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| Acne Specialist found Vitamin
B5 to be the BEST ACNE TREATMENT! |
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 Former
acne sufferers teamed up with medical doctors to
develop a website dedicated to finding the most
effective acne treatments on the market.
Over two years hundreds of acne treatments were
tested (eg. acne medicine, acne skin care product,
body acne treatment, adult acne treatment), we literally
tried every acne product that may help get rid of
acne! We’ve concluded that Vitamin B5 is by far
the most effective natural acne treatment on earth
- the best home remedy for acne care.
Acne Specialist will explain in detail the Vitamin
B5 acne treatment.
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How does Vitamin B5 STOP
acne?
The main acne causing factor is oily skin!
Vitamin B5 regulates your oil producing glands to
a normal level, similar to accutane without the
severe side effects.
The reason too much oil is being released has to
do with the lipids and fatty acid deposits underneath
the skin not getting broken down and re-circulated
into the bloodstream. Instead they are being
released as sebum (oil). What enables our body
to break down these fatty acids is directly related
to an enzyme called coenzyme A, which is an essential
enzyme to the body and is used for fatty acid metabolism.
When there is enough Vitamin B5 available in the
diet, the deficiency in
coenzyme
A is eliminated. As a result, a person's
fatty acids get broken down and the skin doesn't
over release oil. Without the over releasing of
oil, acne does not occur.
The BEST Vitamin B5 brand
The market is flooded with vitamin B5 products and
over a two year period Acne Specialist tested the
most popular brands (Solgar, SkinB5, Vilantae, Clear5,
Swiss, B5 Clear Skin and Twin Lab) in four areas:
Each brand has been rated out of ten, with one being
the worst and ten being the best.
| Brand |
Effectiveness |
Ease to
use |
Cost |
Side effects |
Total |
| SkinB5 |
9 |
9 |
8 |
9 |
35 |
| Clear5 |
6 |
8 |
7 |
6 |
27 |
| B5 Clear Skin |
7 |
6 |
8 |
6 |
27 |
| Swiss |
7 |
5 |
7 |
6 |
25 |
| Twin Lab |
6 |
5 |
7 |
6 |
23 |
| Solgar |
6 |
5 |
5 |
6 |
21 |
| Vilantae |
7 |
5 |
3 |
6 |
21 |
The results were quite surprising with SkinB5
http://www.skinb5.com
taking the honors:
Effectiveness: SkinB5 comes in powder form,
which is a key advantage as powder is better absorbed
by the body which equals better results. SkinB5
powder is flavored and tastes rather nice when
mixed with juice. SkinB5's added combination of
Vitamin A, Biotin and Zinc enhance the overall benefits
substantially.
Ease to use: Only three dosages
a day is needed, where’s other vitamin B5 products
require four dosages.
Cost: At $29.95 AUD, when converted
into US dollars its approximately $23 USD.
Side effects: All Vitamin B5 treatments will
have similar side effects. For the first 1-2 months
you may experience mild diarrhea. Your body will
adjust to the Vitamin B5 intake levels and everything
will return to normal.
Vitamin B5 myths
First of all, Vitamin B5 is NOT dangerous. Even
though high dosages are required to effectively
treat acne, Vitamin B5 is water soluble, meaning
any excess is lost through urination and not retained
by your body
Websites that state Vitamin B5 is dangerous, falsely
make these claims to ensure the survival of there
own non vitamin B5 acne products. Vitamin B5 is
the world’s strongest acne treatment with little
or no side effects.
Correct daily dosage
To effectively treat acne using Vitamin B5, 10grms
a day is needed. Vitamin B5 comes in two forms,
powder and tablets.
For the first 2 days take 5 grams, then increase
to 10 grams a day until your acne is clear then gradually
lower dose to a maintenance level. Everyone’s body
reacts differently to Vitamin b5 so your acne might
clear in 4 weeks or it may take up to 6 months.
Once clear find a maintenance dose that suits your
skin.
