:Clear Skin Blog

Even if you’re too old for trick-or-treating, around Halloween it’s not unusual to find yourself surrounded by candy that begs to be eaten. Last year I mentioned that, taken in moderation, treats such as chocolate pose no real threat to clear skin. While this is still mostly true, I should mention that the degree to which high-sugar treats effect your skin really depends upon your metabolism and the body’s supply of Coenzyme-A, which requires vitamin B5 to be produced.

Basically, the idea that “chocolate causes acne” is not necessarily an “acne myth” for everyone. The reason for this is because your body needs to use resources in order to metabolize all that sugar. Specifically, metabolizing a large amount of sugar requires a large amount of Coenzyme-A. Keep in mind that Coenzyme-A is also required to metabolize skin oil. If your metabolism is very efficient and you have an ample surplus of Coenzyme-A available, this is not a problem. However, for some people the process of metabolizing high-sugar foods such as candy can essentially sap your body of some of the resources needed to metabolize skin oil and prevent acne. For these people, chocolate causing acne is not a myth at all.

Vitamin B5 acne treatment is particularly effective in these cases, as it directly works to increase your available supply of Coenzyme-A (vitamin B5 is one of the main ingredients required for the body to make Co-A, the other ingredients are produced by the body on its own). So if you feel that sweets are causing you to break out, don’t simply dismiss the possibility. Lower your sugar intake and consider using vitamin B5 to increase your body’s supply of Coenzyme-A.

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Vitamin C plays a vital role in tissue growth and repair, and vitamin B5 enhances the circulation of red blood cells and the release of energy. However, when these two vitamins are combined, they have been shown to be especially effective at would healing - working together to reduce the appearance of small scars and blemishes on the skin, such as those acne can cause.

The benefit of combination therapy with vitamins C and B5 is well evidenced. In fact, taking these two vitamins in concert is often encouraged as part of recovery from surgery. Both are helpful on their own, but they work together especially well in the healing process. Like vitamin B5, vitamin C is also water-soluble - safe and effective in high doses. Doses as high as those used in vitamin B5 acne treatment are usually not necessary for the purpose of combating acne, but taking a smaller supplement of vitamin C alongside B5 treatments may help when trying to eliminate the appearance of inflamed or bruised skin surrounding previous acne spots.

Vitamin C does not play the same role in acne prevention that vitamin B5 does. While C is a powerful antioxidant that may help eliminate toxins within the skin, it does not combat the excess oil production that creates acne pustules in the first place. However, since it certainly does play a role in the repair of existing acne blemishes, it’s a good alternative for those looking to speed the healing process as much as possible. Vitamin C is present in basically all multivitamins, and if taken separately alongside vitamin B5 for more serious cases, may be helpful in dosages as high as 500mg for every 1,000mg of B5.

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Acne spots and scars aren’t always caused by factors under our radar or outside of our direct control, sometimes we cause them deliberately. The routine of “attacking your face”, whether as a compulsive habit or a means of misguided stress relief, is unfortunately quite common.

A person’s skin may not even be so bad to start out with, but rather than walk away from the mirror, they compulsively start searching for a new zit to pop. Often this means running your fingers over your face, feeling for a bump that cannot even be seen on the surface. Attempts at prematurely popping deep and barely noticeable acne pustules often lead to a horribly pockmarked face the next day.

Many people turn to attacking their face after having a stressful day, while others are driven by a compulsive sense of perfection with regards to their skin. Either way, attacking your face can become habitual, much like an addiction. This is not a case of popping pustules that are obviously swelling on the surface of your skin, attacking your face is a psychological need to gain the satisfaction of popping a zit, even when none need be popped. As with any psychological compulsion, the best remedy is to start by recognizing the behavior. Realize what you’re doing, and take the time to really consider the consequences.

An effective acne treatment can help take away the object of temptation, but someone who wants to find imperfection will usually do so. You have to fight the compulsive need to find those flaws in the first place. For the one zit you may prevent by attacking your face, five more will become swelled and irritated, and you will always come out looking worse off. Commit to shaking the habit by (1) recognizing the behavior, (2) making a conscious decision to walk away from the mirror, and (3) finding something constructive to occupy your attention or relieve your stress (such as exercise or…blogging!).

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If you’ve never heard of acne audio therapy, or wave therapy, you’re not alone. I just discovered this apparent new wave of acne treatment (bad pun, I know ^_^) on a recent visit to the dmoz directory, where I came across Pureinside.com.

The Pureinside treatment system consists of a green tea cream and two audio CDs (hence the wave therapy). Descriptions on the site did not provide any specific technical details of how the system works, but the basic gist of the treatment is that you apply the cream and then play the CDs for about 20 minutes - and the sound waves “activate” the cream. The treatment system is allegedly popular among celebrities (it has been included in gift baskets at red carpet events in Hollywood), if that matters to you.

