It’s rare to find a supplement that works amazingly well on its own at clearing acne. But what I’ve been hearing about pantothenic acid (vitamin B-5), is extremely promising.
Usually when I read about supplements that promise an acne cure I don’t pay too much attention because often their claims at clearing acne are either false, or premature. What made me turn around completely on pantothenic acid was a story I read from an adult acne sufferer who had tried everything. And then completely cleared her acne 100% by using this supplement.
I was browsing through the forums of The Best Day Ever membership site when I came across Vanessa Johansson’s post. Vanessa is the owner of the 25 year old skin care manufacturing company, RainShadow Labs and has found her cure through using gentle skin care, not picking or squeezing her spots, and taking daily doses of pantothenic acid. Here is her cure -
“I have struggled with acne myself, as have my children. After almost five years on a raw food diet and massive cleansing, I know that the liver is the source of my acne. I am low on certain enzymes that break down fats, so they do not process correctly and clog up my skin in an attempt to detox. I have had this confirmed through blood testing with a lab and a Naturopath.
Now for the CURE, and I do mean cure.
Take 20,000 milligrams of pantothenic acid every day. Increase the dosage until you are acne free. Stay at this dosage for a few months and then drop down to a maintenance dose that works for you.
This treatment is 100% effective, and safe. I have gone over it with David Wolfe. Pantothenic acid is vitamin B-5, it heals your adrenal system, it is water soluble so it will not build up in your liver or system but the excess will flush out daily, and it actually truly works.
My favorite source for pantothenic acid in capsules is iherb on the Internet. Get the Jarrow brand of Pantothenic at 1000 mg per capsule. It costs about five dollars per bottle. Take 5 capsules four times a day and build up as you see fit. I guarantee clear skin in one month. I feel your pain. Here is the solution.”
After reading Vanessa’s story I did some research on how and why pantothenic acid works, and have realized there are a few key factors that make this supplement work so well -
It starts in the liver …
If you’re an adult acne sufferer then you’ll likely have a weak or overloaded liver and gallbladder. I realize this statement may sound a bit extreme, but with the standard American diet that most of us eat, the majority of people in the developed world have a somewhat overloaded liver and gallbladder. So you’re certainly not alone.
With these overloaded cleansing organs, our body needs to get rid of excess fats and toxins in some other way. If you’re lucky the toxins are removed through the colon. But sometimes they’re stored in fat cells in the body, and for us acne sufferers the toxins often come out through the skin, resulting in clogged pores and acne.
B Vitamin deficiency
One of the most problematic side effects of having an overloaded liver is a possible deficiency in B Vitamins. This is because in the cleansing process, the liver actually produces a lot of B vitamins for your body to use.
And one of the roles these B Vitamins play in your body is to make it a lot easier to digest fats, so as you can see the problem just gets worse. Not only is your liver overloaded so has trouble processing fats, but a deficiency in B Vitamins makes it even more difficult for your liver and your body to do its cleansing and processing job.
Because pantothenic acid is a B Vitamin, by taking the supplement, you’re increasing the availability of the essential vitamin B in your system. This B vitamin then helps to metabolize the excess fats and oils in your system, putting less strain on your liver and less oils and toxins into your skin and bloodstream.
Pantothenic acid works in a similar way to Accutane but without the side effects
We’ve all heard of Accutane and how it can do a wonderful job at clearing the skin, but how it can also give you a massive list of horrible side effects, both temporary and permanent which just aren’t worth it.
Well, pantothenic acid actually works in a similar way to Accutane by reducing the oil in the pores. Accutane works by shrinking the sebaceous glands at the root of the hair follicles. And pantothenic acid works by reducing the oil production of the sebaceous glands. Increasing the metabolism of fats and oils in your body will reduce oil accumulation in the skin. Some even find that taking high doses of pantothenic acid makes their skin too dry, so make sure if taking this supplement your monitor your skin closely.
This means you can use this supplement with similar results to Accutane, but without those horrible side effects!
Will this work for everyone?
It’s important to note there is no one supplement that will magically work for everyone. Pantothenic acid will work the best for adult acne sufferers because the problem is mainly in the cleansing system of the body.
But for acne that is due to hormones, like teenage acne, menopausal acne, or acne induced by hormonal medications, pantothenic acid is unlikely to work as well.
Personally I’m very excited about this treatment and it will be the first thing I turn to if my acne comes back.
Cautions
You do need to take relatively high doses of pantothenic acid for it to be effective, which can be expensive and can come with side effects. The most common side effect is gastric distress, and in some cases diarrhea. If you experience uncomfortable side effects, please reduce or discontinue your dose. And if the side effects do not go away, consult a natural therapist.
More information
If you’re looking for more information about pantothenic acid and acne on the net, I’ll save you the Google search and give you the most comprehensive resource I’ve found. It includes a few articles, a ton of resources, and a forum thread from acne sufferers talking about their experience with using the supplement.