Vitamin B5 powder -- 1 teaspoon 3 times daily
:
1 glass = morning, 1 glass = lunch, 1 glass = dinner
(Total 3 dosages a day) Vitamin B5 tablets
-- 5 tablets, 4 times daily:
5 tablets = morning, 5 tablets = lunch, 5 tablets
= after noon, 5 tablets at night (Total 4 dosages
a day)
What acne treatments DON'T
work?
Topical treatments (creams, cleansers etc) treat
acne after the problem has occurred. Do NOT waste
your money on topical treatments they are over price
and yield poor results in treating acne.
Acne must treated internally at the core of the
problem. We’ve tested over 50 vitamin supplements
sold online and none of them were highly effective.
Our tests have shown that Vitamin B5 is by far best
supplement needed to treat acne.
Possible side effects of Vitamin
B5
Vitamin B5 is water soluble meaning any excess is
excreted out of the body through urination. It is
not harmful it actually improves your over health.
- In the first 1-2 months you may experience
mild diarrhea or stomach irritation. This will
subside once your body adjusts to the levels
of Vitamin B5.
- If you do experience any of these side effects,
take lower amounts at great frequencies. Ie:
5 grams spread over 5 doses during the day.
For the first 1-2 months you may experience mild
diarrhea and this may result in frequent visits
to the restroom. Your body will adjust to the SkinB5
intake levels and everything will return to normal.
If your mild diarrhoea continues, reduce the amount
of SkinB5 or stop all together and consult a healthcare
professional.
For more info and studies about Vitamin B5 and side
effects, see
http://www.foodstandards.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/panto.pdf
Vitamin B5 medical research
Pantothenic Acid in the Treatment of Acne Vulgaris
"A Medical Hypothesis"
by Lit-Hung Leung, M.D.
This article originally appeared in the scientifically
prestigious Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine
Vol. 12 Number 2, 1997. The version below is from
a reprint of the original article and revisions
were made in December 1998.
The Pathogenesis of Acne
Vulgaris: A Medical Hypothesis
Over the years the pathogenesis of acne vulgaris
has been extensively studied including, the structure
and function of the pilosebaceous follicle, the
physiology of sebum, microflora in acne vulgaris,
and abnormal follicular keratinization, considered
to be one of the earliest events in acne formation.
Despite the concerted effort of many scientists,
internists, pathologists and dermatologists, the
pathogenesis of acne vulgaris remains largely elusive.
In this paper, I would like to approach this problem
from a different perspective. My clinical observations
suggest that acne vulgaris may be closely related
to the consumption of diets, which are rich in fat
content. This impression is by no means novel. Textbooks
do briefly mention this correlation though, more
often than not, it is dismissed as irrelevant. However,
my observations have led to quite the contrary conclusions.
Not only is the fat content of food closely related
to acne vulgaris but it forms some sort of linear
relationship with the disease process. The more
fat the patient consumes, the more severe will be
the acne process. This observation is in line with
the opinion of many dermatologists that chocolate,
which is composed mainly of the creamy part of milk,
and has a high degree of fat content, is bad for
acne. Significantly, in this group of patients,
any deliberate attempt in trying to avoid a fatty
diet over a period of weeks, if not days, will often
result in important compound, cholesterol, which
in turn is basically synthesized from units of acetyl-CoA.
In the synthetic process, the body naturally is
always trying not only to reach for a normal level
of androgens, but an optimal level, so as to allow
the body to function at its best. However, this
is not always possible, and the normal level reached
may not represent the optimal level. This is natures
flexible way of dealing with shortage of essential
dietary elements in any form to achieve a level
that is just enough to manage the present situation,
leaving a variable degree of shortage from the optimal
level. In the present instance, in the two groups
of boys, one group may have a normal level of androgens
that is falling short of the optimum. One possible
explanation for this is that there is a lack of
basic building blocks, the acetyl-CoAs, which deter
the body from operating at peak efficiency. If this
is a viable possibility, it suggests that a plentiful
supply or a deficiency of acetyl-CoA in the body
may play a role in the acne process. this is certainly
possible. Aside from its role in the synthesis of
the sex hormones, acetyl-CoA, of which Coenzyme-A
is the important component, it is also important
in fatty acid metabolism as an acyl carrier in the
lengthening and degradation of long chain fatty
acids by adding or removing acyl groups in the metabolic
process.
