Supplements for Acne: Foods and Natural Fixes
Skin from within.
Vitamin E is a group of fat-soluble nutrients, not just one single vitamin.[6] There are 8 naturally occurring varieties of vitamin E. Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant in the body by protecting cells from harmful free radicals, so it’s no surprise studies show it can help deter acne as well.[8]
Which foods are high in Vitamin E? Vitamin E can be found in nuts, seeds, leafy greens, and various vegetable oils.[6]
Zinc
And finally, how does zinc help skin?
Your skin needs zinc in order to function normally.[7] This means your skin might not be able to properly fight off bacteria if your body is deficient in Vitamin E. Uh-oh!
Which foods are high in zinc? Beans, pumpkin seeds, cashews and chickpeas all contain zinc.[9] Time to whip up a zinc boosting hummus! ;)
Best Foods for Acne
Supplements for acne are important, but one shouldn’t underestimate the importance of eating nutrient-dense foods.
High quality, organic supplements can help bridge some nutritional gaps, but having a diverse, nutrient-dense diet whilst supplementing is a sure-fire recipe for success.
Nutrients are complex and work together.
Take Iron and vitamin C, and calcium and vitamin D; these duos have unique, synergistic relationships, meaning without one, the other cannot be absorbed into the body.
It’s true synergy!
If you don’t have enough vitamin C in your body, you could have issues absorbing iron. The same goes for calcium and vitamin D.[10],[11]
So, what foods help clear up acne? As mentioned above, studies and research suggest eating foods rich in vitamin A, E and zinc are important for acne prevention and possibly treatment. But what about overall skin health?
Here are the top foods for skin health:
- Nuts, seeds
- Leafy greens
- Citrus fruits
- Tomatoes
- Colorful fruits and veggies
Vitamin C is known to help with overall skin health too.[12]
Fun fact: The antioxidants in Vitamin C are stronger when your body has sufficient access to vitamin E.[12] All about that synergy!
Pssst… looking for more vitamin C to keep your skin glowing, and body supported in times of stress? Ora Organic Vitamin C Powder was made for this.
Superfoods for Acne
Superfoods (foods we might not normally eat on the daily) can offer potent amounts of healing compounds that help with skin health.
Take turmeric for example; studies show that curcumin, the active compound in turmeric can actually improve skin conditions including acne.[13]
Turmeric contains many antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds.[13],[14] These compounds can help reduce inflammation and oxidative stress in the body, which causes acne.[13],[14] In other words, the rich amounts of health-promoting compounds in turmeric can help keep your skin healthy and might even clear up acne.
So, can acne be caused by inflammation? Yes, acne is considered an inflammatory skin disease.[15]
There is growing evidence to suggest that the antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric are powerful enough to help fight inflammation in the body, which could mean helping your acne clear up.[13],[14]
Eating turmeric can be time consuming and messy! Avoid staining your cutting boards yellow by sipping on Ora Organic Golden Milk Powder or pop some Organic Turmeric Curcumin Pills.
Did you know some experts suggest organic foods have more health-promoting compounds than conventionally grown foods?[16],[17]
That’s why organic matters to us. It means even more health-promoting compounds for you.
Do avocados help acne?
Another superfood with skin health benefits is everyone’s favorite toast companion; the avocado! Avocados are creamy, delicious and have some pretty amazing skin-boosting benefits.[18] Avocados contain B vitamins which are known to help with skin health.[19]
For example, the B vitamin biotin is known to support the body by fighting skin infections, and other B vitamins also help promote overall skin health.[20],[21] This is why we crafted Ora Be-you-tiful beauty vitamins for skin, they contain foods with skin-boosting B vitamins so you can feed your skin the nutrients it needs to glow.
Probiotics and Acne
Research that showcases a relationship between probiotics and skin health is growing![22]
We love fermented foods and the probiotics they offer, but some days we just don’t feel like eating bowls of sauerkraut. Also, we might need more probiotics than whole foods alone can offer.
That’s why we love Ora Trust Your Gut probiotic capsules. There’s no nasty fillers, weird colors, sweeteners or preservatives like other probiotics, and Trust Your Gut contains 16 BILLION probiotics!! We don’t even want to think about how many bowls of sauerkraut that equates to.
Can taking probiotics help with acne?
Studies show probiotics can help keep your skin healthy by balancing your skin’s immune system.[22]
Eating fermented foods like tempeh, sauerkraut, kimchi, and drinking kombucha can all help with your overall gut health, as they have been fermented with good bacteria that your gut needs![23]
Introducing an organic, natural probiotic supplement might be what your body’s craving too. After all, sometimes we don’t get everything we need from food alone. Hence the word supplement.
Stress and Acne
The foods you eat and the nutritional supplements you incorporate into your lifestyle are important, your lifestyle can have a significant impact on your skin’s health too.
Research shows us that stress and acne are related and that stress can actually cause your acne to get worse.[24],[25] This takes us back full circle as your body is likely under a lot of stress if you have nutritional deficiencies.
And guess what?
Stress can actually cause nutritional deficiencies. This happens because stress can affect your sleep. Also, your body’s adrenal responses to stress use up valuable vitamins and minerals.[26],[27],[28],[29] All this means fewer vitamins for your skin and more for your body’s stress responses.
Yoga, meditation, moving your body and taking deep breaths when you’re feeling stressed or anxious can help support your body in times of stress. So, breath easy, eat the foods that make you feel good, and most importantly, love your skin and all it does for you.
Source: https://www.ora.organic/blogs/news/supplements-for-acne
Supplements for acne might be the answer to your skincare woes.
Whether it’s a monthly breakout or more severe cystic acne, certain antioxidants and phytonutrients in foods can have incredible health-boosting effects on one’s skin.[1],[2]
Before we offer up favorite foods and supplements for acne, it’s important that you know we think all skin is beautiful. Acne, scars, cold sores, eczema, moles, freckles and hair, we love it all and think we should celebrate it all!
With that being said, sometimes skin conditions can be your body’s way of communicating a nutritional deficiency.[3]
Not only that, but acne can be painful, cause infection, and interrupt life. That’s no fun! And that’s what inspired Ora to share their go-to skin glowing hacks.
Supplements for Acne
One study tested the vitamin levels in 2 control groups. The control group with acne showed significantly lower levels of Vitamin A, Vitamin E, and zinc.[4] This means supplements for acne including Vitamin A, E, and zinc are a good idea!
Researching further, we found evidence that showed all 3 of these nutrients can help with overall skin health.[5],[6],[7]
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is an essential micronutrient that helps keep our skin healthy.[3] Our body can’t actually produce vitamin A on its own.[3] So, it’s important for us to get it through our diet and perhaps even think about supplementation. Lucky for you Organic Green Superfood Powder and Turmeric Golden Milk Powder contain whole, organic foods that are rich in vitamin A.
Vitamin E