Here’s the link –> Pantothenic Acid, Vitamin B5 for Acne
Or you can read the original pantothenic acid and acne study that was done by Doctor Lit-Hung Leung here –> http://www.coenzyme-a.com/acne_vulgaris.html
Fran Kerr is the founding editor of High on Health. To cure your acne, sign up to Fran's FREE acne cure mini-course or download her latest how to guide, Eat Away Your Acne.
21 responses ↓
Hi Fran,
I know normally you won’t recommend supplements for us cause you want us to find out for ourselves what we personally need but is there any one supplement in particular that you can at least say that it will help clear teenage acne?
Hi Kevin, the problem with teenage acne is it’s all hormonal. So your hormones are fluctuating a lot, and this can’t and shouldn’t be remedied. You really need to let your body take its natural course and wait until they even out.
So, the best thing for teenage acne is to use the right skin care products, take a good multi-vitamin and eat a low GI diet. It’s possible that teenagers with acne also have a liver that doesn’t process fats as well either, so you could go down this path and try pantothenic acid. But because you’re 13 I would recommend that you talk to a naturopath before you take such a high dose. The study that I’ve linked to was done with teenagers but they were a little older than you. Have a read anyway
Another way is to just avoid foods that are high in cooked fats. But I don’t like the idea of somebody your age avoiding so many foods either!
Hey Fran,
That was a really interesting article! I am interested in trying these supplements (someday), but I don’t know if my acne is caused by hormones or an internal balance with my organs. Is there any way to tell? Or is it possible it could be both? I am 19 years old, but I am also female. I’ve been on the pill for a while and it doesn’t seem to help, so does that mean that it is not hormonal?
Hi Samantha, it’s kind of all related. If you have an overloaded liver and/or Candida then you’ll have hormonal problems as well because your liver need processes all hormones in your body. If it’s full it doesn’t do a very good job at that.
I usually class acne over the age of 17-18 as adult so it’s likely that you’ll benefit from pantothenic acid.
How can you be sure that your acne may be a liver related problem?
I used to eat fast foods for breakfast lunch and dinner for about 2 years or so. But that’s also when puberty basically started for me.
I’m trying to find the root of my problem basically. I’m 16 - so it can be a hormonal problem. But my skin got worse as I stopped Benzoyl Peroxide and started a healthier diet.
Hi Laila, it’s difficult to say with teenagers, especially without getting a look at your skin and a full history. But often teenagers just grow out of their acne by around 17 years of age when their hormones settle down. So that’s why I say this supplement is likely to work better for adults who know for a fact that their well out of their teenage fluctuating stage
However, the pantothenic acid study by Dr Lit-Hung Leung was done mainly with teenagers so that’s worth a read.
wow great post Fran! I will defiantly try this if my current supplements (zinc and chromium) quit on me!
hey fran..umm i’m 20 and this yr i broke out like crazy…like never before…but im such a chicken i wont use anything and i wont switch face washes because i kno it cud damage ur skin…im also very scared to take any pills…but this article really convinced me to try it…can u please put up the link to the ills so i cud order em..i kno my acne is adult acne because i just started getting it
When I first read about megadosing b5 as a cure for Acne, I was very hopeful, but deep down, suspected it could be too good to be true. When I took the very high dose they say (10g) it did seem to have a positive effect I think (not overnight cure, but still positive). I could only buy pots of 200mg tablets (other than 500mg SLOW/TIME RELEASE (which I read was not as good as normal ones)). So to take 10g, it’s a LOT of tablets to be taking each day, not to mention the price! But if those were the ONLY neg. factors, I’d be fine with it. Really it’s a small price to pay for helping my skin!
I didn’t keep up the full 10g a day for long. But continued a lower dose of 1 or 2 gram or so, with the theory that it might help a bit. Not sure if it does or not, doesn’t seem so.
I think what you’re doing is great, don’t get me wrong! It’s hard to say this with out it coming across criticising. I don’t meant it like that. But on certain things, like when it comes to megadosing supplements i think it becomes a responsibility to research, and perhaps reference/footnote, MANY sources before recommending it in a public blog. You mention the possible short term side-effects, but there is information I have come across on long-term negative side effects. Off the top of my head it was something about your body becoming reliant on the b5 supplements. Here’s a link: http://www.natural-acne-treatments.com/b5-acne.html But searching something like “b5 acne long term effects” in google should bring up other interesting results.
Take a read of the link, and maybe see what else you can find. I respect you’re opinion a lot, so if you disagree with the link, and still think megadosing b5 is fine, then I’d love you to let me know. That’s one thing about the Internet, so many conflicting arguments, all I want sometimes is a definitive answer. Love you’re vids and blog and 7 steps course!
Regards,
Hi Anon, thanks for your comment, it’s great to hear from someone else that’s tried pantothenic acid. I rarely recommend supplements for many reasons, one of them being because there is still a lot of controversy about taking natural supplements, especially in high dosages.
Whether or not you believe this controversy is entirely up to you and your own personal research.
