Natural remedies often score high on hype but low on credible evidence. And reading about green tea you certainly find a lot of hype. But can green tea live up to the hype? Can you use green tea to treat acne? The answer is a resounding yes. Studies show that green tea can reduce acne by over 50%. Furthermore, it can cut sebum production by astonishing 70%. So take a few minutes to learn why you should make green tea as your go-to acne treatment. Benefits of green tea for the skin Green tea has many benefits for the acne-prone skin, including the following: Reduces sebum production, one study showed 70% reduction after 8 weeks of use. Protects the skin against inflammation, several studies have shown that green tea cream can prevent and mitigate the damage caused by sunlight and other sources. Reduces inflammatory reaction to acne-causing bacteria. This is important because acne patients tend to have overtly strong inflammatory response to bacteria in the skin pores. It’s now becoming clear that genes influence acne a lot. Not by causing it directly but by making the skin extra-sensitive to hormones and inflammation. One reason green tea is so effective against acne is because it mitigates these genetic vulnerabilities. Studies: Over 50% reduction in pimple count I searched the publicly available medical studies on effectiveness of green tea on acne. Unfortunately this isn’t getting the research attention is deserves and I only found 3 studies. But they show very promising results. All 3 studies showed over 50% reduction in pimple count after using green tea cream. The study periods varied from 6 to 8 weeks (standard in studies like this). This graph summarizes the results. In one of the studies the researcher wrote that green tea is as effective as benzoyl peroxide or antibiotic creams. Pretty impressive given that those are the go-to treatments for most dermatologists. And not only is green tea as effective as topical antibiotics, it also worked faster. Green tea lotion got results in 8 weeks while it took the antibiotic cream 12 weeks to really kick in. The present work showed that 2% tea extract lotion was effective in clearance of papules and pustules,especially in mild and moderate acne. This result was comparable to the therapeutic action of other topical agents like topical benzoyl peroxide and topical erythromycin, which act as antibacterial agents and mainly on inflammatory lesions like pustules and papules, but tea lotion has a more rapid action than erythromycin as tea caused a significant reduction after 8 weeks, while topical erythromycin caused significant reduction after 12 weeks. Treatment of acne vulgaris with 2% topical tea lotion (PDF) No mean feat for a humble cup of tea. In case it’s not clear, these studies used topical green tea lotion. Here’s a before and after picture from one of the studies. Source: Topical therapy of acne vulgaris using 2% tea lotion in comparison with 5% zinc sulphate solution (PDF) Not what you could call ‘stop the press and rewrite page 1’ results, but still very good. And since this comes from a scientific paper (see the references below) you know it’s no photoshopped. Green tea reduces sebum production by 70% Excess sebum production is a problem for every acne patients. One reason green tea works so well is that it can reduce sebum production. One study found 70% reduction after 8 weeks of green tea cream. Sources: Outcomes of 3% green tea emulsion on skin sebum production in male volunteers (PDF). Earlier I mentioned how we acne patients got a bit unlucky in the genetic lottery. Because of genes our skin is far more sensitive to androgen hormones, and this causes excess sebum production. Green tea can mitigate this by blocking the androgen hormone receptors in the skin. And the graph above shows just how much this can help your skin. Though you should take these results with a grain of salt. That study had some methodological problems and I’m fairly certain it overstates the results. For those who are technically minded, green tea does this by hindering the conversion of testosterone to DHT in the skin; something that happens far too actively in the acne-prone skin. Green tea and skin inflammation Excess inflammation is another problem for acne patients. Studies have shown that acne-prone skin reacts to bacteria much more strongly than normal skin does. The immune system sort of goes on an ‘overkill’ mode when it detects bacteria. This can turn otherwise harmless blocked pore into an angry pimple. The presence of androgen hormones in the skin further strengthens this inflammatory response. Green tea can reduce the severity of your acne by mitigating the damage these hormones cause. Further, green tea is strongly anti-oxidant on its own right. UV exposure from sunlight can damage and even cause skin cancer. Several studies have shown that topical green tea lotions protect the skin form UV-induced damage. This is relevant because this sort of ‘external’ inflammation can trigger the acne formation process. No real side-effects In medicine desired (treatment) effects often come with adverse effects (side-effects). The more effective a treatment is the more side-effects it usually causes. Not so with green tea. The studies didn’t show any major side-effects from green tea creams. A few people experienced minor skin itching, but even that subsided over time. Product recommendation People often ask me to recommend a good product with green tea. There aren’t that many available yet. iHerb.com carries quite a few skincare products with green tea, such as these, and I’m sure you can find some from Amazon also. But the best one I’ve used is Exposed Skin Care. They include green tea into most of their products, and I noticed big drop in the oiliness of my skin when I used them. They also use chemicals (benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid) responsibly and when they are called for, and compliment them with proven natural treatments. This aligns perfectly with my ideas for treating acne. Disclaimer: I may get a small […]
Topical Green Tea: One Of Nature’s Most Potent Acne Treatments
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Help I Have Oily Skin! What Can I Do About It?
