Acne is a common skin condition which everyone has to go through sometime in their life. However, acne is also a very complex condition and there is no perfect cure for it. But, using some skin care measures, diet, detox, and exercising you can promote good skin health. This will help you prevent acne and clear up the acne scars. So, every small thing matters when it comes to maintaining an acne free skin. There are many vitamins which are essential for good skin health.

What are the Best Vitamins for Acne

Vitamin E
Vitamin E is one of the top vitamins when it comes to good skin health and hair health. Vitamin E is a potent antioxidant that helps to get rid of free radical damage. Free radicals enter our body due to medicines, food preservatives, smoking, pollution, etc. They cause oxidative damage to the skin and can increase the intensity of the skin and clog skin too. Vitamin E being an antioxidant helps to detox the body. It improves the skin gland functioning too. Several vitamin E creams are used to lighten acne scars and heal acne breakouts. It also helps to moisturize the skin. So, regular consumption or use of vitamin E oil can help treat acne.

How to Get It? Almond is the best source of this acne vitamin. So, you can apply almond oil to maintain a clear complexion. You can also eat food sources of almond as tofu, wheat germ, soy beans, green leafy veggies, and shrimp.

Vitamin A
Certain studies show that deficiency of vitamin A can actually be a reason behind acne problems. Vitamin A helps in decreasing the oil production of the skin which prevents the growth of acne. As oily skin is more prone to acne. Skin oil can clog the skin pores, on which dirt can be present and bacteria can grow and cause acne breakouts or blackheads. Many dermatologists recommend a supplement of vitamin A to prevent acne. Vitamin A, apart from acne breakouts, can also get rid of acne scars. Antioxidants are known to reduce scars and pigmentation. Antioxidants also prevent pre-mature aging of the skin. This means you will not develop early wrinkles on the skin.

How to Get It? Retinoid (compounds related to vitamin A) creams are available over the counter. Regular application of these creams can help you reduce the appearance of acne dramatically. You can also get vitamin A naturally by eating foods rich in vitamin A. Some of them are spinach, calf’s liver, kale, turnip greens, sweet potato, winter squash, Swiss chard, collard greens, and bell peppers.

Vitamin B Complex
B complex vitamins are important for our overall health. It is said that acne inflammation is caused due to deficiency of B6. Vitamin B12 is very important for getting rid of pigmentation. Vitamin B2 helps to get rid of stress, and stress can make acne worse. Vitamin B3 increases blood circulation and thus adds to skin health. Vitamin B5 reduces stress and improves adrenal function. All these benefits of vitamin B show that it an important vitamin for treating acne.

How to Get It? Vitamin B complex being a combination of various B vitamins is found in many food sources. Some of them are liver, chicken, pork, avocado, strawberry, pumpkin, apricots, whole grains, nuts, rice, leafy vegetables, milk, and dairy products.

So, either use topical applications, supplement or food sources of the above mentioned vitamins. Certain research show that many nutrients like omega fatty acids and zinc supplements also help fight acne. So, include foodstuffs which contain these nutrients too.

Adolescence is one of the most exciting and happy phases in everyone’s life. Come on, there is love in the air, the first kiss, prom nights, hanging out with friends, loud rock music we patronize, and what not. Wow! It is a crazy crazy phase! The only blemish on these beautiful rosy days is ‘acne’, isn’t it? These ugly acne target not only girls but boys as well. Everybody wants to wake up with a clear and flawless skin. But, the eruption of pimples on your face just rains on your parade.

Acne is one of the most common and annoying of all human skin diseases. It normally occurs during adolescence due to the increase in testosterone (hormone) during puberty. Other than hormonal changes, acne could be caused due to some genetic or even psychological factors. Sometimes, diet or certain infectious problems may also lead to an outbreak of acne. Although, they are sure to subside over a period of time, one can never predict how long this condition will carry on. And once they are gone, they leave behind those dark spots on your skin, called acne scars.

Does Vitamin E Help Heal Acne Scars

Whether vitamin E helps heal acne scars or not depends on the severity of the scars. Did you know scars are of different types? Well yes, acne scars are classified into four main types:

• Ice pick scars- Deep pits that acne leave behind
• Box car scars- Angular scars that look similar to chickenpox scars
• Rolling scars- Scars that give your skin an uneven texture
• Thickened scars

It is known that vitamin E and skin care go hand in hand. Vitamin E, for years together, has been known to improve and heal skin texture. Found in almost all skin ointments, gels and oils, vitamin E is an excellent antioxidant that prevents damage to the skin cells. Although it is said to treat acne scars, there are certain controversies regarding the same. Research has shown signs of improvement in scar treatment with a few patients using vitamin E oil and its supplements. But, another recent research shows exactly contradictory results. When tested on patients vitamin E worsened and aggravated the scar appearance. Therefore,use of vitamin E may work for some and treat acne scars, whereas it might not be so beneficial for others.