It also may always be a good idea to consult your naturopath before you spend the time or money on any new treatment
Thank you also for bringing up the topic about research. I did a lot of research before I wrote this article myself, but I do encourage anyone considering to take high doses of any natural product to do your own additional research as well, so you’re comfortable with your decision. This is why I included two of the best online resources at the end of the article, so please have a read of those resources if you’re considering this option.
I’m not a doctor or a naturopath, all I am here for is to provide you with the information that I’ve found, and direct testimonials from people that have found something that worked.
Thanks again for your comment
I’m excited about this method. However what made me a little worried is this phrase I found:
“Also keep in mind that unlike Accutane (a strong medicine for acne), you have to keep taking a mega dose of B5 to get the effect. Once you stop with the mega dose, it is likely that acne will return. So in order to keep the effect, you have to use it continue on daily bases. This increases the risk on developing chronic diseases.”
Did you heard such opinion?
Agnei- Any treatment that’s not curing the root cause of your acne will mean a possbility of your acne coming back once the treatment is discontinued. This is why many people who have had success with pantothenic acid continue taking a maintenance dose after their acne is clear.
While accutane CAN ‘cure’ acne in some cases, it’s still not a great way of doing it. Accutane cures acne by stopping all oil production from your skin, PERMENANTLY ..which in my opinion is really freaky. Oil comes out of our pores as part of our bodies cleansing mechanism. By suppressing this we’re just driving the toxins deeper into our body. And the root cause of your acne is still there, which means there will be something a bit off balance in your body that you’re not fixing. So it’s likely to start causing havoc in some other way in your body.
The reason why pantothenic acid is better, is because the side effects are minimal (especially in comparison to accutane), and it’s working WITH the root cause of your acne to clear your skin. So it’s kind of like a vitamin aid to help your body process fats and toxins so they don’t come out of your skin.
Does that make sense?
hey fran was just wondering …
do you think it would be possible to buy ‘Holland and Barrett’s Timed Release Pantothenic Acid Tablets
500mg.’ as a suitable vitamin b5?
Someone above posted that this may not be as effective and i’m a little confused as to why this is the case?
thanks
thanks Fran. I think I will try it:)
I bought some pantothenic acid, and I’ve started using it. It’s 250 mg, and for the past 3 days I’ve taken 1 before bed with water. Do you have a recommended amount of how much you think should be taken?
Roy- I haven’t personally tried it so you’ll have to take the advise from the testimonial I got, along with your own research and perhaps a visit to the naturopath.
Hi Fran,
I have had mild acne since I was 11 and now I’m 22. I thought it was hormonal because I’ve had it since I was a teen but as it hasn’t gone away I am wondering if it’s other causes.
I have had a cold for a week now, and since then I haven’t been consuming dairy products as it would make me more ‘bunged up’. This has had a positive difference in my skin, so am assuming I must be allergic to dairy.
I’m righting this here because considering what I have told you, do you think the B5 supplement will be right for me as my skin problem maybe linked to what I eat?
My diet is quit good, I am a vegetarian, I eat lots of vegetables, smoothies, howl grains, nuts and seeds. I did eat a lot of dairy though. Is there something I can do to cleanse my body of dairy products?
I don’t think I can give up dairy completely, but I will do my best to see if it continues to have an affect on my skin.
hi fran,
first off, i want to thank you for being sooo helpful to those with acne. your dedication is greatly appreciated.
i had mild acne and it was getting increasingly worse. i have tried many products and followed a strict diet of lots of vegetables, fruits, fish, and drinking only water. But nothing seemed to have helped.
after reading this article, i was hesitant about it, but i will give everything a try. i went ahead and took the 10g a day dosage of pantothenic acid. after 3 days, my face became less oily. after a week, half of my existing pimples were gone with the rest of them visibly healing. i was totally amazed! so i have continued the intake of 10g a day until now (month and half) and my face is almost completely clear! i still have some scars from past acne and i did get maybe 2 new pimples during this period (but that i really nothing at all). my face feels so smooth and soft now. the only side effect is that it speeds up my bowel movement. but it doesn’t bother me. i think i will lower the dosage after 2 more weeks and see what the effects are.
thanks for posting this. it has changed me so much for the better!! taken so much stress away from me. thank you fran!
Wow Linda, that’s awesome!!!
Hi Fran,
I recently tried taking large doses of vitamin b5 after reading this entry, but had some rather scary side effects. My skin did improve but… I’d heard that nausea was a potential side effect but was not prepared for the awful stomach pains and dry heaving that taking such high doses brought on. I think that there isn’t enough research on what high doses of this vitamin or other vitamins can do to a person’s body, short/long term. Granted I’m sure not everyone has the same response, but this is what happened to me. It doesn’t strike me as the safest thing to recommend trying.
Hi Fran, love your website. I found this article very interesting, especially the part about lupus. I am 31, and have had lupus since 2005. I am thinking about trying this treatment because my skin is completely out of whack. I never used to have problems with acne, and now all of a sudden (over the past 2 years) it has gotten considerably worse. I would be interested to see more studies on the lupus patients with this treatment…have you seen any???
Leave a Response