am assuming this post is directed to me. You are right, there is no cure for acne. There is no cure for most diseases but people will refer to treatments as cures if/when their symptoms reduce to such a low level as to be not existent or almost non existent. I debated whether on not to use the word cure and in the end decided it was warranted as it meets the definition I have stated above. I also wanted folks to read this thread and take interest enough to try it themselves. Saying "Vitamin D" put me in remission" just isn't as effective to get people to read this than saying it is a cure (for me at least and perhaps hopefully for others if they try it). Besides, a large portion of the folks that come on here are young and might not even know what the term remission means.
Anyhow, Vitamin D just hasn't alleviated symptoms for me, it has put my acne and oily skin into long term remission with amazing results that NO other drug or topical has ever done. I suggest you go back and actually read the whole OP, if you did you'd come to realize my acne was very, very, severe. Males don't go on three rounds of Accutane and have acne into their 30s if it's not severe. I'd be more than happy to take your money in a bet.
There is no cure for acne. There is only remission through therapy or one fine day you finally "grow out" of the disorder. Vitamin D has been linked to improving insulin resistance (especially in women with PCOS and such) so I can see it perhaps with prolonged exposure "alleviating" acne symptoms in some women but not curing them. I can bet money your acne wasn't severe.
I am assuming this post is directed to me. You are right, there is no cure for acne. There is no cure for most diseases but people will refer to treatments as cures if/when their symptoms reduce to such a low level as to be not existent or almost non existent. I debated whether on not to use the word cure and in the end decided it was warranted as it meets the definition I have stated above. I also wanted folks to read this thread and take interest enough to try it themselves. Saying "Vitamin D" put me in remission" just isn't as effective to get people to read this than saying it is a cure (for me at least and perhaps hopefully for others if they try it). Besides, a large portion of the folks that come on here are young and might not even know what the term remission means.
Anyhow, Vitamin D just hasn't alleviated symptoms for me, it has put my acne and oily skin into long term remission with amazing results that NO other drug or topical has ever done. I suggest you go back and actually read the whole OP, if you did you'd come to realize my acne was very, very, severe. Males don't go on three rounds of Accutane and have acne into their 30s if it's not severe. I'd be more than happy to take your money in a bet.
You grew out of it. It's a coincidence. Vitamin D is a placebo.
There is no cure for acne. There is only remission through therapy or one fine day you finally "grow out" of the disorder. Vitamin D has been linked to improving insulin resistance (especially in women with PCOS and such) so I can see it perhaps with prolonged exposure "alleviating" acne symptoms in some women but not curing them. I can bet money your acne wasn't severe.
I am assuming this post is directed to me. You are right, there is no cure for acne. There is no cure for most diseases but people will refer to treatments as cures if/when their symptoms reduce to such a low level as to be not existent or almost non existent. I debated whether on not to use the word cure and in the end decided it was warranted as it meets the definition I have stated above. I also wanted folks to read this thread and take interest enough to try it themselves. Saying "Vitamin D" put me in remission" just isn't as effective to get people to read this than saying it is a cure (for me at least and perhaps hopefully for others if they try it). Besides, a large portion of the folks that come on here are young and might not even know what the term remission means.
Anyhow, Vitamin D just hasn't alleviated symptoms for me, it has put my acne and oily skin into long term remission with amazing results that NO other drug or topical has ever done. I suggest you go back and actually read the whole OP, if you did you'd come to realize my acne was very, very, severe. Males don't go on three rounds of Accutane and have acne into their 30s if it's not severe. I'd be more than happy to take your money in a bet.
You grew out of it. It's a coincidence. Vitamin D is a placebo.
One doesn't grow out of acne in their late 30's (especially males). Any half competent derm can confirm that for you.
You also don't really understand what a placebo is. I did not start taking Vitamin D thinking or hoping it would help my skin. I started taking Vitamin D for immune support and the effects on the skin were completely unexpected. I can 100% assure you the Vitamin D caused the remission. I have over 20 years of experience trying hundreds of different things and NOTHING ELSE (other than perhaps Accutane) has cleared me up like Vitamin D.
I know it sounds too good to be true and understand your skepticism, and you should be with all the noise and garbage info out there these days (and there is a lot on these message boards too). But please do yourself a favor and do some serious research on Vitamin D and how it acts like a hormone in the body.
I take Vitamin D as well as I live in Canada and we have long winters and short days which can cause a deficiency in vitamin D. It hasn't don much for my skin truth be told though (Which is why I'm skeptical for how well it has worked for you). I've also heard it has weightloss benefits too? especially for people with insulin resistance.
I've been taking 1,000-2,000 IU fairly regularly and haven't noticed an improvement in my oily skin, but this thread is making me suspect that I might still be vitamin D deficient. I'm going to start taking 6,000 IU every day and I'll follow up with my results in a month or so.
And just as a tip, this study indicates that your body absorbs vitamin D better when taken with a large meal:
". . . it is concluded that taking vitamin D with the largest meal improves absorption and results in about a 50% increase in serum levels of 25(OH)D levels achieved."