Most acne patients suffer from oily skin. Excess sebum produced by the skin causes clogged pores and acne – not to mention looking ugly. In this post I’ll share some scientifically proven remedies that can cut down sebum production by 50% or more. Genes make acne-prone skin sensitive to hormones, and those hormones boost sebum production in the skin. Lucky for us science has given us effective treatments for oily skin. These include topical treatments that mitigate genetic sensitivities, and diet and lifestyle changes that reduce the levels of acne-causing hormones. Brief intro into what causes oily skin Let’s start by understanding the problem. In acne patients sebum production hinges on two things: genes and hormones. Genetics make acne-prone skin more sensitive to androgen hormones. These hormones then act on the skin and increase sebum production. What happens is that the skin converts free testosterone from the blood into much more potent DTH. DHT can be up to 10 times more potent on the skin than testosterone. This conversion happens through an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase, which is over-expressed in acne-prone skin, thanks to genetics! As with acne, you have to attack oily skin from two sides. Topical treatments can reduce the effect of hormones, and with smart diet and lifestyle changes you can reduce the levels of these hormones. Topical treatments You can fight oily skin at the skin level with substances known as 5-alpha reductase inhibitors. These substances inhibit the enzyme 5-alpha reductase that increases the conversion of testosterone to DHT, and that way increase sebum production. Here are some natural 5-alpha reductase inhibitors: Green tea is perhaps the best one I know. In one study green tea lotion reduced sebum production by 70% after 8 weeks of use, see the green tea and acne page for more info. Unfortunately this study hasn’t been replicated, and that’s why we can’t say for sure yet. Fatty acids. Quick search found several fatty acids that inhibit 5-alpha reductase. The most potent are gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) (found in evening primrose oil and many seed oils), alpha-linolenic acid (omega 3) and that lauric acid (in coconut oil) and oleic acid (in olive oil). Though many of these need to be confirmed by good quality human studies. Minerals. Certain minerals can inhibit the enzyme. We have best evidence for zinc (addition of vitamin B6 and azelaic acid can increase inhibitory power). Other minerals that show promise are cadmium and copper. Saw palmetto. There’s a lot of talk about saw palmetto at hair loss forums. It’s also been found moderately effective in a handful of studies. Hair loss is also linked to DHT and 5-alpha reductase, so what helps with hair loss could help with acne also. Studies that measure effect on sebum production in humans Most of the above mentioned studies are in vitro (test tube) studies. While useful many substances that show effect on test tube turn out to be useless in live humans. So let’s look at studies done on humans that measure sebum production. Saw palmetto, sesame seed and argan oil combination I already mentioned the study with green tea. Another study showed good reduction with cream containing saw palmetto, sesame seeds and argan oil. The study showed 20% reduction in overall sebum levels and 42% reduction in oily areas after 4 weeks. The green tea study showed similar results, and had they continued this study for another 4 weeks the results would have likely been better. In the green tea study the results really kicked-in after week 4. When you look at the ingredients in the cream these results are not surprising. Argan oil is high in GLA, linolenic and oleic acids, sesame seeds contain GLA and saw palmetto itself is effective inhibitor. Java tea extract I also found a report of two studies using java tea (Orthosiphon stamineus) leaf extract. The paper says 2% java tea leaf extract reduced sebum more than formulation containing 1% zinc gluconate (ingredient frequently used in oily skin care products). Unfortunately I don’t have access to the full-text report and they didn’t mention percentage reductions in the abstract. Conclusion on topical treatments Because of genes acne-prone skin is extra sensitive to androgen hormones. You can mitigate this with topical treatments that contain 5-alpha reductase inhibitors. Some of the most promising are green tea extracts, gamma linolenic acid, saw palmetto and zinc. Studies have shown over 50% reduction with these ingredients. As a disclaimer I have to mention that the evidence for these things is still fairly weak. Not too many human studies have been done, and even fewer have been replicated. So while these results are promising we should take them as preliminary. Diet and lifestyle remedies for oily skin You can also fight oily skin with diet and lifestyle changes that reduce the levels of acne-causing hormones. I covered this in detail in the hormonal acne page, so just a quick summary here. Sebum production is affected by hormones androgens, insulin and insulin like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). The best choice