Good Advice
The vitamin that can give you acne
Some B vitamins can give you acne
Just when you thought you were doing something great for your health, it turns out your nutritional supplement might be having an undesirable side effect on your skin.
Leslie Baumann, MD, a renowned dermatologist based in Miami who wrote the skin health bible The Skin Type Solution (Bantam, $15) says taking certain vitamin Bs—specifically vitamin B6 and B12—may be behind bouts of acne. Not dirt or oil.
“Those with a history of acne are more prone, but I’ve seen vitamin Bs causing acne in those without a history, too,” Dr. Baumann says. How or why these B-complex vitamins cause acne isn’t exactly known.
Dermatologist Leslie Baumann
According to Baumann, you don’t necessarily need to avoid B vitamins in food—potatoes, bananas, chickpeas have loads of B6; and eggs and fish are swimming with B12. But reconsider your multi-vitamin and intake of energy drinks. Not-so-innocent Red Bull, while giving you wings with caffeine and vitamin B, can be giving you zits, too.
“If you notice any acne flare-ups that coincide with supplements or energy drinks, stop taking them and see if your skin clears up. Give it about a month,” advises Dr. Baumann.
Interestingly, B6 and B12 are not the only vitamins that may have adverse affects on the skin. B3, commonly known as niacin, can cause flushing, and too high doses of selenium and vitamin A can cause hair loss, says Baumann. And you already knew getting vitamin D through sunlight alone isn’t a good idea. —Bora Chang
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This is interesting, because I’ve read elsewhere that vitamin B is helpful in curing acne because it reduces sebum production. It looks like acne triggers just have to be figured out on a case-by-case basis.
I agree with this article. I was on a B-50 complex supplement for 6 months and wondered why I kept breaking out. I thought it was my face wash because I also changed that around the same time I started the supplements. It wasn’t until after 6 months that I realized it HAD to be the vitamins. Here I am 35 days later still suffering from the horrible marks left on my face and still waiting for my skin to return to normal!!! :(
Sorry to hear about that, Fay! It can be really hard to know what’s causing a breakout. Glad you figured it out. Sounds likes the worst is behind you.
Amazing! I’ve never had a problem with pimples until I turned 25! That’s when I also started taking B-12 supplements because my B-12 was always so low. I’ve felt better than I ever have but can’t seem to get my acne under control! I’ve gone from only washing my face in the shower to also when I wake-up and go to bed. I started an Acne facial peel treatment, and I’ve even gotten a prescription from my Dr for it. Nothing works! I guess I’d better decide if I want to go back to being tired all the time for the sake of beauty.
My husband has always had a nice facial complexion until he started taking B12 2500 mil vitamins. He began breaking out almost like a rash. He went to a dermatologist and when he asked if it could be the B12 vitamins, he told him no and just prescribed some creams which turned out irritating his face even more. Since the dermatologist confirmed it was not the B12, my husband insists on continuing to take them. I decided to hide his vitamins in hopes that it clears up his skin. We will see the results, but I’m more than sure it is the B12.