Common Acne Supplements Explained AND If They Will Work For You_89
In today’s episode I am diving into the common acne supplements you will most likely find through a simple search on google, what these supplements actually do and IF they will actually help with your acne. Some of the ones I found can actually cause acne as well. This is why I am such a proponent of addressing the root cause and not throwing a hundred and 1 random supplements at the problem. Now don’t get me wrong I am a fan of supplements and think they are 100% necessary for healing. I just don’t think you need to take out a second mortgage or build an addition on to the house in order to store all your bottles.
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Medical Disclaimer
The information provided by the Detoxing with Dani Podcast, Dani Ferguson CN, or any of its guests is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Please consult your physician first before implementing any of the information provided.
Episode 89 Transcription
Hello everybody! Welcome back to another episode of the Detoxing with Dani podcast. If you are new around here, welcome! My name is Dani, I am a holistic nutritionist and I help women clear their acne naturally by addressing the root cause so that they can clear their acne for good.
Today we are going to be talking about common supplements for acne. Typically, you’ll see a lot of supplements when you go on Google, Youtube, or Pinterest. WhileI think some of them are great, some of them are not so great. So we're going to kind of talk about them and talk about why they're useful and see if any of them would be suitable for you.
Just to kind of give a disclaimer, I am not here to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any kind of disease. Please consult your health care practitioner if you decide to try any of these supplements!
Before we dive in, I do want to go over a couple of housekeeping items. We have a new workshop coming up that will be taking place inside of the Facebook group! If you're not in there, please jump in! The workshop coming up is going to be all about hormonal acne. It'll be a 3-day workshop and it will be recorded, but it will only be in the Facebook group for a short amount of time. Then we're going to pull it out and put it into our own free kajabi lessons. So if you want to be on live, ask questions and definitely jump in there with us! We are still forming up a date, it's most likely going to be sometime early September but I have something that is in the works currently that I wasn't anticipating. It's very exciting, it kind of came out of the blue. I can't talk about it just yet but I will be able to in the next couple of days! So we're just trying to kind of coordinate everything around everything but definitely get into that Facebook group. You can just go over to facebook.com/groups/detoxingwithdani or you can just search in the group's Facebook category Detoxing with Dani and we should pop up. But yeah, that is going to be super fun and super exciting! I'm going to dive pretty deep into some new research that's coming about: a ground hormonal acne, what hormones are at play, and there's definitely more than just estrogen and testosterone in those androgens that we typically think are at play. So definitely jump in there! I would love to have you live for the questions and all of that good stuff. So I think that is it for housekeeping items.
Okay so let's dive into this!
So first up on the list is chromium. Now chromium is typically used to help manage blood sugar and blood glucose levels. Which makes a lot of sense because a long time ago it was thought that acne was called diabetes of the skin, and it's definitely at play there. Blood sugar is a huge factor in acne. If your blood sugar is constantly going up and down, up and down, up and down throughout the day, number one, you’re secreting a lot of cortisol, number two, it can definitely steal from your progesterone, it can steal from your estrogen and your testosterone, it can deplete your adrenals. It can do a lot, it can cause PCOS-type symptoms. So really managing your blood sugar is super important and chromium can help with that. They say that you want to look for a yeast bound chromium because it's more bio-available and it will help with, again, balancing out your blood sugar, which in turn is going to help balance out your blood glucose levels it’s going to help balance out your cortisol levels, and in turn it's also going to help balance out your progesterone, testosterone, and estrogen. I’m going to talk a lot more about this inside of the workshop that we're doing, the hormonal acne reset workshop inside of the Facebook group. There's something called a progesterone steal that can absolutely contribute to acne. But, overall chromium is definitely a really good one. Especially if you already know you have blood sugar issues. So how would you know you have blood sugar issues? You might get really light-headed or hangry if you don't eat meals consistently. If you skip meals frequently, that can lead to lower blood sugar. That's where you kind of get dizzy upon standing. Maybe you have high blood sugar and your body is not able to handle the amount of insulin inside of your blood, in the glucose in your blood. So your body is becoming insulin resistant because your body is basically saying, “Yo! We have way too much glucose, we don’t need any more.” So if you notice that you have any of those symptoms, chromium could potentially help.
