How Do Vitamins Help Our Skin

There are many vitamins that can all contribute to fighting and preventing the formation of acne on the skin. Different vitamins have different uses ranging from antioxidants (clearing the skin of harmful toxins) to antibacterial (fighting bacteria which can cause acne, helping to prevent it from forming) and more. This article will help to point out and explain which vitamins can be used to help against acne and what it is that they do.

What Vitamins Should I Take?

The main vitamins that help to combat acne are Vitamin A, the B Vitamins, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Chromium , Zinc, Biotin, Lactobacillus, Acidophillus, and DMAE. Each of these vitamins and minerals helps to fight acne in a different way and when used in conjunction with proper skin care they can help greatly reduce the affects of acne and even prevent breakouts altogether. If you decide to use these vitamins, most likely through form of supplements since trying to consume the right amounts through dieting can be difficult. Some of the top acne treatments provide you with a bottle of vitamins that help fight acne and a face wash to help clean the skin. It is extremely important to follow the dosage instructions and to never take too much of any vitamin. Taking too much of many vitamins can be toxic and can lead to illness and worse problems, so always be careful and patient.

Vitamins A and E are strong antioxidants and help to promote healthy skin. Zinc is also an antioxidant but more importantly it helps to regulate the production of oil in the oil glands. Chromium aids in reducing the infections in the skin which can prevent acne from spreading. The B Complex vitamins and Vitamin C are more like super-vitamins. Both of these have countless functions in maintaining a healthy body and involving these in your daily diet is only too important.

DDF Glycolic 10% Exfoliating Oil Control Gel Ingredients and Potency

There is quite the ingredient list for this little bottle. Check it out:

• Salicylic Acid 2%
• Alcohol
• Glycolic Acid
• Propylene Glycol
• Ammonium hydroxide
• Castor oil
• Phenoxyethanol
• Disodium EDTA
• Tocopherol
• Triethanolamine
• Aloe vera
• Chamomile
• Grape seed extract
• Licorice root
• Superoxide dismutase
• Retinyl palmitate
• Ubiquinone
• Elm extract
• Glutathione
• Zinc Gluconate

If you know anything about chemistry, many of these ingredients are simply types of alcohol.  True to its name, this formula features a 10% concentration of glycolic acid. This is a commonly used chemical peel that is sometimes used by dermatologists in much higher concentrations (on the order of 70%).  This along with ingredients like propylene glycol and grape seed extract can increase the rate at which your skin replaces itself by causing older skin cells to self-destruct.  Generally this is a pretty good formula though it contains a lot of synthetic preservatives.

DDF Glycolic 10% Exfoliating Oil Control Gel Results

The majority of users reported positive results.  This is consistent with the formula, though at this point you’re mainly dealing with an issue of cost-effectiveness.

DDF Glycolic 10% Exfoliating Oil Control Gel Side Effects and Safety

Some redness or irritation may occur with this formula with this being cause most likely by propylene glycol or salicylic acid.  In any case, irritation should be fairly mild.

DDF Glycolic 10% Exfoliating Oil Control Gel Value and Guarantee

The company’s return policy allows for returns based on “nonperformance of products”, which we assume to mean that if you’re not satisfied with the results you can get a refund (less shipping).  The price for a 1.7 oz bottle is $48 from the company, though you can find it for $37 on other sites like amazon (but without a return policy).  This is a fairly pricey little bottle considering many of the ingredients are produced cheaply in a lab and the others aren’t particularly expensive.  It’s a decent product, but maybe a bit overpriced for what you get.

Tanda Light-Optimized Anti-Blemish Gel Ingredients and Potency

This anti-blemish gel contains the following ingredients as cited by the company:

• Magnolia Bark Extract,
• Pink Lapacho Bark Extract
• Rice Bran extract
• Indian Frankincense Extract
• Honey Extract
• Tamarind Seed Extract
• Taraktogenos Kurzii Seed Oil
• Nigella Sativa Seed Oil
• Tea Tree Oil
• Potassium Lauroyl,  Palm Glycerides, Capryloyl Glycine,  Boron Nitride, Ethylhexylglycerin, Carbomer, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbic Acid, Triethanolamine, Propylheptyl Caprylate, Oligopeptide-10, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol

This is certainly one of the most “exotic” list of ingredients we’ve encountered, though with a lot of experience in this industry we are well aware that “exotic” doesn’t always translate into “effective”.  The most effective of the ingredients listed is tea tree oil, though the concentration isn’t listed. Ingredients like lapacho bark and tamarind extract have been used traditionally as skin disinfectants and may help kill some of the bacteria though much of antibacterial effect probably comes from the alcohol and the tea tree oil.

