"Using Zinc Supplements to Help Your Skin "

If you suffer from acne, you probably know the pain of trying innumerable skin care products only to find out none of them work for you. You've probably bounced from one supposedly easy skin care routine to the next, some helpful and some, no doubt, very harmful. You've also more than likely heard that your diet may be affecting your skin, and were told to cut out milk, or sugar, or to drink more water; you doubtless saw little to no change.As it turns out, there may be something to the idea that diet affects the state of your skin, but not the culprits people tend to point to. In fact, what might be the cause is something we really don't hear too much about: zinc.

 

Studies have shown that sufferers of mild to moderate acne have on average 24% lower zinc levels than those with blemish-free skin. Zinc levels drop even further for those with severe acne. Other studies have found that zinc supplements are as effective at fighting acne as many antibiotics, without all the nasty side effects, though it works in much the same ways. Zinc has been shown to kill acne causing bacteria while reducing inflammation and keratinocyte activation, a process which leads to skin cells binding together and clogging pores. Yet zinc is very rarely mentioned in reference to effective skin care for acne.

 

While it's true not all acne sufferers have low zinc, taking vitamins has little risk to be harmful even if you don't necessarily need them. Topical treatments may have more immediate effect, but they may also only be treating the symptoms, not the cause. Using zinc for acne could very well attack the problem at its root, eliminating the need for harsh exfoliates or expensive creams. With such a low cost and ease of use, why not give it a shot?