I take Vitamin D as well as I live in Canada and we have long winters and short days which can cause a deficiency in vitamin D. It hasn't don much for my skin truth be told though (Which is why I'm skeptical for how well it has worked for you). I've also heard it has weightloss benefits too? especially for people with insulin resistance.
I don't claim this will work for everyone. It is likely acne can result due to many different types of deficiencies and/or abnormal gene expression in the skin.
In any case, what dosage are you taking? If you are truly deficient, then you should be taking a fairly large dose to correct that. From what I have researched, general guidelines seem to converge on 1000-2000IU per day as maintenance dose to maintain levels during winter and 4000IU/day or even more to bring your levels up from a deficient state. I have heard of some folks status not budging taking 5000IU/day who needed to up to 10000IU to bring their levels to the normal range. Of course everyone is different so some will need more or less so at higher doses it is best to consult a doc and get tested periodically.
I don't know anything about it producing weight loss. I've actually gained a bit of weight recently although that is due to less activity during the winter months.
Thank you sebumsucks for sharing your personal experience with us.
I am female, 43 years, and still suffering from cystic acne. I have tried everything included three courses of Accutane. But I haven't found the cure yet.
Actually I am trying with zinc gluconate, for two weeks and Its too soon to get conclusion.
Very interesting what you tell about vitamine D3, I,ll try it if zinc doesn't work. And after that I will try B5 + carnitine, because wideserpent had sucess with this stuff.
The only thing I can assure, is that sun exposure is not the clue, because I live in Spain, in an Island and we have too much sun. This island is Ibiza, and if you have heard of it, its famous for sun and beaches. And sun is not the clue.
The only thing I can assure, is that sun exposure is not the clue, because I live in Spain, in an Island and we have too much sun. This island is Ibiza, and if you have heard of it, its famous for sun and beaches. And sun is not the clue.
Yes, I agree, sun exposure is not the answer, for the following reasons:
- At most latitudes in the northern hemisphere (North America & Europe) during winter, your skin cannot produce ANY vitamin D, regardless if the sun is shinning or no. The angle of the sun is too steep and UVB rays that are responsible for producing vitamin D are blocked by the thickness of the atmosphere. So even if you live in a sunny climate your skin cannot produce Vitamin D during winter so pretty much everyone's vitamin D levels reduce during winter unless you are vacationing to the middle latitudes or southern hemisphere during our winter months.
- Most people these days have been instructed to lather on sun block to protect your skin from premature aging and skin cancer, so even if you do sunbath at the beach during summer, if you are applying tons of sun block you are again blocking the beneficial effects of UV (vitamin D production) on the skin. I am not saying one shouldn't apply sun block at all, but for occasional sun exposure outside of peak UV hours, it is probably best to not apply sun block to actually get some UV exposure (of course this depends on one's skin type and sensitivity)
Also, even assuming lots of sun exposure in summer without sunblock, I think it is likely some portion of the population may have an impaired ability to produce Vitamin D in the skin, hence the acne, since diet alone cannot supply enough of it for optimal health. (This is my own conjecture here, not fact)
Anyhow, yes I have heard of Ibiza, I believe it is well known for its party scene. You are lucky to live in such a beautiful place. If you do end up trying Vitamin D, please come back and let us know if it works for you.
I take Vitamin D as well as I live in Canada and we have long winters and short days which can cause a deficiency in vitamin D. It hasn't don much for my skin truth be told though (Which is why I'm skeptical for how well it has worked for you). I've also heard it has weightloss benefits too? especially for people with insulin resistance.
I don't claim this will work for everyone. It is likely acne can result due to many different types of deficiencies and/or abnormal gene expression in the skin.
In any case, what dosage are you taking? If you are truly deficient, then you should be taking a fairly large dose to correct that. From what I have researched, general guidelines seem to converge on 1000-2000IU per day as maintenance dose to maintain levels during winter and 4000IU/day or even more to bring your levels up from a deficient state. I have heard of some folks status not budging taking 5000IU/day who needed to up to 10000IU to bring their levels to the normal range. Of course everyone is different so some will need more or less so at higher doses it is best to consult a doc and get tested periodically.
I don't know anything about it producing weight loss. I've actually gained a bit of weight recently although that is due to less activity during the winter months.
1000 Mg a day.
Vitamin D affects your acne in so many ways. It regulates so many things such as melatonin and therefore sleep, growth hormone, normal cell growth including skin and sebocyte cells. And is vital to insulin function and the absorption and use of minerals.
But the RDAs are far too low. I would take 2- 3000 daily when you can't get it from the sun, but try to get it from the sun as often as you can. When you get from the sun, your body also makes vitamin D sulfate, which is water soluble and goes places and does things the fat soluble form can't.
Thank you sebumsucks for sharing your personal experience with us.