of action is to target insulin levels. Because IGF-1 follows insulin, and insulin and IGF-1 acts as androgen boosters (they stimulate androgen release from the liver and increase the effect androgens have on the skin). Since insulin follows blood sugar levels your goal is to maintain steady blood sugar levels. Diet Diet is perhaps the most important determinant of blood sugar and insulin levels. So let’s start with diet tips: Eat balanced diet. Eating carbohydrates stimulates insulin release (as does eating protein but to a lesser degree). That’s why it’s important to somewhat limit carbohydrate intake. Studies show that ratio of 50/30/20 (50% of calories from carbohydrates, 30% from fat, and 20% from protein) is effective in reducing insulin and stabilizing blood sugar levels. Low carbohydrate diets. Low carb diets are another way to go. They are effective but in my opinion unnecessary. The problem with low carb diets is that you have to eat a lot of fat to compensate for […]
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Vitamin D For Acne – Can It Help?
Browse through the health section of some popular magazines and it’s easy to think that vitamin D is the next miracle cure. It seems like every health condition benefits from vitamin D, and the more the better. The reality of course is little less glorious. Vitamin D is helpful in many health conditions, and there’s no doubt that most people could use more. But what about acne? Is there any good reason to believe vitamin D can help acne patients? There is. As you know, hormonal acne is connected to insulin resistance. And anything that reduces insulin resistance can also help with acne. Though studies are still mixed there’s good reason to believe vitamin D may mitigate insulin resistance. The sunshine vitamin may also have a more direct benefit for the skin. Test tube studies suggest it regulates sebum production and skin cell growth, and so help to keep your skin pores open and squeaky clean. Let’s look at these in a bit more detail. This post in video format Part 1: Part 2: Vitamin D and insulin resistance One 3-year study looked at the effect of combined vitamin D and calcium supplementation on blood sugar metabolism in older people. In this study 314 over 65 years old adults took a daily supplement with 700IU or vitamin D and 500mg of calcium citrate, and the researchers followed them for 3 years. When looked as a whole group the supplement had no effect. But the group that had started the study as insulin resistant showed benefit. Their insulin resistance and blood sugar levels remained stable, whereas insulin resistant placebo group got worse as time passed. So it looks like the supplement had a protective effect. The odd thing about this study is that even the insulin resistant group had blood vitamin D levels of over 70 nmol/l, which is far from deficient. Given such starting levels it’s hard to know what to make of this study. Another study looked at insulin resistant, vitamin D deficient (blood levels below 50 nmol/l), adult women. The women received either 4000 IU of vitamin D or placebo for 6 months. The supplement increased blood vitamin D levels significantly (median levels went up from 21 to 75 nmol/l). Fasting insulin levels dropped by 20 to 30% in the supplement group (depending on blood vitamin D levels). When compared to placebo group there was a significant improvement in insulin resistance and inflammation levels. This study also noted that insulin resistance was improved the most when vitamin D levels reached 80nmol/l and that it took 6 months for insulin resistance to really improve. There’s also a handful small studies with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients. PCOS has very similar causes than acne (insulin resistance, hormonal imbalance and inflammation) and PCOS patients often also suffer from acne. In many of the PCOS studies the starting levels of vitamin D are very low, in the range of 20 to 30 nmol/l. After supplementation vitamin D levels and insulin resistance improves. Not all studies are positive So far I’ve only talked about the positive studies. But that gives you a biased picture, as there are also a good number of negative studies. Some of these negative studies were done on people who were not insulin resistant, and the aim was to find out if vitamin D improves blood sugar levels. Some studies used larger, weekly doses of vitamin D as opposed to daily doses. Daily doses have been shown to be more effective at improving blood vitamin D levels. Conclusion: Vitamin D probably helpful in insulin resistance So what to make of this? Can vitamin D improve insulin resistance? Because of the conflicting results it’s hard to draw solid conclusions. Based on the studies I’ve seen I’m cautiously optimistic. I would say that: Vitamin D is probably helpful for people with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Vitamin D may protect against worsening of insulin resistance and development of type-2 diabetes in insulin resistant people. Vitamin D is probably not helpful for those who with normal blood sugar metabolism. It’s not possible to say more than that from the data we have. And even