Acne vulgaris is related to lipid metabolism as
well as the sex hormones, both of which have a lot
to do with Coenzyme-A. This relationship provides
a reasonable ground to link up the acne process
to Coenzyme-A and to investigate the pathogenesis
of acne vulgaris along this line.
The Importance of Coenzyme-A
In trying to link acne vulgaris to Coenzyme-A, it
is important to have a hypothesis supporting some
basic facts. A closer look at Coenzyme-A may provide
the evidence.
A Sharing scenario; As a coenzyme active in both
fatty acid metabolism and sex hormone synthesis,
Coenzyme-A is shared between two different metabolic
processes. This is not uncommon in biochemical reactions
in metabolism, where a coenzyme is often shared
among a number of reactions. Coenzyme-A is arguably
the most important coenzyme in the body, and when
a coenzyme is involved in the metabolic process
to such an extent as this, it becomes legitimate
to ask if a shortage and deficiency is possible.
To answer this, a brief look at the structure of
Coenzyme-A is warranted.
Coenzyme-A is formed from adenosine triphosphate,
cysteine, and pantothenic acid. Of these pantothenic
acid is the only component that is a vitamin, and
must be provided from our dietary intake. Could
there be an insufficient intake of pantothenic acid
resulting in a deficiency in Coenzyme-A, which would
leave the body unable to cope with all the reactions,
that it has to perform with that all-important coenzyme?
Conventional wisdom does not think so. It is suggested
that pantothenic acid, being ubiquitous, can be
had from whatever kind of food that is taken in,
and that there is no question as to its deficiency
in our body. However, a deficiency is still possible.
After all, when so many reactions are dependent
on the same agent, its demand must be tremendous.
Shortage under such circumstances is not entirely
impossible.
The Crucial Question and
the New Theory
If the question of deficiency of Coenzyme-A does
come up, how does it affect acne, knowing its importance
in fatty acid metabolism and sex hormone synthesis?
This is the crucial question. This is where the
new hypothesis on the pathogenesis of acne vulgaris
is based, and this is where it diverges from conventional
medical ideas. The author's proposed hypothesis
for the pathogenesis of acne vulgaris is that the
disease process is not caused by androgens, or any
other sex hormones, but rather, the disease process
results from a defect in lipid metabolism that is
secondary to a deficiency in pantothenic acid, hence
Coenzyme-A. Coenzyme-A, in carrying out its function
efficiently both as an agent in fatty acid metabolism
and an agent in androgen and sex hormone synthesis,
has to be present in sufficient amounts, and anything
less than sufficient will result in some compromise.
Mother Nature's Choice
Faced with the dilemma of a shortage of Coenzyme-A
the body will tend to make a choice that is to the
best advantage of the individual. The body does
so by largely maintaining the functionally more
important reaction, while at the same time slowing
down the lesser important one. The choice here is
a relatively simple one. Nature will seek to take
care of the synthesis of hormones first, because
continuation of the species depends on the development
of the sex organs. Fatty acid metabolism is, for
the time being, at least in part halted. Lipids
start to accumulate in the sebaceous glands, sebum
excretion is increased, and acne begins to appear.
When there is enough Coenzyme-A in the body, however,
both reactions will be well taken care of. There
are enough sex hormones for the sex organs to develop.
The lipids in the sebaceous glands are completely
metabolized by sufficient Coenzyme-A, and there
will be no unwanted lipid in the glands and little
sebum will be excreted to cause acne vulgaris.
The Mystery Revealed
The mechanism proposed above may be the reason why
two groups of adolescent boys both with a normal
blood level of androgen may exhibit differences
in the incidence of acne. The group with acne is
the one that has not enough pantothenic acid in
the body, whereas in the other group, pantothenic
acid levels are not deficient.