Though it appears that there will be enough moisturizers to keep your skin from drying out too much, the majority of the “natural” ingredients here don’t traditionally have any application to skin care.  Taraktogenos kurzii oil was used in ancient times to treat leprosy (ineffectively) but let’s face it, you probably don’t have leprosy.

Tanda Light-Optimized Anti-Blemish Gel Results

This product is still very new and consistent results are not clear at this point.  It is also meant to be used in conjunction with the LED unit, and from our research it appears as if the phrase “light-optimized” simply means that they want you to buy the LED unit, not that it actually is optimized by light.

Tanda Light-Optimized Anti-Blemish Gel Side Effects and Safety

From the ingredients, it doesn’t appear that there should be any serious side effects, but long-term use of many of these ingredients on the skin has not been studied.

Tanda Light-Optimized Anti-Blemish Gel Value and Guarantee

This product is priced individually for $50 a bottle, though we have not been able to find a dealer that sells it outside of the $250 Tanda skin care package that includes the LED unit.  The company offers a guarantee, but you may be taking a pretty big risk on what is largely an unproven and unknown formula.

Bye Bye Blemish Anti-Acne Serum Ingredients and Potency

The ingredients here are largely chemically-derived and include:

• Salicylic Acid 1%
• Hexylene Glycol
• SD Alcohol
• 40-C
• Hydroxyethylcellulose
• Vitamin C
• Butylene Glycol
• Green Tea
• Glycolic Acid
• Kola Extract
• Hyaluronic Acid
• Methylparaben

The two best ingredients here are salicylic acid and hyaluronic acid. Salicylic acid, which is a chemical relative to aspirin, actually works to make your skin cells shed more quickly which can help to clear up acne faster.  Hyaluronic acid helps to recondition the skin, though the alcohol and glycolic acid may be responsible for more drying and chemical peeling than necessary.

Bye Bye Blemish Anti-Acne Serum Results

Users of this product report generally mixed results from our findings.  It is certainly likely that this formula will work pretty well to reduce acne but much of the formula seems to be somewhat haphazard and may be responsible for the negative side effects.

Bye Bye Blemish Anti-Acne Serum Side Effects and Safety

Though smell is not a safety issue (unless you have a really weak gag-reflex), a common side effect noted here is that the solution smells bad.  Other side effects include dry and itchy skin.  Other than that there shouldn’t be much to worry about in terms of safety.

Bye Bye Blemish Anti-Acne Serum Value and Guarantee

The product only sells for about $8 if you can find it.  It may have gone out of production considering it’s price is listed as $0.00 by the official website.  There is accordingly no refund policy included.  Certainly it’s not a big risk if you decide to try it, but this is certainly not the best product we’ve seen and may not be worth dealing with the smell and the dryness even for eight bucks.

Clinique Acne Solutions Spot Healing Gel Ingredients and Potency

This formula, which is strikingly similar to the Clinique Clarifying formula, includes the following ingredient list.

• Salicylic acid 1.0%
• Alcohol
• Witch hazel
• Acrylates/c10-30
• Alkyl acrylate crosspolymer
• Benzalkonium chloride
• Farnesyl acetate
• Panthenyl triacetate
• Farnesol

As you may have noticed, most of these ingredients are synthetic and chemically derived.  This typically reduces the cost of production for the company but often misses out on many of the benefits of natural ingredients.  In any case, we were  surprised to see only a 1% concentration of salicylic acid considering this is intended to be a fast-acting spot-treatment.  Ingredients like witch hazel are good and can help shrink skin cells, but alcohol always has a tendency to over-dry.

Clinique Acne Solutions Spot Healing Gel Results

Generally those using this product report fairly good success though it has a lower satisfaction rate than other Clinique products.

Clinique Acne Solutions Spot Healing Gel Side Effects and Safety

These ingredients are safe barring any allergies you may have.  In general this does appear to be a formula that may dry out your skin too much and many users report redness after use.  Luckily this is a clear solution and doesn’t include any synthetic dyes like the clarifying gel, which are FDA approved but can sometimes cause further irritation.

Clinique Acne Solutions Spot Healing Gel Value and Guarantee

As mentioned earlier, we were somewhat surprised to see what isn’t really that powerful of a formula in a bottle that contains only half an ounce.  Large companies tend to be very good at cutting costs and increasing their margins, so perhaps we shouldn’t be that surprised, but for $14 it really isn’t that great of a deal.  It may work just fine if you have only a mild acne problem every now and again, but won’t last you long if you’re using it a lot. The company does offer a guarantee on the product, but by the time you factor in shipping costs, you may end up paying about $14 just to ship it back and forth anyway.