these conclusions are somewhat optimistic. In terms of scientific evidence what we have is still a little shaky. But given significant health benefits and little to no downside, I’ve decided to err to the side of optimism. Sebum production and skin cell growth The skin not only produces vitamin D, but most skin cells also have vitamin D receptors. As acne patients we are especially interested in sebocytes (the cells that produce sebum). Test tube studies have shown that vitamin D reduces the growth of sebocytes. Fewer sebocytes means less sebum in the skin. But let’s keep in mind that these are test tube studies, and there’s no way to say if vitamin D supplementation or cream reduces sebum production in living humans. There’s also evidence that vitamin D reduces skin cell growth and helps in differentiation at cell death. This is helpful because in acne patients skin cells tend to grow too fast and stick together after death, leading to clogged pores. Psoriasis is similar in this regard, and synthetic vitamin D cream has been shown to help psoriasis patients. Let’s call all this as interesting but far from proven. But if you happen to come across with a vitamin D cream it’s probably worth a shot to try it. Vitamin D user reviews So far we’ve looked at medical research, but what about actual users? What do they say about vitamin D for acne? The reviews at acne.org are surprisingly positive. Vitamin D gets an overall rating of 4 out of 5, which is very good. Many users report it helped with persistent acne that otherwise refused to budge. Positive as they are, I would take customer reviews (like all anecdotes) with a grain of salt. The problem is that acne is cyclical. There are times when it gets better without you doing anything […]
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More Evidence For Topical Treatment Of Oily Skin
Oily skin is a hassle for most acne patients. Studies show acne-prone skin produces 3 times more sebum than healthy skin. This creates ideal conditions for clogged pores and acne causing bacteria. Luckily for all of us with greasy skin, research is starting to deliver results. In earlier posts I’ve talked about topical treatments that can reduce sebum production. Recently I came across other studies, and in this post I want to talk about those and what do they mean for you. I for one can’t be rid of my oily skin too soon. How topicals can reduce sebum production Before I get to the studies let me first briefly explain why these creams work. Just so you are familiar with the terminology. Studies have shown that acne responds to androgens (male sex hormones), this is due to genetics. Many studies show higher androgen levels in acne patients than in healthy controls, and suppressing androgen receptors in the skin reduces both sebum production and acne. An enzyme known as 5-alpha reductase (5-AR) plays a part in this puzzle. The enzyme converts testosterone to DHT, which stimulates sebum production and skin cell growth more than other androgen hormones. At least some studies show that 5-AR is overactive in acne patients. I should also note that the conversion of testosterone to DHT happens in the skin. By inhibiting 5-AR enzyme we can also inhibit the conversion of testosterone to DHT and thus reduce sebum production, skin cell growth and eventually also acne. Several substances inhibit 5-AR, such as EGCG in green tea, certain fatty acids, zinc and saw palmetto. We can’t say for sure, but 5-AR inhibition is the most likely explanation for the results in the studies below. Saw buckthorn slashes sebum production by 45% The first study was done by researchers at the Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan. They studied the effect of 1% sea buckthorn cream extract cream on sebum production. In this study they used 10 male volunteers aged between 20 and 35 years, and gave each participant either the treatment cream or a placebo cream that didn’t contain the plant extract. Basically they made the treatment cream by first making a ‘vehicle base’ (that takes the active ingredients into the skin) and mixing the plant extract into the base. The placebo cream was just the base. They asked the participants to apply the treatment cream to one side of the face and the placebo cream to the other side. This is known as split-face study design. This chart shows the results, % reduction in sebum production over 8 weeks. Source: Formulation and evaluation of antisebum secretion effects of sea buckthorn w/o emulsion There was a steady decline in sebum production in the side treated with sea buckthorn cream. After 8 weeks sebum production had dropped by 45%. This is more or less in line with results from green tea and saw palmetto/sesame seed/argan oil studies. Interestingly the side treated with base-only cream showed increase in sebum production. The researchers note that this change was not statistically significant, so it’s possible it was just due to the inherent randomness of measurements like these. Capparis decidua extract reduces sebum production by about 20% The other study also comes from the same university. This time they studied fruits from a desert plant Capparis