I am female, 43 years, and still suffering from cystic acne. I have tried everything included three courses of Accutane. But I haven't found the cure yet.
Actually I am trying with zinc gluconate, for two weeks and Its too soon to get conclusion.
Very interesting what you tell about vitamine D3, I,ll try it if zinc doesn't work. And after that I will try B5 + carnitine, because wideserpent had sucess with this stuff.
The only thing I can assure, is that sun exposure is not the clue, because I live in Spain, in an Island and we have too much sun. This island is Ibiza, and if you have heard of it, its famous for sun and beaches. And sun is not the clue.
I would definitely do the B5 and L-carnitine VEGETABLE JUICE regime, just so long as you understand that the juice is what makes up most of the progress. I'm still on that particular regime myself and have never felt better, even after stopping the the B5 and L-Carnitine vitamins.
You seem to be getting enough Vitamin D from the sun then, I guess. Still, it may not be absorbing itself properly. I would take Vitamin D for several weeks anyway, just incase you do start to notice a difference. if you do, then your skin may not be absorbing the Vitamin D effectively enough.
Ibiza is at 38 degrees. Every on at 37 and above (or below in he southern hemisphere) needs to concerned about vitamin d except in the summer. And the sun needs to be high in the sky. Your shadow should be shorter than you are. Also you make most of our vitamin D in your torso.
Cbiot13 are you serious? Vitamin d is the most important thing for skin! Yes im having success with vit d. I got some especially good tablets recently, like 5000iu each, 360 of them, for 10 inc shipping.
Of course I'm serious. And if Vitamin D was universally so awesome for acne, why don't dermatologists just prescribe it to everyone? Because it is NOT the be all end all cure. It works for some, does squat for others.
What specifically has it done for you greatsite18?
Cbiot13 are you serious? Vitamin d is the most important thing for skin! Yes im having success with vit d. I got some especially good tablets recently, like 5000iu each, 360 of them, for 10 inc shipping.
Of course I'm serious. And if Vitamin D was universally so awesome for acne, why don't dermatologists just prescribe it to everyone? Because it is NOT the be all end all cure. It works for some, does squat for others.
What specifically has it done for you greatsite18?
No one said it was a end all be all cure. But it effects acne in several ways and you are probably deficient in it. And why don't doctors prescribe it for all the other many diseases affected by the deficiency? Why do doctors consider healthy eating and exercise things people ought to do, but consider drugs necessities instead if the other way around? Why do doctors tell people they have good and bad cholesterol when there's only one kind of cholesterol? Why is the average doctor so bad at their job?
And btw, the levels that your doctor probably tells are sufficient are too low.
Exactly. I wrote vitamin d is the most important thing for skin, not acne. Is exercise more important for skin than vit d? Certainly not for me. Vit d3 is the most important aspect of my diet for good skin.
What has vitamin d done for me? I used to be one of those people who had to live a strict life in order to achieve acceptable skin. Now since ive been eating high doses of vitamin d3, I can live like a slob and (!) have decent skin. Now im a slob with decent skin i just have to stop being a slob haha.
About the op i dont get really oily skin unless i sauna a lot, use the wrong topicals, wash too often, or eat a lot of fatty food. Does that answer your question cbiot13.
I've been doing alot of research on Vitamin D, and so I fully understand how it affects your skin as well as the significant differences in RDA amounts preached by various doctors/organization. And yes, I do know that there are many factors that affect your skin and sometimes a good diet is not enough for some people. As a former athlete and current gym rat I am literally the picture of physical health, and even with a super clean and healthy diet, plenty of sleep, and no drugs or alcohol I still have crappy skin. Specifically I have extremely oily skin, and after reading the original post I am curious if anyone has had as drastic a skin reversal as he did using Vitamin D.
And I really don't understand all the questions in your post Alternativista. Most doctors are not bad at their job. Years and years of education means that they are well versed in diagnosing the majority of general problems people have. With that being said, you can't expect one person to be able to be knowledgeable about EVERY gentically possible ailment that may be presented to them. As with anything, doctors have their limitations in diagnosing things but they are not bad at their job. And as for your cholesterol comment, that's really not correct and I'm just gonna leave it at that lol.
Do you have any long term experience Alternativista using a Vitamin D supplement? How'd it work for you?
And yes greatsite18, thanks for the info. For me though, I have very little acne but just extremely oily skin. Good to hear it's working for you though. How long have you been taking it?
Taking is the wrong term buddy. Ive been eating 10000 - 25000iu daily for a week now. I started eating 1000iu daily 5 months ago, i noticed immediate results, and i have incrementally increased my dosage since then. The more d i eat the less i have to worry about skincare in other areas of my life.
I'm not sure what you mean by "eating" and not "taking". If you are getting all that Vitamin D from your diet then you must be eating 4 lbs of fish a day LOL. I don't think it's possible to get that much from your diet unless you are eating like Tuna or Herring for every meal haha.
If you are taking supplements, are you taking D2 or D3?
Thanks again for the information.