Okay, the next one is vitamin A. So vitamin A is most commonly known as Accutane. In very, very, very high, potentially deadly doses is what Accutane is. But Accutane is a derivative of vitamin A. But you can get vitamin A in very bio-available, natural forms through a beef liver supplement. I LOVE beef liver. It’s on my favorites page on my website. I absolutely think that eating liver or taking liver is an amazing way to get a surge of nutrients into your body. And so, doing it that way, though, your body recognizes that a lot more and it's in a much lower dose than, say, Accutane. Plus, because liver has a bunch of other vitamins and minerals in there as well, they help you to absorb your vitamin A. If you have adequate amount of vitamin E, then you're not going to absorb your vitamin A. So making sure those balances are healthy is a really important thing to know because you could be taking vitamin A or vitamin C, but if you don’t have the precursors to absorb that properly, you’re just going to be pooping or peeing it out. So that’s where an organic acid test really comes into play to understand, okay what are you low in? Okay, so you’re low in x, y, and z? We do need to make sure that you have a, b, and c in order to absorb x, y, and z. So just keep that in mind. That's why I usually really recommend whole food, plant-based sources of certain vitamins and minerals. It is a little bit harder to get the amount that we need through fruits and vegetables or other foods because we do require higher doses. But vitamin A is one of those where you always want to make sure you have a vitamin E with it, which is why I'm such a proponent of beef liver or liver in general because it typically has that with it. What vitamin A does is it helps to reduce sebum production and hypokeratization. That's where people who have been on Accutane see that drying effect. That intense drying effect is because it reduces sebum production. So it basically dries you out completely when you're on Accutane because you're on such a high, high dosage. If you’re doing, like, a vitamin A or beef liver or something, that’s most likely not going to happen, though.
Next is Omega-3s. Now omega-3s, we know, are so, so good for us. They are good for our brain, they're good for our skin, they're good for our overall health. The majority of us have higher levels of omega-6 than omega-3 these days just because of the oils that are in our foods and processed foods. Even if you're going to Whole Foods and getting healthy crackers and cookies, that’s still going to be omega-6s that you're getting in. And so we typically are out of balance when it comes to the omega-6 omega-3 ratio. And so taking omega-3 is really important. I will say for people who either (a) do not have a gallbladder, or (b) have a kind of sludgy gallbladder or notice a kind of a sharp pain under their right rib cage or like under their right boob, that can be a sign that you have some gallbladder insufficiency. And so we need to address the gallbladder first before having you go on an omega-3 supplement or even eating fish or higher fatty foods because even that is going to aggravate the gallbladder. And so this is where we really want to make sure we are number one, supporting the gallbladder so that you're also absorbing that omega-3 efficiently as well. This is SO important, you guys. When it comes to supplements, you could throw a hundred different supplements at you and if you're not absorbing it, it is a very, very expensive shopping hobby that you have buying all these supplements. Which is why I really recommend that sometimes you take a step back and kind of go off all the supplements you’re on currently and then kind of reintroduce them. That's one thing that I typically do with all of my clients. I say, “okay, what are you on?” Typically, we go off of a lot of them unless they're prescribed by your doctor or you're working with another naturopathic doctor and it kind of lines up with what we’re doing. But, I mean, I know for myself, I think my obsession with supplements is just because this is my job and I’ve always wanted to try new things to see if they work or don’t work, etc. Then I start taking way to many things and I have to tell myself, “okay, hold up! Is any of this really working?” And I have to dial it back. So this is your healthy reminder to say like, “hey! Pay attention to your supplements. Is what you're taking actually working? Do you notice a difference?” Because I'm sure what you're taking is good for you, as long as they're high-quality. But sometimes it gets to be a little bit too much for our body. And so, kind of bringing it back to Omega-3s, make sure your gallbladder is working well, make sure you’re digesting well. Like if you're taking capsules of things, that has to go through your digestive system, which is why I am also a big proponent of sublinguals, liquids, etc because those are much easier to assimilate through the body.