decidua, commonly known as kerda or kair. They made a cream with 5% extract of kair plant, I presume with plant they mean the fruit this bush produces. This study was very similar with the above study, a split-face design with treatment cream applied to one side of the face and base cream on the other side. This graph shows the results, change in sebum production over time. Source: Development of a sebum control cream from a local desert plant Capparis decidua. (PDF) As you can see the treatment cream reduced sebum production by 18% after 12 weeks. This graph also shows what I’ve been saying over and over. It takes time for these creams to work. Notice the big drop in sebum production from week 4 to week 6, from about 5% to 12%. As with the previous study the side treated with placebo cream showed an increase in sebum production (not statistically significant). Researchers speculate this could be because of the oils used in the base cream. Though I’m not sure how applying oil on the skin could increase sebum production. And even more studies As I was doing research for this post I also ran into a few other studies that showed reduction in sebum production. I’ll just mention these briefly as I didn’t have access to the full-text versions of the studies and they didn’t quantify reductions in the abstract. This study showed reduction in sebum production in women with progesterone cream but no effect in men. Progesterone is a hormone created by the ovaries during ovulation. It can suppress androgen levels and apparently also inhibits conversion of testosterone to DHT. Another study looked at black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa) extract cream on acne. After 8 weeks acne severity was reduced in all participants. This study used both males and females. Researchers speculate that reduction in acne was due to inhibition of 5-alpha reductase enzyme. Unfortunately it seems they didn’t measure sebum levels in this study. Finally, this paper talks about 2 studies done in France and Thailand evaluating Orthosiphon stamineus (apparently commonly known as cat’s whiskers, Java tea or Misai Kucing) on sebum production and skin appearance. Cream with 2% concentration of extract reduces sebum production, oily skin appearance and improved evenness of skin complexion. Where to get When I write about these studies somebody inevitable asks where to buy these creams. Unfortunately I don’t know. The researchers made the creams in a laboratory. If you have little bit of chemist in you (and have access to a lab) you can make them yourself, check the full-text studies for instructions. Exposed Skin Care is the only commercially available product I know of that […]
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Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) For Acne – Skeptical View
The web is full of rumors and hearsay about vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) for acne, but there’s a gaping black hole when it comes to credible, evidence-based information. Let’s fix that now. The point of this post is to take a critical look at the claims that you can treat acne with B5, and the paper by Dr. Leung that started it all. We’ll look at if there’s any good reason believe these vitamins can fix your skin. So if you are tired of rumors and hype, you need to take a few minutes to read this post. Summary This post turned out a bit longer than I expected. So for those with short attention span here are the keypoints: The whole thing lays on a theory that vitamin B5 deficiency limits fat metabolism, and thus those excess fats are pushed through the skin as sebum. There is no credible scientific evidence to back this up. Dr. Leung never published his study he bases this on, so we have no way to know. Furthermore, prior to publishing his hypothesis paper he applied and received a US patent for B5 acne treatment. So he has a direct financial interest in promoting this theory. I could only find 1 ‘independent’ study on this. While the results were positive (50% reduction in acne) it was too small and poor quality to conclude anything, and it was sponsored by a company that sells B5 acne treatment. Several lines of credible evidence disagree with Dr. Leung’s theory. For example, he says that when you eat more fat you get more acne, both anecdotal evidence and studies show acne is more affected by carbohydrate consumption. And people who reduce carbs and eat more fat tend to improve. Furthermore, several studies show increased sebum production when skin cells are exposed to hormones (such as testosterone and insulin). This agrees with the hormonal nature of acne, but not with Dr. Leung’s theory. We also have the studies that show impressive reductions in sebum production with topical application of ‘androgen blockers’ (such as green tea and evening primrose oil). While Dr. Leung’s theory appears to be spectacularly wrong, lot of acne patients see improvements with megadoses of B5. Perhaps there’s another way B5 works. Hard to say since user reviews are very unreliable as evidence. And users at acne.org forums have abandoned the treatment, with common consensus saying it only works temporarily. All