We all have our own individual skin journeys, but a concern that seems to unite a huge portion of the population is acne.
It’s a startling statistic: 95 per cent of people aged 11 to 30 are affected by acne to some extent, according to the NHS.
Whether it is cystic, fungal or hormonal, its constant reappearance is a knock to the confidence and plays a huge part in our love-hate relationship with our skin.
What causes acne?
Dr Thivi Maruthappu, Consultant Dermatologist and Nutritionist, explains “Acne is an inflammatory condition of the skin which can affect anyone from teens to adults throughout life. The two main known drivers for acne are hormones and our individual genetics. Hormones in both men and women are well known to drive acne, both in adolescence but also well into adult life. For many women, breakouts can flare before their menstrual cycle due to hormonal shifts”.
How do you stop acne?
Those who have suffered over a long period of time, unable to get the blackhead, whiteheads, pauples and pustules to disappear once and for all will have tried everything - and we mean everything.
If you’re anything like us, every cream, lotion and potion on the market has been slathered onto the skin to speed up the transformation of under the skin to fully-fledged volcano and eventually healing - most likely in vein. Many of us will be well-versed in topical treatments but consider less about what we put into our bodies. We will have made the connection as less healthy diets can be known to ignite flare-ups, but have you thought about doubling down on healthy vitamins and nutrients?
Before getting to the stage of perscriptions of isotretinoin (Roaccutane) that can have serious side effects, it could be worth investigating the world of supplements, taking an inside-out approach to busting blemishes.
Why are supplements good for acne? What ingredients should you look for?
Spots appear when glands produce more oil, pores get clogged, you have irregular cell turnover or from hormonal or bacteria inbalances - so opting for a dietary add-on that counteracts the aforementioned is a no-brainer. Studies have shown that a small amount of zinc can decrease the skin’s oil production. This will not come as a surprise seeing as it plays a key part in the immune system and supports growth and development.
Selenium is praised for its infection-fighting and hormone balancing properties, while there’s mixed-messaging on vitamin E’s zit-fighting properties, instead highlighted as a ingredient used for healing post-acne scars. Vitamin A and C are also referenced for their skin regenerating and antioxidant abilities respectively. You’ll also see the likes of niacinamide (vitamin B), probiotics to balance the gut (essential for healthy skin) and omega 3 fatty acids to mediate the body’s inflammatory response.
Dr Thivi Maruthappu adds that “If you have polycystic ovarian syndrome, a hormonal imbalance that is common in women and can lead to hormonal breakouts, there is some evidence that the supplement myo-Inositol can help manage PCOS symptoms”.
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Vida Glow Clear Capsules
Incorporate these supplements as part of your everyday routine to calm the symptoms of acne and breakouts. Vida Glow may be best known for its collagen supplements but the brand has turned its attention to blemish busting, something the acne-prone among us will be delighted to hear.
The supplements are designed to reduce the appearance of confidence-knocking spots by controlling excess oil production, inflammation, redness and encouraging healing. They are powered by a probiotic active ingredient AcuSolve, alongside heavy-hitting omega-rich oils, vitamins and minerals, which are combined in capsule form to allow for better absorption.
Buy now £49.00, Vida Glow
Feel Balanced Skin
You’ll have no doubt encountered Feel if you’re something of a supplement savant. The wellness label is known for its collection of clean supps, skincare and food stuffs where the formulations use proprietary ingredients that are research and science-led.
The concoction follows suit where it penetrates deep into the skin’s layers to a cellular level in order to impart its powerhouse ingredients. First up is zinc for that all important oil regulation, burdock root is on hand to control impurities, astaxanthin encourages elasticity and vitamin A does its thing for the regeneration.
There’s copper to counteract pigmentaion, vitamin C and green tea extract too, all of which combine for clear, healthy skin within 90 days according to the brand’s trials.
Buy now £35.04, Feel
Advanced Nutrition Programme Skin Accumax Food Supplement
This is a trademarked nutritional supplement that is designed to tackle fungal and hormonal acne to encourage a clear, healthy appearance. It works at every layer of the skin, on the face to the back, chest and shoulders with a proprietary cocktail of vitamins and diindolylmethane.
The latter is chosen for its ability to normalise sebum production and thus counteract excessive oil that can be blocking pores. Vitamin C helps stimulate collagen production and forms an antioxidant shield against external aggressors, while vitamin A increases the rate of cell turnover. To top it off, vitamin E is the soothing icing on the blemish-busting cake. Whether it’s acne, severe oiliness or enlarged pores, this supp deserves your attention.
Buy now £48.00, Sephora
JSHealth Skin + Digestion
Nutritionists like Jessica Sepel have been waxing lyrical for a while now about the importance in balancing bacteria in the gut for healthy skin. The two parts of the body are inextricably linked so this supplement from her eponymous brand is designed to boost the function of both.
While you have the likes of vitamin C for collagen formation and zinc for balancing sebum production, there’s also calcium for the normal function of digestive enzymes with zinc also playing a role in the immune system. It’s all about your body functioning at its absolute best.
Buy now £29.99, JSHealth
Botanycl SkinClear Elixir Supplement
It’s not always easy to find plant-based supplement due to the ubiquity of marine or bovine sources but this is Botanycl’s bread and butter where the vegan formulations prove that they need not be any less effective.
The SkinClear Elixir Supplement is one for hormonal acne sufferers due to the very targeted approach that it takes to balance the androgen hormone, known for being the primary cause of oily, acne-prone skin. Through the inclusion of vitamins A and C and omegas, this dietary add-on can be thanked for a radiant, healthy glow, better hydration and increased collagen production.
These nutrients are found in the acerola cherries, carotenoids, sunflower seed oil, palmetto berries and coconut oil that make up each and every capsule.
Buy now £28.50, Amazon
Pore Favor Clear Skin Supplement
The name alone should be enough to win you over, but that’s just the start of this innovative label’s prowess, a clue of what’s to come. Pore Favor puts its supplements through its paces, prioritising the science and getting approval from dermatologists from Cornell and Brown university in the US to back its clear skin claims.
Th Clear Skin Supplement was created in order to take acne-busting direct to the source with ingredients you’ll recognise from your fridge. Mushrooms provide the selenium, lime and orange for that all important vitamin C, avocado for vitamin E, and then there’s coconut oil powder, zinc, copper, black pepper and more. So confident is the brand that if you’re not blemish-free after 90 days, you can get your money back. What have you got to lose?
Buy now £25.00, Pore Favor
Aegles Acne Clear Now
This product has been in constant demand since TikTok user @alexandrarosex went viral for showcasing her seemingly miraculous acne transformation in just two weeks. The supplement was created specifically to counteract the causes of blemishes in women. Hormones may be to thanks for their occurance so the combination of ingredients help to stabilise estrogen, sebum-producing androgens and blood sugar levels and can even positively impact PMS symptoms and minimise heavy periods.
The dietary add-ons are made up of Indole 3 Carbinol, broccoli seed extract and rosemary extract as well as chromium picolinate, vitamin A and vitamin D3. This may sound like a mouthful, but it’s all about balancing hormones.
Buy now £35.00, Aegles
Skin Diligent Acne-Prone Skin Kit
This is an all-encompasing kit to take a two-pronged approach to fighting off acne for men. There’s steps one to three, which is made up of topical products; a cleanser, serum and cream. The final part of the four-strong line-up is a natural supplement with a curated ingredient list that includes the likes of vitamin C, zinc, magnesium, copper, vitamin E, and vitamin B6 to fortify the skin’s health and balance hormones. It’s entirely vegan.
Supplements can be purchased separately for £30.
Buy now £73.00, Humanery