This new theory seems to work well here, and can
be tested in other metabolic situations. In the
case in which endogenous androgen stimulates acne,
whereas exogenous does not, the reasoning for the
observation is the same. Any endogenous androgen
synthesis will require the participation of extra
amount of pantothenic acid. This will channel off
some of those that are doing the work of fatty acid
metabolism. Consequently, fatty acid metabolism
becomes less efficient and the individual is more
prone to have acne. Today, the percentage of adult
women that have acne is increasing. Some of these
women may not have had acne as teenagers, and are
surprised to find that they have to deal with this
unpleasant problem during their adult years. Acne
can have profound psychological and social effects
on adults, just as it does in teenagers.
Many women in their 30s and 40s experience high
levels of life stress because they shoulder the
multiple burdens of career, child rearing, and housework,
and often the responsibility of caring for their
own aging parents. Perhaps this increasing level
of stress has contributed to the rising incidence
of acne in adult women.
Microcomedo
Acne vulgaris of adulthood is similar to teenage
acne. The pilosebaceous units of the face, chest,
and back can be involved. The primary lesion of
acne is the "microcomedo." A microscopic plug develops
due to the presence of thickened and impacted keratin
(dead cells) and excess oil production (sebum).
More and more of the keratin and sebum back up behind
this plug and form a distended follicular pore.
This results in either an open comedo (blackhead)
or a closed comedo (whitehead). The enlarged pilosebaceous
structure allows Propionibacterium acne's, an anaerobic
diphtheroid, to proliferate. Propionibacterium acne's
contributes to the breakdown of lipids to free fatty
acids, which are highly inflammatory. The distended
follicle can rupture, causing further inflammation
and the development of papules, pustules and nodules.
Acne Rosacea
Another skin disease that simulates and can coexist
with acne vulgaris is acne rosacea. This skin problem
is common in women, most often between the ages
of 30 and 50. The face, especially the middle third,
is erythematous and flushed. Multiple telangiectasias
are frequently present. Small papules and pustules,
which may look similar to those seen in acne vulgaris,
are common, but the microcomedo component of acne
vulgaris is absent in blepharitis. Rosacea keratitis
is less common, but potentially vision-threatening.
Rosacea is another skin disorder that is frequently
stress related.
What about premenstrual flare? In the luteal phase
of the menstrual cycle, progesterone in is secreted
abundantly by the corpus lutcum. This naturally
will take up a lot of pantothenic acid from the
body's pantothenic pool leading to a re-distribution
of the vitamin and putting enormous pressure on
fatty acid metabolism. When this metabolic process
is not performing satisfactorily, lipid begins to
accumulate in the sebaceous glands, an increase
in sebum is excreted, and acne follows. That is
why even thought progesterone has no effect on sebaceous
gland activity, an increasing level of progesterone
in the late stage of the luteal phase leaves the
acne patient with a prominent flare.
Similarly, this may explain why eunuchs rarely exhibit
acne. Since so few sex hormones are secreted, the
pantothenic acid pool can deploy a more significant
portion of its reserve to metabolize fatty acids.
When this is efficiently done, little sebum is excreted,
and no acne is formed.
This theory also explains the paradoxical problem
of equal sex hormones that counts. Both males and
females need sex hormones for the development of
sex organs and the secondary sexual characteristics.
The only difference is that in the male, the female
sex hormones predominate. Apparently the synthesis
of sex hormones uses a large portion of the pantothenic
acid pool, leaning a relative shortage of it to
efficiently metabolize fatty acids. The result is
that acne starts to erupt, at the same time the
sex organs begin to develop at puberty.
The reason acne first erupts at puberty is not,
therefore, endocrinological, but rather secondary
to the deployment of a substantial amount of pantothenic
acid for the purposes of synthesis of sex hormones,
leaving a relative deficiency for fatty acid metabolism.
The size of this pantothenic acid pool and the ability
with which the individual can deploy reserves from
the pool varies and is likely to be influenced by
genetic and dietary factors.