credible sources say supplementing with B5 is extremely safe. But there is anecdotal evidence of hair loss and even severe, very long lasting side-effects. Again, we can’t say for sure from anecdotes. It’s possible B5 helps your acne, but we just can’t say for sure. There is no good reason to believe Dr. Leung’s theory is correct, and there’s plenty of reasons to believe it’s incorrect. The theory The whole thing started in 1997 when Dr. Lit-Hung Leung published his theory of how deficiency in Coenzyme A (CoA), a derivate of pantothenic acid, is responsible for acne. I should note that his paper was not a medical study, it was a hypothesis paper published in Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine. The journal’s scientific standards may be less than rigorous. Given that it was created because other, reputable journals refused to publish their papers. From Wikipedia: The Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine, founded in 1967 as the Journal of Schizophrenia, is the main publication of those involved in orthomolecular medicine. It was founded, as Abram Hoffer wrote, because of the alleged conspiracy: “We had to create our own journals because it was impossible to obtain entry into the official journals of psychiatry and medicine.” Wikipedia: Orthomolecular medicine Orthomolecular medicine is the discredited idea that you can use megadoses of vitamins to cure many diseases. Of course this doesn’t mean the theory is wrong, just that it keeps scientifically bad company. Briefly described the theory goes like this. CoA is required in both fat metabolism, production of hormones and countless other processes in the body. And because it’s needed in so many places Dr. Leung says deficiencies are likely, something mainstream medical science disagrees with. Given that it’s a limited resource the body prioritizes usage, giving higher priority to production of sex hormones (since they are important in reproduction). This leaves less CoA available for lipid (fat) metabolism. Because the body cannot effectively process (metabolize being the more scientific term) fat, it accumulates in the body. In the case of acne it’s being pushed through the skin. And this explains high sebum production in acne patients. The dear doctor says that acne is not linked to sex hormones but rather to deficiency in Coenzyme A. And since CoA is derived from vitamin B5, you can fix it with megadoses of pantothenic acid. And so the vitamin B5 acne connection was born. Possible conflict of interest The hypothesis paper aside, is there any real evidence to back up this theory? In the same paper Dr. Leung talks about his own study with 100 acne patients. The problem is that this study was never published anywhere, as far as I can tell. And he describes it in most unscientific terms, it actually reads more like a testimonial than a scientific study. So we have no way to really know anything about this study. How good it was scientifically, or whether it even happened. Another problem is that Dr. Leung applied and received a patent for his acne treatment prior to publishing his hypothesis papers. The patent was granted in 1996 and his paper was published in 1997, how convenient. So he has a direct financial interest in promoting this theory. While there’s nothing illegal or wrong about this per se, this is not how real science works. Independent evidence? Aside from Dr. Leung’s research, I could find just one study looking at the effect of B5 on acne. I’m assuming it was sponsored by the company that produces Panthothen, a B5 supplemented marketed as an acne treatment. The study didn’t contain normal […]
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Study: Green Tea Fights All 3 Causes of Acne
Are you using green tea to treat acne? Hot off the press from South Korea comes another study. And what this study shows just might prompt you to add some green tea goodness into your skin care routine. Before I tell you about the study and what it means to you, we need to briefly review how acne happens. The 3 steps to acne Let’s start by briefly looking at the primary causes of acne. And by primary causes I mean things that happen in the skin, not systemic effects like insulin resistance or hormone levels. We can divide the acne formation process into 3 steps. Blocked pore – Happens as a result of excessive sebum production and skin cell growth, mainly driven by genetic sensitivity to certain hormones. Inflammation of the hair follicle – Studies have shown that oxidative damage (i.e. inflammation) triggers the acne formation process. It alters the ‘oxygen tension’ (please don’t ask, it takes a smarter person than me to know what that means) in sebum to make it more suitable for P. Acnes bacteria to thrive. Rapid multiplication of P. Acnes bacteria – The bacteria irritates the hair follicle and this rapidly increases inflammation in the area resulting in an inflammatory pustule. All of these steps have to happen for you to get a pimple. Stop the process at any stage and you are saved, and that’s where green tea steps in [cue dramatic music]. Green tea fights acne every step of the way So now that we understand how