Vitamin D supplements cause hormonal acne in almost everyone who is acne-prone, and even in those who weren't previously struggling with acne. Here's why Vitamin D supplements can cause acne: the first key reason is that Vitamin D stimulates testosterone, which is the primary hormone that aggravates hormonal acne.
Vitamins and minerals can help rebalance hormone levels, fight acne, and lead to clearer skin. Topical and oral medications have shown to be highly effective in the fight against acne. 4 of the most popular acne-fighting vitamins and minerals include vitamin A, vitamin D, zinc, and vitamin E.
The main culprits causing breakouts are supplements containing Vitamins B6/B12, iodine or whey, and 'muscle building supplements' that may be contaminated with anabolic androgenic steroids. About 50% of US adults use dietary supplements and many struggle with inexplicable acne.
You may experience red, dry and itchy skin due to vitamin D deficiency. Intake of vitamin D can help you treat such skin problems. It can also reduce skin rashes. Vitamin D is also beneficial for treating eczema which is also a skin condition.
Benefits of Vitamin D for Skin
Decreases inflammation: "The most important practical use of Vitamin D in the skin to date is as a mild-to-moderate anti-inflammatory, used clinically as a cream in the treatment of conditions like psoriasis, eczema, and vitiligo," Dhingra says.
Taking 60,000 international units (IU) a day of vitamin D for several months has been shown to cause toxicity. This level is many times higher than the U.S. Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for most adults of 600 IU of vitamin D a day.
How to treat skin purging. “If the skin barrier is compromised when you see purging then start ingredients which help with barrier repair, such as ceramides and hyaluronic acid in a non-comedogenic formulation. If you are using a treatment or product continue with a slower approach.”
A: The upper tolerable limit is 4,000 international units (IU) daily, and the recommended amount for women 14 to 70 is 600 IU per day. Women 71 and older should aim for 800 IU per day.
Vitamin D has antimicrobial properties that might calm symptoms. A 2016 study found that vitamin D supplements resulted in clearer skin after 8 weeks. Also, keeping your D levels on fleek might help with acne inflammation. The hormone has anti-inflammatory properties that could reduce redness and swelling.
If you are not already consuming too much iodine in your diet (which most people do), then your multivitamin may be a cause of your acne. Multivitamins also often contain high amounts B12 as we talked about and could also trigger your acne.
Taking a multivitamin with vitamin D may help improve bone health. The recommended daily amount of vitamin D is 400 international units (IU) for children up to age 12 months, 600 IU for people ages 1 to 70 years, and 800 IU for people over 70 years.
Skin purging typically looks like tiny red bumps on the skin that are painful to touch. They are often accompanied by whiteheads or blackheads. It can also cause your skin to become flaky. The flare ups caused by purging have a shorter lifespan than a breakout.
Sudden acne breakouts can be because of numerous reasons, including hormonal changes or hormonal imbalance, an unhealthy diet including lots of deep fried and junk food, release of cortisol hormones because of excessive stress, excessive production of sebum and much more.
Research suggests that acne on your chin and jawline is often related to hormones , particularly in women. Hormones called androgens stimulate the production of sebum, which is the oil responsible for clogging pores. Acne is very common among teenagers because hormone production increases during this time.
All things considered, a daily vitamin D intake of 1,000–4,000 IU, or 25–100 micrograms, should be enough to ensure optimal blood levels in most people. According to the National Institutes of Health, the safe upper limit is 4,000 IU.
Conclusion. Daily vitamin D was more effective than weekly, and monthly administration was the least effective.
Vitamin D is pivotal to the absorption of calcium and maximizing bone health. Women suffer great morbidity and mortality related to osteoporosis and fractures, which may be decreased by interventions such as vitamin D.
Generally speaking, dermatologists say purging should be over within four to six weeks of starting a new skin care regimen. If your purge lasts longer than six weeks, consult your dermatologist. It could be that you need to adjust the dosage and/or frequency of application.
Anything that makes your skin cells turn over faster can cause skin purging, so generally those with exfoliating benefits, such as retinoids (Vitamin A), Vitamin C (a very gentle acid that can slough off dead superficial skin) and hydroxy acids (glycolic acid, malic acid and salicylic acid).
Too much vitamin D can cause an abnormally high blood calcium level, which could result in nausea, constipation, confusion, abnormal heart rhythm, and even kidney stones. It's nearly impossible to get too much vitamin D from sunlight or from foods (unless you take way too much cod liver oil).
We recommend taking it with a source of quality fat in the morning or when you break your fast. Avoid taking vitamin D in the evening (we'll talk about why below). Since vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin—meaning it doesn't dissolve in water—your body can most easily absorb it when you take it with food.
The safe upper limit of intake is set at 4,000 IU per day. Intake in the range of 40,000–100,000 IU per day (10–25 times the recommended upper limit) has been linked with toxicity in humans.
“Because purging is thought to be due to increased cell turnover, it's really going to bring preexisting microcomedones [small clogged hair particles] to the surface and will potentially turn into whiteheads, blackheads, papules, pustules, and cysts,” Dr. Shah explains.