Okay, next is vitamin D. So vitamin D is important to know if you’re deficient in, and I will say the majority of people are deficient in vitamin D if they don't take any already. Even if you live in sunny California! I live in Southern California, by the beach and my vitamin D levels have been below what we typically want to see on a functional level (between a 70 and a 90. For a couple of years I finally got them up to a 75, if you listened to my lab report podcast. Woohoo! I got them up! But I have to keep those up. And so, just know that the majority of people are deficient. I do highly recommend the sublingual kind, pairing it with a K-2 is really important. And so, just making sure you’re deficient can be something that is beneficial because there have been some instances where vitamin D has caused acne. However, I think there’s something much bigger at play there. I don't think it's the actual vitamin D. I think it might be another or it can be another deficiency that we haven't linked yet. I notice such a difference when I take my vitamin D and when I don't, my mood is lower, my brain is foggy, I have less energy, and I feel like my skin doesn't glow as much, truthfully. And vitamin D, even though it’s a vitamin, very much works as a hormone in the body. If you don't have sufficient vitamin D,you’re not able to produce all those other hormones efficiently because it also works on your immune system. And the immune system and hormones go hand-in-hand. There's a loop called the neuroEndo Immunology Loop and it's all connected: your nerve system, your endocrine system (which is your hormonal system), and your immune system are all connected. And if one is off, the other two are off. I'll probably do a whole other podcast on that because that's very interesting, super in-depth and explains why we are seeing such a connection between acne and low immune systems. People are saying, down the line, acne could potentially be seen as an autoimmune condition because it’s a low immune system. And that 100% makes sense for me because I know I’ve had a low immune system and vitamin D, we know, works on the immune system. And so, when you start saying these things out loud and you start putting them together, it’s like, holy crap! Like this makes so much sense! So, vitamin D, I would say, if you're unsure if you need to take it or not, you can get a blood test done through your doctor or through your yearly exam. Just say, “hey can you check my vitamin D?” Typically, they do, some you still have to ask for. If it's below 70, to me, you're deficient. Now, to a doctor, they're pathological range is going to be below 30. I think that is just WAY too low. My favorite vitamin D is by Thorne research. I like the vitamin D3-K2 combo. It's a liquid you put under your tongue. It's super simple and easy. I just do a dropper of that a day, boom and you're on your way. So I am a big proponent of vitamin D personally, but that is just me.
Moving on! We have a couple more, hang in there! Zinc is another one that you want to be aware of, when you take it, how you feel. Because I will say, personally, I do not do well with zinc because I have a specific snip that does not do well with zinc. I do better with vitamin C and vitamin D as far as immune support goes. I could always tell whenever I took zinc, I felt like I was getting sick. I just felt blah, I just didn’t feel good. And then I got my Nutrigenomic test done. So basically, looking at your genetics based on your nutritional needs are your nutritional needs based on your genetics and your genetics snips. And zinc just did not do well with me. So basically what it does is low levels of zinc have been shown to increase the five Alpha reductase pathway for testosterone. And so when that increases you produce more testosterone which is an androgen which causes acne. So low levels of zinc have been shown to increase the five Alpha reductase pathway. And so that's where they’ve seen in studies, like, okay maybe if we increase zinc, that Alpha reductase will kind of slow down and stop producing so much testosterone. So something to take into consideration, some people take about 15 to 30 milligrams of zinc. So that one is really up to you. Again, that is where an organic acid test is really helpful because it's going to show you your actual level of zinc. And so you're not just throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks. This is why I’m such a proponent of functional medicine, because if you're not getting tested and if you don't have all the data, you cannot solve the mystery. It's like a murder case! If you don't have all of the evidence, you may have a hunch, but you're much better off knowing for sure who the killer is. And I'm sorry this is such a weird, morbid example, but I love true crime and that’s just where my mind goes. You want to know for certain because, God forbid, you put somebody behind bars that wasn't supposed to be there. And it’s the same thing for your health. Like, functional medicine testing is different than what doctors give you at the doctor’s office. The doctors are only going to recommend a lab. If they can show clinically that you need it, it has to go to insurance. And so, with functional medicine testing you pay out of pocket, which yes, can be expensive, but there are ways to get around that. If you have a health savings account, you can save up for that. And you can save up for them. I mean, the most expensive one that I have in my office is $350. And if that’s going to give you clear results on what you need to do for your health, I would sign up for that all day everyday. And again with zinc, vitamins, and minerals, that's where the organic acid test can really come into play. I think that one is around $330-$350. Now that doesn't cover somebody, like me, going over that with you. That's obviously a separate cost, but I mean just to get the test done itself, it’s $350.