acne forms, let’s get to the real meat (or tofu, if you are so inclined) of this post. The researchers at Seoul National University Hospital in South Korea tested the acne-fighting properties of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the major antioxidant in green tea. Their research was done in 2 stages: first a series of test tube studies on the potential of EGCG in every step of the acne process. They also conducted a human trial using EGCG cream. Unfortunately the details in the abstract are sparse and no full-text study is available. So I can’t get into details, but here are the salient points from the abstract. EGCG suppressed sebocytes (sebum producing cells) in test tube. This is something we’ve seen in other test tube studies and also in human trials. EGCG suppressed inflammation in test tube. EGCG decreased the viability of P. Acnes bacteria in test tube. I can’t say for sure what ‘decreased viability’ means. I presume either weakening them or suppressing growth. Finally, EGCG cream significantly improved acne in the clinical trial over 8 weeks, and showed little to no side-effects. As I mentioned details of this study are hard to come by, so I have no idea how much EGCG was in the cream or how much acne improved over placebo. Lack of details aside, this is one more reason to incorporate green tea into your acne treatment regimen. References: Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate Improves Acne in Humans by Modulating Intracellular Molecular Targets and Inhibiting P. acnes. Related off-site articles Green tea may reduce hypertension induced cognitive impairment Green Tea is in the scientific news again [Ketan JOSHI] Tea Protects the Heart How Green Tea Boosts Brain Cells and Aids Memory
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Yet Another Study Shows Green Tea May Treat Acne
Just a quick post today about yet another study that shows green tea and its catechins may help with acne. I have had hardly any time on blogging over the past two weeks since I’ve been busy updating my book. I swear that reading all the hundreds and hundreds of studies in the process will someday give me brain cancer. But back to the green tea study. To be honest, this study wasn’t particularly impressive as it was a combined animal and in vitro (cell culture or test tube) study. It’s always hard to extrapolate from these studies to humans. But I wanted to mention this since it lines up with the other green tea studies. Here’s a link to the study: Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate Suppresses IGF-I-Induced Lipogenesis and Cytokine Expression in SZ95 Sebocytes. This one comes from South Korea, and is quite similar to the previous green tea acne study I wrote about. At the first part of the study the researchers applied EGCG cream to rabbit ears and found that it reduced sebaceous gland size. This would be very good for acne patients as the sebaceous glands in acne-prone skin are enlarged. The other part of the study was done in a test tube. After cultivating human sebocytes (sebum producing cells) the researchers incubated them in EGCG. They found that EGCG reduced cell proliferation and sebum production. Again this would be helpful in acne because sebocytes have been shown to grow and multiply too quickly. Again, as this is an animal and in vitro study, this study alone wouldn’t mean much. But since it lines up with earlier evidence from other researchers it adds up to the evidence for green tea as acne treatment. Related off-site articles Green Tea is in the scientific news again [Ketan JOSHI] Drinking Green Tea With Starchy Food May Help Lower Blood Sugar Spikes
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Research Uncovers The Mastermind Molecule Behind Acne – What It Is And How To Turn It Down
Research has uncovered the mastermind molecule behind acne. Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTor) regulates all aspects of acne, including sebum production, cell growth and skin inflammation. It can read the levels of various hormones and nutrients and regulate cell growth and sebum production based on these signals. In this post I’ll explain the mTor pathway and how it contributes to acne. What’s more important, understanding the mTor pathway and how it’s activated opens up new ways to reduce acne, something we’ll also look at. What is mTor Let’s start with a brief explanation of what mTor is. mTor is an abbreviation of mammalian target of rapamycin, a protein that regulates cell growth, cell division and cell survival. mTor can activate (or turn on) mechanism that promote cell growth, and over-activation of the mTor pathway (medical term for a chain of events where one protein activates the next, ultimately leading to some effect in the body) can lead to excessive cell growth. That’s why mTor has been implicated in some cancers, and why mTor inhibitors are currently being tested as anti-cancer drugs. Excessively cell growth is also a problem in acne, and that’s why researchers are investigating the role mTor plays in acne and the potential of treating acne by inhibiting the mTor pathway. Let’s look at what scientists have learned so far.
