4 Effective Ways To Control Acne

Acne is a major concern for the teens and adolescents and none of them would be happy if the papules, pustules and acne scars start appearing in the face.

Acne is an inflammatory skin condition that affects the skin gland and causes papules and pustules on the face, neck, back, shoulder, chest etc which ultimately leads to scars which are hard to get rid of.

The major reason behind acne flare-ups is the hormonal imbalance in the body which triggers the sebaceous gland to produce more oil which then gets mixed with the dust, dirt and dead skin cells to clog the skin pores. The clogged skin pores then attract bacteria by providing all the ideal conditions for thriving bacteria and develops acne. Hence in order to avoid the acne, its root cause needs to be addressed.

Vitamins play a major role in hormonal balance but a single vitamin is not enough to cure the acne rather a group of vitamins work together to balance the body and thus regulates the acne flare-ups. Besides controlling the hormonal balance, vitamins are powerful antioxidants that can easily flush out the toxins and the free radicals from the body and can thwart the invading bacteria.

More over vitamins improves the immunity of a person and help him to fight vigorously with the invading microorganism. But if the intake of vitamins exceeds a certain limits then it may cause dangerous and noxious health problems. Along with vitamins certain minerals also play a vital role in keeping the acne at bay.

Vitamin A for Acne

Vitamin A has a crucial role in keeping the skin beautiful and attractive and a derivative of vitamin A called retinoid is used in many of the topical creams for controlling acne and scars. Vitamin A is an antioxidant that can easily ward off the toxins and free radicals build up in the skin and it also reduces the production of sebum by sebaceous gland.

Vitamin A along with carotenoids also boost up the protective nature of the skin by fortifying the tissues of the skin and it has an immense role in maintaining and repairing the damaged skin cells as well as improving the integrity of mucous membrane. Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin and it is best absorbed in the presence of fats and hence larger doses of vitamin A get deposited in the body instead of excreting as water soluble vitamins.

This causes nerve and liver damages and hence care should be taken while taking higher doses of vitamin A and the intake should be discontinued whenever symptoms such as nausea or headache occur. Beta carotene is a vegetable source of vitamin A which gets converted in to vitamin A as and when body require it and is available in dark yellow and dark green vegetables and fruits.

Other sources of vitamin A include dairy products, fish oils, liver of animals, apricots, yams etc. Reasonable amount of vitamin A or vitamin A supplements are ideal for preventing acne and acne scars.

Vitamin B5 for Acne

It’s a fact that high fat diet increases the acne flare-ups as it is difficult for the body to metabolize the high fat content without enough Coenzyme A. Coenzyme A is essential to metabolize the fat and synthesis hormones within the body and is formed of cysteine, adenosine triphosphate and pantothenic acid.

Pantothenic acid is the vitamin B5 which is often found depleted and force the body to stop the production of Coenzyme A. Whenever there is a deficiency of Coenzyme A, the hormone synthesis gets priority over fat metabolism and fat gets deposited in the skin glands and produces more oil which in turn cause cane.

Hence include vitamin B5 in the daily diet to get a clear skin and the good sources of vitamin B5 includes mushroom, cauliflower, broccoli, turnip, tomato, sunflower seeds, yogurt, strawberries, eggs, corn, soybeans, peanuts etc. Care should be taken while taking higher doses of Vitamin B5 supplements as it may cause side effects. Besides vitamin B5, vitamin B1, B2, B6, B12 and B3 are ideal for maintaining healthy skin as it encourages the blood circulation and metabolism apart from improving the immunity, production of antibody and relieving the stress.

Vitamin C for Acne

Vitamin C along with bioflavonoids is called a super vitamin that can heal and repair the skin tissues.Vitamin C also helps to flush out the toxins and other pollutants from the body and hence is widely used in many detox diet programs.

Thus vitamin C also reduces or even prevents the damages caused by the accumulated toxins on the skin and helps to keep the skin clear and attractive. Above all vitamin C is necessary for the synthesis of collagen which triggers the growths of cells and blood vessels and keeps the skin tight, wrinkle free and youthful. Important sources of vitamin C include citrus fruits, cauliflower, broccoli, bell pepper, strawberry, papaya etc.

Vitamin E for Acne

Vitamin E is the most powerful antioxidant and is a fat soluble vitamin that has immense curative properties. It breaks the breakdown of cells and thwarts the formation of free radicals that can damage the skin. Vitamin E thus has a crucial role in the slowdown of the aging process by repairing the skin and keeping the skin hydrated, supple and soft.

Ingestion of vitamin E daily helps to boost the healing process of the skin and the good sources of vitamin E are wheat germ, almond, broccoli, peanuts, sunflower seeds etc. Vitamin E supplements are also available in the market but avoid the consumption of higher doses of vitamin E as it is a fat soluble vitamin.

Any single vitamin can’t work alone to provide the best result, rather whenever a vitamin activates any biochemical reaction in the body, it requires the support of other vitamins also. Hence all the above mentioned vitamins together with certain minerals like zinc, chromium, magnesium and selenium keeps the skin clear.

Besides consuming a good diet rich with vitamins and minerals the acne prone people can apply a mask made of vitamin rich fruits on their face so that skin can absorbs vitamins and minerals from the mask. A properly balanced diet that consists of minerals and vitamins along with a proper skin care regime helps to cure even the stubborn acne.