So moving on to vitamin E, which I touched on a little bit when I was talking about vitamin A. So vitamin E, why it’s necessary to pair with vitamin A, is because it improves absorption and storage of vitamin A by the body and helps regulate the retinal levels in your body (which is what vitamin A is, it’s a retinol). SO that’s why vitamin E is important. It is also an antioxidant, so it's going to go into the body and help fight those free radicals, which increases aging. So if you're really into the anti-aging stuff, vitamin E is really beneficial because, again, anti-aging is oxidation. Antioxidant helps fight that oxidation to help with anti aging. I think I'm going to get more into anti-aging because I think it fits so seamlessly with like, okay, once you clear your acne, like what do we all want? Anti-aging, impeccable health, amazing energy, and vibrancy. Like, we just want to feel like we're on the moon, at least that's what I feel so I’m assuming that’s what you want to feel. And so vitamin E is a great one for that. You can get that in capsule form and liquid form, or whatever form you want to get.
Okay, last one! Vitamin B5 and B6. So, the B’s are really important. A lot of people get a little scared, I think, about B vitamins because it can make them jittery. And that's very typical of, like, B12 or niacin. It will give you that niacin flush. These are not those. So just keep that in mind. Women with premenstrual acne responded really well to B6. It plays a role in normal metabolism of steroid hormones. And B5 is a precursor to producing progesterone. And so those two combined are really great, especially if you see that premenstrual acne before your period, you get that fun guy on your chin or wherever it shows up. B6 and B5 together can really help combat that. I would also say too that I typically recommend doing a B complex because all the B vitamins are really, really necessary. A lot of women need B12. You just have to be careful because sometimes B12… you’ll turn the bottle over and it has like 4,000% of your daily recommended value. And it’s like, holy crap! Okay, maybe the daily recommended value by the government is a little low, but like, 4,000%? That seems a little high. That can give you that jitteriness. But, an overall B complex is really good. Again, I do recommend more of a liquid form for this. You can find sublingual types at your local health food store. You do want to get the methylated types of B12. You do want to make sure you're doing folate and not folic acid, especially if you have the MTHFR snip. So keep that in mind. SO if it says folic acid on the label, go to a different one that doesn't say, like, methylcobalamin or a methylated form of B12, then you want to find something else.
So, those are the main, common vitamins that you will typically find for acne. Now again, I don't recommend that you go out and take all of these. But each one can definitely help with different types of acne that you might be experiencing. I’ll go through them one more time. So number one is chromium. Number two, is omega-3. Number three is vitamin A. Four is vitamin D. Five is zinc. Six is vitamin E. And seven and eight are B5 and B6. Those are a great place to start if you're struggling with acne and maybe you haven't tried them. Maybe you’ve only tried topicals or what not. These could definitely help with that and get you started on that path. If you're looking for some more expensive help you can go to my website, detoxingwithdani.com. I have a resources page where you can find a lot of free info and resources that you can go through yourself. Or you can schedule a consultation with me. We'll go over your history and then from there, kind of decide with the best plan of action would be. Typically, what I do in those consultations is we go over your history, we kind of see what's going on. I'll typically recommend some sort of functional lab testing if that hasn't been done already. Then we can always go over pricing and stuff like that because I do understand that sometimes it is out of the budget. There are some other ways that we can kind of move through that if you're not able to do the functional lab testing. But, you guys, I so, so, so, so recommended it! Because again, it gives us a clear roadmap and picture of where we're at and where we need to go versus throwing spaghetti at the wall.
I hope that was helpful! Again, don't forget to join the Facebook group so that you get notified when the Hormonal Acne Reset Workshop is going down. Again, we still have some bits of details that we need to figure out with scheduling and what not, as far as when that is going to be happening. But it is happening! We just have a couple of dates up in the air right now. So, get into the Facebook group, get to know the people in there, find some friends, ask questions, introduce yourself, I would love to have you! Other than that, I think that is all I have for you guys today. Thank you so, so much for being here! I love you so very much, have an amazing rest of your week, God bless, and I'll talk to you later, bye!