Pure vitamin E oil helps in smoothing the skin texture, making it even and speeding up cell regeneration. The scar tissue lacks collagen (a naturally occurring protein in the skin) and elasticity. Vitamin E aids the above factors to lighten the appearance of scars and eventually get rid of them. Moreover it improves skin texture, simulating antioxidant activity. Therefore, vitamin E may help heal acne scars, but it depends on how your skin responds to the use of the same. Inclusion of vitamin E rich foods like almonds, sunflower oil, hazelnuts, also helps lighten the appearance of acne scars.

Other Alternatives to Treat Acne Scars

Vitamin E oil combined with olive oil is a fantastic healing therapy to make acne scars disappear and get clear skin. Since the application of vitamin E oil leaves your skin sticky, it should be applied at bedtime for best results. Another effective way to heal and treat the scars completely is Aloe Vera mush. Application of natural products like papaya pulp or turmeric paste also helps treat scars to a great extent, without any side effects. Another alternative is drinking plenty of water to keep your body hydrated. Remember to keep your face and skin clean (wash it at least thrice a day to avoid accumulation of dirt), and treat it with good a moisturizer plus sunscreen everyday.

With proper care and treatment, one can easily get rid of those ugly scars that acne leaves behind, and have a perfectly flawless and clear skin.

Acne hovers around since the time you set foot in teen-hood. It has been a task to get rid of them and a greater task it is, when you have to go looking around for refuge by masking your face with concealers and creams. To make matters worse, the concealers react in a nasty manner working up on the skin condition … definitely not for the good! They clog pores and there you are, sporting another few tiny pimples; an addition to your pimple package. We have perpetually spent our lives in discovering the secret to soft, supple and beautiful skin. We perhaps never flaunted a soft, supple and beautiful skin. They have become mere words that one comes across while leafing through a fashion or beauty magazine. Research conducted on what works to cure acne has confidently revealed that vitamin C for acne control is helpful.

Benefits of Vitamin C to Control Acne

✰ Healing wounds that have left ugly impressions on the skin
✰ Build immunity towards infections and toxins; when toxins are not flushed out effectively, the result is ferocious acne breakouts.
✰ Clearing blemishes
✰ Proving helpful in calming the redness or the inflammation within the peripheries of acne
✰ Exfoliating the skin to scrub off dead skin cells
✰ Moisturizing rough, dry and scaly skin
✰ Improving the texture and adding luminosity to the skin
✰ Deep cleansing the skin to get rid of impurities that are potent causes of acne, blackheads and whiteheads.
✰ Revitalizes the skin by making it look and feel healthy.
✰ Dermatologist prescribed vitamin C face creams and supplements drives, and thereby stimulates the production of collagen levels of the skin which tones the skin by revamping its elasticity and firmness.
✰ Controlling early signs of aging such as wrinkles, crow’s feet and dark circles.

Treating Acne with Vitamin C

You may find it too intimidating when you see yourself pounded with a plethora of topical application options that may lighten acne marks or blemishes or reduce the frequency of acne occurrence. However, one may state that vitamin C reviews for acne have been strong enough to vouch for its potency, but reviews concerning Vitamin C consistency developed in topical application lotions may not be a foolproof condition nor can its effectiveness be guaranteed; unless the creams are prescribed by a skin specialist. However, the best way to cure acne or reduce its intensity is to go natural. Make sure to consume foods that are rich in vitamin C. Do not indulge in them occasionally; regularity with willful compulsion is the key.

It would be a great idea if you make a note of foods that are rich in vitamin C, so that you may concentrate and consume them in the right quantity. Here are the resources having a wealth of vitamin C:

✍ Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera has healing and acne clearing properties. It has a pungent taste to deliver. If one consumes it daily, either by chewing it raw or squeezing the juice of aloe, it could be your ticket to improved skin texture and radiance.

✍ Fruits
Include citrus fruits in your diet and make it a point to peel an orange or slice up watermelon after meals. Grapefruit, strawberries and mangoes also serve to be good sources of Vitamin C. Apart from aiding in digestion and serving to be a refreshing meal satisfier, it is also a capable carrier of Vitamin C. Lemon juice when squeezed in a cup of water with a teaspoon of honey could be a clearing agent for the skin. Concoct this recipe to kick start your day.

✍ Vegetables
Broccoli, cauliflower and raw kale when introduced in your meal routines; including it in salad dressings or coleslaw, sandwich fillings or as an added nutrition giver in pancakes, could serve the purpose. Try and consume these vegetables in their virgin or raw form. Cooking them may force them to lose their worthy succus.

☤ You may consult a dermatologist for your skin troubles who would evaluate and prescribe Vitamin C supplements. The daily dosage of vitamin C should range between 1000 to 2000 mg. Ensure that the intake does not rise above the mentioned upper limit. It may result in diarrhea which further leads to dehydration. Be cautious and pave your path to healthy looking skin.

