:Clear Skin Blog

This isn’t really a question about taking too much vitamin B5 with regards to health or safety. Unless you are literally chugging down a gallon of B5 per day, there are virtually no dangerous health concerns. However, the very thing that makes B5 so safe - that it is easy for the body to eliminate any excess of the vitamin - also makes it easy to take more than you need without realizing it. So at what point does taking more vitamin B5 become a waste of money and effort?

There is no universal dosage when it comes to vitamin B5 acne treatment. The dosages can change depending on your body size, the severity of your acne, and other factors such as your metabolism. The point to keep in mind is this: no matter how much B5 you cram into your body, you’re only going to be able to absorb a certain amount at once. It doesn’t matter whether you’re taking your vitamins in capsule, tablet, powder, or liquid form - vitamin B5 is still water-soluble, and your body will still simply eliminate the excess. You only have a limited amount of receptor molecules, after all.

To prevent wasting your supply (and your time), you need to find your body’s natural limit. It may not sound pleasant, but the easiest way to do this is by paying a little attention when you visit the restroom. Many B5 users note that when starting a mega-dose regimen, they notice their urine turn a neon-yellow (while far less likely with time-released treatments like Clear5, it’s not impossible). What they’re actually seeing is the excess B5 they took coming right out. If you’re seeing this, you’re literally flushing your money down the toilet. Now, when starting on B5 it’s sometimes better to err on the side of taking too much, since if you take too little the treatment may not work at all. Obviously, if you’re not getting clear skin, it’s also a waste. However, after the first few weeks you should be able to find an intake level that makes sense for your body, so that you stop seeing the vitamins washed out with your urine.

So if you are visibly seeing your vitamins go to waste, ignore what any supposed experts on the message boards say about what dosage you need to be taking. Everyone’s body is different, and knowing your personal intake limit can potentially save you some time and money, without damaging your chances at seeing results.

No Comments

For most people who experience acne in their teens, it starts to fade as they grow older. This is commonly attributed to the hormonal swings of puberty subsiding, but that’s a rather simplistic explanation. It’s true that during puberty, your body prioritizes the production of sex hormones. This means that your body uses more coenzyme-A for making these hormones, at the expense of coenzyme-A’s other functions (such as metabolizing skin oil) to a certain extent. Naturally, things tend to balance out after puberty, as coenzyme-A is more readily available for non-hormonal uses, such as metabolizing your skin oil before it clogs your pores.

However, that’s not the only reason that most adults tend to clear up. The other factor is your glands. The oil glands in your pores also tend to naturally produce less oil with age. As such, less coenzyme-A is needed to keep your skin under control.

So why do some adults still get adult acne? Unfortunately, there are a lot of things that your body becomes less proficient at with age, and one of those things is absorbing and utilizing vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. Thus, your supply of coenzyme-A actually gets smaller, as your body becomes less effective at absorbing vitamin B5 and transforming it into coenzyme-A. Especially as one enters middle age and above, it becomes very important to take the right nutritional supplements regularly. And in the case of adult acne, that means getting a sufficient amount of vitamin B5.

Remember, even though you’ll have less skin oil to worry about as you grow older, your body becomes less effective at absorbing and activating the fuel you need to metabolize it. When oil production outpaces metabolism, sometimes you need to provide a surplus of fuel to get the job done.

No Comments

Licorice root extract is a natural acne treatment that, like many natural treatments, has its roots in Asia. The use of licorice root to treat various medical conditions has actually gone on for thousands of years. It is mainly helpful for the treatment of skin care problems and stomach irritation.

Licorice root is made from the roots and stems of the licorice plant. This plant grows naturally in parts of Asia and Europe. It is known for its long roots, and the plant typically grows 3 to 7 feet tall.

The primary benefit of licorice root is found in its anti-inflammatory properties. Both used via topical application and taken orally, licorice root can sooth skin blemishes such as acne, helping to reduce swelling, redness and irritation. It also inhibits the growth of viruses and bacteria such as p. acnes. It is now becoming a common side ingredient in natural skin care lotions and peels.

The oral use of licorice root is effective for combating inflammation both on your skin and elsewhere. Its is even used when dealing stomach ulcers. In more serious cases, as much as 4.8 grams of licorice root extract may be consumed per day. For most cases of acne the recommended doses are lower though. Three 300 mg tablets per day is a more common dosage when dealing with supplements. One should be cautious when taking licorice root extract, as licorice can become toxic in large doses and has several side effects, including serious ones such as paralysis. While the use of licorice root is common, it’s best to use it only as directed, and you should quit immediately and see a doctor if you experience any unwanted effects.

