by Chelsea Padget

Created on: December 13, 2011   Last Updated: December 18, 2011

Acne is a common skin condition characterized by pimples and other lesions commonly located on the face, neck, back and shoulders. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), people from the age of 11 to 30 are at risk for developing acne because of hormonal changes seen at these ages. Vitamins have been shown to help fight the causes of acne. 

Skin needs the correct amount of vitamins for optimum health. Vitamins assist in the body's healing process and are important in the treatment of acne. Vitamins can give your immune system a boost and help decrease some of the problems that cause acne in the first place.

Here is a list of vitamins that can be used to fight against acne:

Vitamin A:

Vitamin A, also known as retinol, is often found in the retinoids prescribed by dermatologists. Retin A is one skin cream recommended by dermatologist to treat acne breakouts and reduce acne scaring. Vitamin A promotes cellular turnover, helping keep skin clear, smooth and free of not only acne but acne scars as well.

Vitamin A has been shown to reduce the amount of sebum in the skin. Overproduction of sebum is one of the causes of acne. Your pores can become clogged with sebum and thus cause further acne breakouts. Vitamin A can be found naturally in liver, carrots, sweet potatoes, kale, squash and papaya.  

Vitamin B: 

Vitamin B is actually a group of vitamins called the B-complex vitamins. A lack of vitamin B can cause acne to proliferate or get worse. Vitamin B5 is essential in reversing the effects of acne. It stops excessive sebum production before it becomes a problem.  Vitamin B is a great stress reducer. It has been shown that stress causes an increase in acne formation.

Vitamin C:

Vitamin C increases the production of collagen in the skin. Collagen is the connective tissue found in skin and bones. Vitamin C also improves the function of the immune system, helping to fight infections in the body. Acne is a form of infection in the skin.

Smoking, taking antibiotics and using oral contraceptives all depletes the amount of vitamin C in your body. If you do any of these things, you need to increase your intake of vitamin C to effectively control acne. Natural forms of vitamin C can be found in oranges, strawberries, brussel sprouts and broccoli.

Vitamin E:

Vitamin E is vital for acne treatment because it has powerful antioxidant properties that can heal and repair skin tissue. This is important in repairing acne eruptions that cause scarring

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