In conditions in which there is an increase in secretion
of any hormone whose synthesis requires the participation
of pantothenic acid, acne may erupt. This is frequently
seen with those hormone secreting tumors of the
ovary, testis and the adrenals. The rapid decline
in incidence of acne after adolescence can also
be explained. After the sex organs are fully developed,
less sex hormones are required, leaving an adequate
supply of pantothenic acid to serve the function
of fatty acid metabolism. When this function is
efficiently accomplished, sebum secretion dries
up, and acne starts to fade.
Deficiency in Lipid Metabolism
In linking the pathogenesis of acne vulgaris to
a deficiency in lipid metabolism and pantothenic
acid, it is worthwhile to remember that fatty acid
metabolism is not the sole domain of pantothenic
acid. There are some other essential dietary factors
that are also of importance in the same process.
Together they form a system that will make the whole
metabolic process as efficient as possible. Preliminary
studies by the author suggest that, together with
pantothenic acid, biotin as well as nicotinamide
help to further improve the therapeutic results.
By themselves alone, they are far less effective
in helping acne patients than with pantothenic acid,
and this serves to support the suggestion that pantothenic
acid plays a central role in lipid metabolism. Lipid
metabolism is a complicated process, and is often
intertwined with other metabolic processes, sharing
with them common coenzymes in widely different reactions.
When there is an increase in level of some of these
coenzymes, there may be a shift in the directions
of some ongoing reactions, and may affect lipid
metabolism as a result. This can manifest clinically
as acne vulgaris. To illustrate this, there are
reports showing that acne may be induced by administration
of large doses of vitamin B12 alone or in combination
with B6. Cessation of the administration of these
vitamins will bring a halt to the acne eruptions.
If the body is in a relative deficiency state in
B6 and B12, administration of the vitamins will
enhance the reactions that involve the participation
of these vitamins. This will set up a chain of events,
some of which entail the participation of pantothenic
acid. With the total pantothenic acid pool fixed
relative to an increase in other vitamins, emphasis
of any reaction involving pantothenic acid will
automatically mean a cutting back on other reactions
that require it as a coenzyme. This will often include
those involving lipid metabolism, resulting in a
certain degree of deficiency in that metabolic process,
hence the increased incidence of acne vulgaris in
these studies.
Stress Related Acne
It is perhaps relevant here to consider stress as
another common factor that is known to affect acne
adversely. Stress in many forms poses as an aggravating
factor in acne lesions. Lack of sleep at night,
pre-examination tension, any psychological problem
that may worry the patient will bring on new acne
lesions. To understand this, one should recall that
in combating stress, the body will secrete glucocorticoids
from the adrenal glands as a means to adapt to stress,
what is commonly known as the fight-or-flight reaction.
The glucocorticoids, like the sex hormones, are
derivatives of cholesterol, and increased demand
for this hormone will draw on the pantothenic acid
pool. Lipid metabolism may therefore be compromised,
rendering the body more prone to acne. If pantothenic
acid deficiency is indeed the main causative agent
in the pathogenesis of acne vulgaris, it is logical
to ask how much pantothenic acid patients are lacking
in absolute amounts.
Deficiency Syndromes
Nutritional requirements can rarely be met through
a well balanced diet, and dietary supplements, including
vitamins, are often required. It is the generally
held belief of the medical profession that vitamins,
though essential to life and not synthesized in
the body, are not required in great amounts. This
view was challenged, notably by Linus Pauling. In
his book, How to Live Longer and Feel Better, Pauling
provided vigorous proof, through comparative studies
in animals and from an evolutionary point of view,
that vitamin C supplements are needed if an optimal
state of health is to be achieved. Not only is supplementation
necessary, gut the amount required is far greater
than most people believe, as with the case of vitamin
C where the optimal dose may be 10 or more grams
a day. This issue was a point of heated debate in
the 1970s and 1980s.