Elizabeth Hurley once said, “A bit of lusting after someone does wonders for the skin.” Today, I shall take the liberty and add “And so does using vitamin A” to her sentence. Well, the goodness of vitamin A is definitely nothing new and everybody knows how it works in favor of the entire body. It works to strengthen our ocular faculties and shields us against nyctalopia, it boosts the cardiovascular health and also keeps the cholesterol levels in check among myriad other functions.

But vitamin A is also very good for skin health and it actually reverses the effects of multiple skin problems. Vitamin A is known for remedying issues such as wrinkles as it acts as an antioxidant that limits the action of free radicals from raging havoc. Besides this, it helps in diminishing liver spots, stretch marks and scars, healing skin diseases such as psoriasis and also eliminating cancer risks (a property of beta-carotene). Finally, one can also use derivatives of vitamin A under the supervision and guidance of a medical practitioner. So, how is this done? We shall find out in the following paragraphs.

Using Vitamin A for Acne Treatment

Experts believe that a deficiency of vitamin A may lead to acne. This is because this vitamin is believed to service the largest organ of the body, the skin, in multiple ways. For starters, it limits excessive secretion of sebum, one of the biggest culprits for causing acne. It also mends and conserves the skin tissue, rendering it strong, so as to prevent arbitrary eruptions. Thirdly, vitamin A happens to be one of the best antioxidants known to man and therefore it inhibits the tantrums of free radicals, which in turn strengthens the immune system and aids the eradication of acne-causing bacteria. So, it is of optimal importance that one sticks to the recommended daily allowance or RDA of vitamin A which happens to be 2,310 IU for women and 3,000 IU for men. Now since there are multiple natural vitamin A sources, one can easily indulge in them 5 times a day. This will help your skin and other bodily functions as well.

Other than this, one can use vitamin A ointments topically and capsules orally to eliminate acne. How much vitamin A for acne treatment? Herein lies the catch. Research has proven that one needs to use 3,00,000 to 5,00,000 IU per day to cure acne. But the upper limit of vitamin A perusal mustn’t under any circumstances exceed 10,000 IU in one day, or it could lead to overdose. This means that you shall become exposed to dire physiological risks, which may include acute neural and hepatic damage. People start experiencing severe headache and nausea and often the toxicity of vitamin A results in large proportion of the vitamin getting stored in your body. This is because the vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin and this means that excessive doses of it don’t get discharged from the body in the form of urine, as it isn’t water soluble. Retention of such high amounts of vitamin A in the body triggers multiple other bodily problems. So, if you are opting for such a treatment, then do not do so without a doctor supervising you. Even in such cases, doctors will recommend you to take non-synthetic vitamin A in doses of 300,000 IU for the first 2 weeks and then bring it down to 100,000 IU/day for 2 months. Also, one must try to divide the portions over the entire day and refrain from taking it all at once.

But nowadays, derivatives of vitamin A have been floated into the market. These retinoids are known as adapalene, isotretinoin, tazarotene, and tretinoin. Let us see them in some detail.

Adapalene: This retinoid is available in the cream and gel form and is to be applied topically in order to zap acne out of your life. Some experts take it to be more effective than tretinoin, and prescribe the patients to use it only once a day after washing the face with water and face wash, just before going to bed.

Isotretinoin: This is the most potent and the most expensive retinoid which is only given in case of the failure of all other acne treatment methods. Doctors do not prescribe it unless absolutely necessary, for it has a high tendency of inducing toxicity. Isotretinoin is taken orally and the dosage pattern is 0.5 mg/kg/day to 2mg/kg/day, distributed throughout a day, for the first 4 to 6 months, a gap of 8 weeks and then another course if absolutely necessary. This retinoid proves efficacious in cases of acute cystic acne and is a good derivative of vitamin A for removal of acne scars. It works by drying out the septic sebum and eliminating the infection as a whole.

Tazarotene: This is another retinoid that is available in the form of a gel. The application procedure is same as that of adapalene. Using moisturizers with this retinoid keeps dry and flaky skin at bay.

Tretinoin: Dermatologists use this retinoid most commonly for the treatment of acne, wrinkle removal and stretch marks removal. It is used in most anti-aging skin care products and harnesses the discoloration and damage caused by exposure to UV rays. It is available in the gel and cream form and is not given to patients with an overly sensitive skin.

No matter how effective these retinoids have turned out to be in the treatment of acne, one must NEVER use them without seeking the guidance of a good dermatologist. There are certain lifestyle changes that one has to adhere to when using these derivatives of vitamin A for acne. If you do not adhere to them, you will end up with severe retinol side effects, such as acute sunburn or torn epithelium or even pancreatitis in infrequent cases. So, why risk it. Personally, I feel that one must have food items rich in vitamin A, such as apricots, cheese, milk, romaine lettuce, pumpkin, cantaloupes, and others 5 times a day and that itself will show results. But if you must go the retinoid way, then do so under the steering of a dermatologist.