No Comments

I recently got an email about this, and since a lot of people have to deal with acne scars it’s well worth repeating. Even after you finally achieve clear skin, acne scars can leave unsightly blemishes that can take a long time to go away, but there are thankfully some things you can do to help speed your skin’s repair process. Just remember that these tips apply mainly to minor acne scars. Very large or deep acne scars are usually beyond your control, and may require a surgical solution. You should see a dermatologist first in these cases.

The first thing to think about is exfoliation. You’ll want to be regularly shedding that top layer of your skin so as to stimulate the process of tissue repair and get rid of those dead cells. This can be done with microdermabrasion kits (which you should be careful with and only use as a dermatologist suggests), exfoliation scrubs, or chemical peels and lotions. Of these, the easiest and often most helpful are exfoliating scrubs and pastes. These give you direct control over the exfoliation process, and are usually less risky than other methods. With scrubs your results are clear and can be felt as soon as you finish. Chemical peels use acid to burn away the top layer of skin, but these can be overly abrasive, or alternately not work at all. While some peels claim to nourish your skin with extracts and nutrients, the fact is this is mostly BS. Common sense should tell you that your skin will get much better nourishment from eating an apple than from rubbing apple extract on your face. The best nourishment works from the inside-out.

On that note, the second tip is to take the right supplements to promote your skin’s healing. If you are already using a vitamin B5 acne treatment such as Clear5, adding a daily dose of vitamin C is your best bet. As I’ve mentioned before, vitamins B5 and C work especially well together to promote tissue repair, but you need enough vitamin C. Some other B5 treatments already include C, but it’s often not enough to make a difference. You’ll want to take at least 400 mg of vitamin C daily to best compliment your B5 regimen and help your skin repair from those scars as quickly as possible.

Lastly, go out and get some sun. I’m not saying that you should engage in serious tanning. Too mush sun can be harmful. But the fact is, most people err on the side of not getting enough sun. Try to get at least 15 minutes of direct sunlight each day. Besides providing your body with vitamin D, this can be a very helpful step to improving the appearance of those acne scars. Sunlight can aid your skin’s healing process, as it promotes both circulation and exfoliation.

No Comments

Lack of sleep is often associated with stress, which can in turn promote acne, but the benefits of consistently getting a decent night’s sleep don’t end there. Managing and defeating your acne is a lot easier if you allow your body the rest it needs. If you are like many of us, the holidays included quite a few late nights that may have thrown off your typical sleep schedule. Worse yet are some of you that simply don’t have good sleep habits in the first place. Make this new year an opportunity to adopt some healthy sleep habits that can help you maintain clear skin in the coming months.

While you might not realize it, your body actually gets a lot accomplished while you are asleep. It’s common among acne sufferers to attack their faces before bed, hopeful that things will be less red and swollen the next morning. While picking at your acne is a bad idea, the fact is those blemishes often do look better the next morning, and the reason for this is that your body is especially effective at healing itself while you are asleep. This is when you are best able to take care of the tissue repair needed to heal those acne blemishes. As such, when you are getting less sleep, you are also giving your body less repair time, which means those acne scars will look worse than they should. You may be able to “get by” with six hours of sleep, but to promote clear skin you really should be trying to get those eight hours every night.

You’ve probably all heard the phrase “I need to get my beauty sleep” - often referring to a mid-day nap. Well, the term “beauty sleep” has more truth to it than you might have thought. However, provided that you are getting enough sleep at night, you don’t necessarily need to be taking naps as well. Keeping your metabolism up helps for combating acne as well, and sleeping all day can have a negative effect on this. Also, your body is able to be more productive over prolonged periods of sleep, rather than the short spurts that naps provide.

A central theme to keep in mind with almost any bodily habit is consistency. Your body likes to work with a consistent schedule. This applies to your sleeping habits as well. You don’t want to be frequently getting five hours of sleep one night and ten the next. Try to consistently get eight hours of sleep each night, going to bed and waking up at the same time. Unlike the drowsiness that many feel when they get too little or too much sleep, you’ll feel more invigorated during the day, and your body will best be able to prevent (or heal from) any potential acne breakouts.

No Comments