Clinique Acne Solutions Clarifying Lotion Ingredients and Potency

The ingredients here are pretty common elements in a lot of over-the-counter acne treatments. They include:

• Witch hazel
• Alcohol
• Benzalkonium chloride
• Glycerin
• Menthol
• Baking Soda
• Sodium borate
• Salicylic acid
• Butylene glycol
• Disodium EDTA

The most effective ingredients here in fighting acne are salicylic acid and witch hazel.  Witch hazel is a common and inexpensive astringent, which tends to shrink skin cells.  Salicylic acid acts to chemically exfoliate skin, causing skin cells to slough off more quickly, which can help reduce the occurrence of acne lesions.

Clinique Acne Solutions Clarifying Lotion Results

The vast majority of reported results from use are positive though many are uncomfortable with the side effects.

Clinique Acne Solutions Clarifying Lotion Side Effects and Safety

Based on the formula, there is no question that this product is safe (provided you aren’t allergic to anything in it).  The most common side effects reported are dryness and sometimes peeling skin.  It is recommended you only use the lotion on areas currently affected by acne so as to avoid excess dryness.

Clinique Acne Solutions Clarifying Lotion Value and Guarantee

As should be expected from a cosmetics giant, this product is offered with a guarantee.  If unsatisfied, you can return it for a refund (less shipping).  Each 6.7 oz bottle sells for $13.50 plus shipping, which is a pretty good price.  When you take into account what is really a pretty basic formula, it isn’t an amazing deal, but still a pretty good one.  In general this is a good product if you’re willing to undergo some overly-dry skin.

BenzaClin Ingredients and Potency

BenzaClin is, like most prescription treatments, a fairly simple formula with just two active ingredients -

• 5% Benzoyl Peroxide
• 1% Clindamycin

Benzoyl peroxide is a common ingredient in probably the majority of acne treatments whether prescription or not.  It is used because of its effectiveness at clearing excess oil and increasing skin turn-over.  It does this by basically killing the skin cells on the very surface so that they are more quickly sloughed off.  This reduces the occurrence of acne since there is less chance for infections to develop, as well as its ability to kill some bacteria already present in the skin.

Clindamycin is an antibiotic that is often taken orally for other kind of bacterial infections, but is also commonly used topically.  It is known to be largely effective with acne cases as it is well known that bacteria is the primary cause of most acne problems.

BenzaClin Results

BenzaClin tends to begin working fairly quickly and typically starts reducing the appearance of acne significantly after about a week for many people.

BenzaClin Side Effects and Safety

Similar to other prescription products, the downside to BenzaClin is the high occurrence of over-drying and an uncomfortable “tight” feeling in the skin.  Some report that their skin adjusts to this after a while.  Other users reported peeling and redness. Generally this product is known as safe to use and doesn’t cause any serious side effects, but is often uncomfortable to use at first.

BenzaClin Value and Guarantee

First, as it is a prescription medication, BenzaClin offers no money-back guarantee.  In terms of value, the first factor to consider is the required doctor’s visit which in most cases will run you at least $60.  After this, the monthly cost of BenzaClin can be as low as $20 if you are insured or $25 if you are not.  This is dependent on the rebate program offered where you have to send in the pharmacy receipt to the company and wait for the rebate check.  This is a lot of hassle to reduce the cost enough to make this product worth it.  Without the rebate, we believe there are too many other natural products out there with less side effects to bother with BenzaClin.

Dermajuv Ingredients and Potency

The Dermajuv Acne Treatment system includes two products-

• Detoxifying Cleanser
• Clarifying Cream

Though the company doesn’t say which ingredients are included in which product, the following ingredients are mentioned -

• Glycolic acid
• Tangerine oil
• Niacinimide
• Sodium Acorbyl phosphate
• Chamomile
• Aloe vera
• Shea butter
• Resveratrol

The claims that the company makes about resveratrol, including the Oxford clinical study referenced about its ability to effectively kill bacteria that causes acne, are certainly reliable despite some controversy about the ingredient.  However, the study cited mentions that resveratrol worked to kill bacteria “at the highest concentration tested”.  This product doesn’t indicate anywhere that it includes this concentration.

Dermajuv Results

Dermajuv offers a few testimonials (two, to be precise) to give us an idea of how effective it can be.   To be honest, the before and after pictures are pretty weak.  It’s good they didn’t just photoshop some pictures to make them look better, but the reality is not all that promising.