Though Pauling has quite a large following, by and
large, the issue was dismissed by the mainstream
medical profession, because of a lack of theoretical
support and a general bias against nutritional and
vitamin therapy. But, in view of the new evidence
suggested in thes and many other papers, it seems
appropriate that the issue be considered.
How Much Pantothenic Acid?
In trying to determine the amount of pantothenic
acid necessary to relieve acne patients of their
symptoms, Pauling's experience with vitamin C provides
a good guideline. Pauling had for a long time recommended
vitamin C in high dosages to achieve optimal health.
Radically different from what is recommended by
the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Research
Council (who recommended 60 mg daily). Pauling's
recommended daily intake of vitamin C amounts to
several grams a day. The recommendation was stepped
up to 15-20 grams a day in his later years. Using
these recommendations as a background, it becomes
somewhat easier to arrive at a proper dosage for
pantothentic acid in the treatment of acne vulgaris.
Pantothenic acid, which acquires its name from the
Greek word meaning ubiquitous, is present in all
tissues. Its universal presence is an indication
of its importance. This is further reflected by
the many reactions that it catalyzes. It should
not come as a surprise then, that the amount of
pantothenic acid required for optimal health, is
of the same order of that of vitamin C. Based on
this argument, the dose of pantothenic acid administered
to the acne patients was up to 10 grams a day, and
the result of these studies were first reported
in Medical Hypotheses.
The Effect of Pantothenic
Acid on Acne Vulgaris
One hundred patients of Chinese descent were included
in the study, 45 males and 55 females. The age ranged
from 10 to 30, and with about 80% between 13 and
23. The severity of the disease process varied.
They were given 10 grams of pantothenic acid a day
in four divided doses. To enhance the effect, the
patients were also asked to apply a cream consisting
of 20% by weight of pantothenic acid to the affected
area, four to six tines a day. With this treatment
regimen, the response is as prompt as it is impressive.
There is a noticeable decrease in sebum secretion
on the face usually 2-3 days after initiation of
therapy. The face becomes less oily. After two weeks,
existing lesions start to regress while the rate
of eruption of new acne lesions begins to slow down.
In cases with moderate severity, the condition is
normally in complete control in about eight weeks,
with most of the lesions gone and new lesions only
to erupt occasionally. In those patients with severe
acne lesions, complete control may take months,
sometimes up to six months or longer. In some of
these cases, in order to get a more immediate response,
it may even be necessary to step up the dose to
15-20 grams a day. In any event, the improvement
is normally a gradual and steady process, with perhaps
minor interruptions by premenstrual flare or excessive
intakes of oily food. With this form of treatment,
another striking feature is the size of the facial
skin pore.
The pore size becomes noticeably smaller within
one to two weeks, very often much sooner. Like sebum
excretion, the pores will continue to shrink until
the skin becomes much finer, giving the patient
a much more beautiful skin. This decrease in skin
pore size is presumably related to sebum excretion.
When an acne lesion is formed, there is in the epithelial
cell of the hair follicle an accumulation of lipids,
leaving the epithelial cells bulky and the lumen
of the gland narrowed. When there is a concomitant
increase in sebum flow, the follicle has no choice
but to hypertrophy to accommodate the changes, resulting
in an enlarged skin pore and coarse skin. With the
administration of pantothenic acid, the whole process
is reversed. Lipid metabolism becomes normal and
efficient. The epithelium is no longer laden with
fat droplets, there is a decrease in sebum excretion,
the hypertrophy process is not required. The skin
pores revert to a much smaller size and the skin
becomes smooth and fine.
As acne lesions tend to subside spontaneously after
puberty, some patients do not need a maintenance
dose. But, if a patient is in his mid-teens, when
the sexual characteristics have yet to fully develop,
it may be necessary for replacement therapy to be
implemented. This maintenance dose, can be lowered,
or increased with the clinical symptoms. A maintenance
dose will not only act as a preventive measure against
sporadic eruption, but the extra pantothenic acid
will help to ease the relative deficiency state,
and likely improve the general health of the patient.
Watch this space! We have more interesting information
for you about acne care treatment and Vitamin B5,
coming very soon!
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