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As opposed to typical antioxidant
treatments, power vitamin supplements
usually have a main active ingredient
clearly discernable on the side of the bottle. So
let's take a look at the most effective
ones:
Tier 1
Power Vitamins:
Vitamin A
-
It's no coincidence that some of the most
powerful prescription acne treatments are
based on vitamin A derivatives (such as
retinol). Vitamin A has a potent effect in
regulating your oil glands. To put it
simply, this vitamin lowers your body's
production of skin oil. Sounds great,
eh? By supplementing with a sufficient
amount,
your glands will produce less oil.
Prescription derivatives can even cause your
oil glands to shut down altogether.
Unfortunately, there are some downsides.
As you might guess, shutting down your oil
glands like that is not the most natural
thing for your body. The side effects of
treatments like Accutane® are well
publicized, and vitamin A itself can be
dangerous when taken in large quantities.
Unlike the vitamins mentioned below, vitamin
A is fat-soluble. That means your body can't
easily get rid of it - excess amounts can
build up and become toxic, leading to some
rather serious side effects. So be careful!
More vitamin A may be just what you need to
stop acne, but don't go overboard. Keep your
intake reasonably close to the RDA and lower
your dosage (or quit) if you experience any
harmful side effects.
Vitamin B5
- This one is my favorite, and the thing
that I most credit with getting me clear.
While vitamin A decreases your oil
production, vitamin B5 tackles the oil
problem from a different angle by
increasing your body's oil metabolism.
This approach is equally effective for most
acne sufferers, and is much safer for your
body.
Vitamin B5 provides the fuel (coenzyme-A)
that your body uses for both metabolizing
skin oil and producing hormones. According
to the science behind B5 acne treatment,
with only a limited supply of co-A, your
body will prioritize hormone production,
leaving excess levels of skin oil to build
up. But provide enough B5 and this problem
no longer occurs. So what's the catch?
Well, to stop acne, it traditionally takes a
lot of vitamin B5, as in 10-20
tablets per day (10+ grams). Thankfully, new
supplements like Clear5 make B5 treatment
much easier. Vitamin B5 is water-soluble, so
your body can easily flush out any excess,
and there are no dangerous side effects,
although some users do experience mild
stomach irritation or stool softening when
starting out (and of course, always listen to
your body and discontinue a supplement if
you experience any allergic
reactions).
Honorable Mention:
Vitamin C
- Vitamin C is like the universal helper
vitamin. On its own merits, it's a very
powerful antioxidant and one of the most
important nutrients for protecting and
repairing skin tissue, but C really
shines when combined with other power
vitamins. Taking vitamin C alone is unlikely
to get you clear, but combine it with
vitamin B5 and you have a potent combination
for speeding the healing of minor wounds.
Some hospitals even recommend this
combination to speed recovery
following surgery. It can quickly help clear
up minor acne scars and reduce redness and
irritation.
The downside? Similar to B5, it takes a high
dose of vitamin C to make a noticeable
difference. This is why you don't see it as
a major ingredient in treatments like Clear5
- because the pills would have to be about
twice as large to include enough vitamin C
to really help. This shouldn't stop you from
taking it at all. Even a regular dose of
vitamin C is certainly healthy for your
skin, just not enough to impact more than a
mild case of acne.
Vitamin C is water-soluble, so again this
vitamin is very safe, even at relatively
high doses. The most common side effects are
the same as B5's (indigestion and stool
softening), and these are usually temporary,
but always err on the side of caution if you
experience any rare side effect.
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