Dermajuv Side Effects and Safety

Generally there shouldn’t be anything here you need to worry about.  This product certainly has enough moisturizers to prevent over-drying and resveratrol is not known to cause the same irritation as benzoyl peroxide, for instance.

Dermajuv Value and Guarantee

Not only does Dermajuv use made-up words like “cosmeceutical” but phrases like “refund abuse”.  The company states that it’s 30-day money-back guarantee doesn’t cover a $7 re-stocking fee which is intended to prevent “refund abuse”.  It wouldn’t help anyone to just buy products and keep returning them especially if the guarantee is only for first-time users.  In any case, its good that Dermajuv does offer a return policy even if it seems a bit stingy.

As far as the value of the Acne Treatment System, you’re paying $80 for 45 days of treatment.  This isn’t too bad, but considering the product owe’s its main effect to the ingredient resveratrol, for which no concentration is given, we have seen products who also include the ingredient for cheaper.

Epiduo Ingredients and Potency

Epiduo is essentially a cream that combines two ingredients -

• 2.5% Benzoyl peroxide
• 1% Adapalene

Benzoyl peroxide is a non-prescription element that is known to be pretty effective at reducing the appearance of acne, though sometimes at the cost of your skin’s comfort.  Epiduo owes it’s prescription-only status (and high prescription-only cost) to adapalene, which is a chemical relative of Vitamin A.  Even at such a small concentration, this chemical is very potent and has been shown to be fairly effective. This cream is applied once daily, usually before bed.

Epiduo Results

Users have reported fairly consistent success in reducing the appearance of acne pimples from regular use of this product.  There is no question that millions of dollars of research are going to find a pretty effective solution, though it always comes at a cost.

Epiduo Side Effects and Safety

One of the main concerns with Epiduo use is the number of side-effects associated with it.  The company reports that users often experienced “scaling, dryness, stinging and burning“.  As well, it is important to note that adapalene increases your skin’s sensitivity to sunlight and propensity to experience UV damage.

Epiduo Value and Guarantee

As you can be pretty confident Epiduo will provide at least some positive results, it may be recommendable for those who have not found any other solution that helps but aside from the side effects a major concern here is also the cost.  You have to factor in the cost of consulting a doctor to obtain a prescription and then depending on your plan you may end up paying a few hundred just to give this product a try.  Also, the only guarantee you get here is that once you’ve spent the money, it’s guaranteed to not be refunded.  For this reason it is certainly not the first we’d recommend but if you’re serious about waging a war against your acne, Epiduo may be a valuable, if expensive and uncomfortable, asset.

Juliet’s Acne Gel Ingredients and Potency

This gel is a concentrated blend of the following herbs

• Aloe Vera
• Green Tea
• Witch Hazel
• Tea Tree
• Calendula
• Comfrey
• Burdock
• Rosemary
• Vegetable Glycerin
• Lemon Oil
• Lavender
• Thyme
• Palmarosa
• Chamomile

The strongest ingredient here in terms of acne-fighting power is tea tree oil, which has undisputed anti-bacterial properties to kill off bacteria that hides inside pores and causes acne pimples to form.  The rest of the ingredients are a balance of moisturizing and cleansing components that keep the affected area free from excess oil while it heals and prevents it from over-drying.

Another crucial component of this formula is the hydronium solution that suspends all of these ingredients.  Hydronium ion solutions are the most cutting-edge way to destroy acne without damaging the healthy skin as well.  This definitely separates Juliet’s from your average “all-natural” herbal treatment.

Juliet’s Acne Gel Results

Just like pretty much all of Juliet’s products that we’ve looked into, this Acne gel has provided users with overwhelmingly positive results.   This doesn’t surprise us one bit.  In fact, we’d be surprised if you didn’t see great results from a formula like this.

Juliet’s Acne Gel Side Effects and Safety

As Juliet’s always uses all-natural and organic ingredients, the side effects are absolutely minimal.  Granted, you always have to be careful not to use the product more than directed even if you’re getting impatient with the results, but this formula is designed to avoid drying out your skin too much in any case.

Juliet’s Acne Gel Value and Guarantee

To give you a complete acne solution (and possibly to reduce packing costs), this acne gel is only offered as part of Juliet’s 3-Step Acne Kit.  The great thing about this kit though is that it provides over 75 days of use and a rarely-heard-of Lifetime money-back guarantee.  For only $40 this is an incredible value and we’re confident in offering a strong recommendation for Juliet’s Acne Gel (and accompanying products, of course).