Anyone who has visited the Clear Skin Blog for a while knows that I’m certainly a fan of green tea. It’s one of the most potent natural antioxidants out there, and when applied as a cream, green tea extract has been shown to combat acne just about as well as everyone’s favorite drug, benzoyl peroxide. As such, the green tea part of the treatment system makes sense. Actually, it should be effective regardless of whether it’s “activated” by sound waves or not.

Does the audio therapy side of the treatment actually work? Well, that’s a bit of a mystery. I know of no scientific reason why audio waves would make green tea cream more effective, and so I’m a bit skeptical. It would certainly help if some scientific reasoning was actually provided. Regardless of whether the waves have any effect on the skin cream, audio therapy has been shown to be a successful way for many people to cope with stress, and since the link between acne and stress is fairly well established, if the CDs help in this respect they may indirectly aid in promoting clear skin. It’s certainly a unique twist on acne treatment. I wonder if we’ll be seeing more “acne CDs” in the future.

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Acne and stress go hand in hand, and unfortunately, both afflictions tend to contribute to each other. However, if you’re serious about finding a real solution, sometimes that means taking a deep breath and having the patience to let a treatment work.

At Acne-Vitamins, it’s not unusual to receive email from new customers scared at not seeing results within the first week of using Clear5. With any acne treatment, there are people who see fast results and people who don’t. It doesn’t matter whether you’re using Clear5, Proactiv, or just the latest Neutrogena cleanser - if you get easily discouraged, your chances of actually achieving clear skin are far less likely.

When I started with vitamin B5 acne treatment, I was lucky. My results were fast and dramatic. However, I knew from message boards that not everyone was as lucky. Many other B5 users told of seeing results only after weeks of treatment. Again, this isn’t a case unique to B5, the same story can be seen with regards to many other treatments.

Of course, if something doesn’t work, then don’t use it. No acne treatment has a 100% effective rate, and it doesn’t make sense to keep pouring money into a treatment that doesn’t give results. However, this doesn’t change the fact that, when you do try something new, you should go into it with resolve. When you start any treatment, always use it as directed for at least one month before giving up. Have a daily routine, and stick with it faithfully for those 30 days. There are a lot of people who’s lives have been changed for the better because they didn’t give up after one week, and many others who buy a new product every few weeks, burning through money and passing over any number of treatments that might have actually worked had they given them the chance.

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We’ve updated the acne testimony page with even more users experiencing clear skin. This time I’ve added some new (overdue, I know) before-and-after pics as well from a couple of our users overseas. Thanks to all those who have been sending us feedback, we appreciate it!

Besides the testimony update, we’ve also improved the Acne Vitamins shopping cart with the addition of new express shipping options. So if standard airmail (which averages 6-12 days) is just too long of a wait, international customers can now choose express shipping which usually gets the order to you much faster in just 3-5 days. (update: It turns out USPS Express Mail cannot be automated, so we’ve had to disable it until we find something both efficient and affordable to our customers)

One last update that should be on the way soon is discreet shipping. I understand that not everyone likes receiving a package with the word “acne” on the label (especially if you live in a dorm, etc), and so we’re currently working on an arrangement that will allow us to send out your orders with more discreet labels so as not to attract any unwanted attention. I’m sure many will appreciate the change, expect it later this month!

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Not all scars from acne are the kind that leave craters in your skin. In the case of acne keloids, scar tissue builds up excessively, forming a bump on the surface of the skin that may protrude even larger than the pimple that was there previously. These keloid bumps (also called hypertrophic scars) can look like an acne cyst, but there may not be any acne pustule present at all, only an overgrowth of scar tissue.

It’s important to know that these overgrowths can occur. Picking at or pinching a keloid scar, as though it was a pimple, can inflame the keloid and cause the scar tissue to grow larger and last longer. Since there may not be any underlying bacteria at all, this is a fruitless excercise.

Cleansing the area may help inhibit the growth of a keloid, but the body’s excess production of scar tissue is not based on bacteria, and thus, typical acne treatments will seldom eliminate it. Surgical treatments are often needed in the case of large and persistent keloids. The most common treatments include surgical removal and steroid injections. Unfortunately, there is a high chance of recurrence, with 50% of keloids reforming at a later time.

Over time, most keloids tend to shrink and become less noticeable. This can sometimes be sped by simply applying pressure to the area, such as pressing down on the bump for 5-10 minutes every day. Theoretically, prolonged pressure may soften and break up the keloid scar.

Keloids are most common among those with darker skin, but they can happen to anyone. If you experience a persistent growth of scar tissue over the area of a former pimple, it may be a keloid. Keep the area clean and apply pressure, and if that doesn’t help, don’t pick at it - consider seeing a dermatologist.

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