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Botox – Now Also Shrinking Oil Glands In The Skin
Botox is not good only for wiping out that last remaining hint of emotional expression from your face; it can also shrink the oil glands in your skin. A quick post about an interesting study I found today. For some time now researchers have speculated that a neurotransmitter acetylcholine affects sebum production. Korean researchers wanted to test this. They incubated human sebocytes (sebum producing cells) in acetylcholine and showed that it increased the activity of the cells in a petri dish, suggesting it can increase sebum production in humans. They also conducted a human trial using Botox, which can inhibit the acetylcholine pathway. Here are the details of the study: 20 participants (6 men and 14 women) 10 of the participants had oily skin and 10 dry or normal skin Split-face study, one side was injected with Botox and other side with an inactive placebo (saline) Double-blinded, so neither the researchers nor the participants knew which side got Botox and which got the placebo The participants received 4 injections at different parts of cheeks The participants were only treated once (i.e. 4 injections per cheek during a single visit Here’s a graph that shows the results. Source: Zheng Jun Li, et al. Regulation of lipid production by acetylcholine signalling in human sebaceous glands. Journal of Dermatological Science. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0923181113002193 Here are the interesting points: Botox reduced sebum production by about 30% (from 210 to 140) in 4 weeks in people with oily skin, with the placebo side showing no changes. Botox seemed to normalize some of the abnormalities in oily skin and after 4 weeks their sebum output was almost comparable to people with normal skin, though still somewhat higher. People with dry or normal skin also showed some changes, but these didn’t reach statistical significance. Botox also reduced pore size by 18% in people with oily skin, again with no changes in the placebo side or in people with normal or dry skin. What’s interesting about this is that the neurotransmitter acetylcholine is also involved in sweat production. This could explain why my skin always feels much oilier in hot and humid conditions (welcome to Thailand), but when I go somewhere cold and dry (like my home country, Finland) I don’t get that oily feeling and my skin generally does much better. Apparently Botox can help with excess sweat production too. 12 – 14 injections per armpit paralyzes the nerves that secrete acetylcholine causing almost immediate reduction in sweat production that lasts for 6 to 10 months. It looks like something similar happens with regard to sebum production. It’s too bad they only followed the participants for 4 weeks. I don’t know about the long-term side-effects of Botox, so I’m not sure I would recommend it for controlling sebum production. But there you have it anyway, an option for those inclined to try it. Here are some less invasive ways to reduce sebum production: Topical Green Tea: One Of Nature’s Most Potent Acne Treatments Help I Have Oily Skin! What Can I Do About It? More natural ways to reduce sebum production Photo Credit: ekai References: Regulation of lipid production by acetylcholine signalling in human sebaceous glands.
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High Tech Treatment Cuts Sebum Production By 70%
Today I want to share with you a new high tech treatment for reducing sebum production – at least temporarily. The treatment is called fractional radiofrequency microneedling (FRM). In the past two years studies have shown positive results for acne, sebum production and acne scars. Today I want to focus on what this can do for sebum production and oily skin, as there are very few treatments that reliably reduce the amount of oil skin produces. I should add that this isn’t something you can do at home. You need to talk to a dermatologist about this, and probably pay a fairly hefty fee. Fractional radiofreq… what??? So what is this new high tech tool you are talking about? And what does it do? The business end of the machine consists an array of small needles that penetrate the top layer of the skin. Once in the skin, the machine emits radiofrequency (RF) pulse through the needles. The RF energy heats the skin around the tips of the needles and causes all sorts of therapeutic effects. But in this case we are interested in the sebaceous glands (the glands in the skin that produce sebum). The heat seems to destroy or deactivate the sebaceous glands and thus reduce sebum production in the skin. Despite punching needles through the skin, this treatment is considered minimally invasive. And indeed the side-effects seem minimal, something we’ll come back towards the end of the post. But first, let’s talk about whether it does any good. Results Lee et al. put this new tool to the test. They treated 20 Korean acne patients with a single FRM session. They then followed the participants for 8 weeks to see the effect on acne and sebum production. I plotted the results into fancy graphs for your visual enjoyment. Here’s the one for sebum excretion rate, i.e. how much sebum skin produces per unit of time. Sebum production dropped by 70 to 80% as compared to baseline measurement, i.e. before the treatment. Unfortunately, the results are only temporary, and by week 8 sebum production had again increased to about 80% of the baseline. Here are the results for casual sebum level measurement, basically a measure of oiliness of the skin. You would expect that if sebum production drops, so would the amount of oil on the skin. You can award yourself 5 extra smart points, because that’s what happened. Skin oiliness dropped by about 60% by weeks 2 and 4 but creeped back to almost baseline levels by week 8. FRM works by creating heat under the surface of the skin that destroys or deactivates sebaceous glands. But the glands regenerate over time and sebum levels return to normal. Botox has similar effect, as we saw in an earlier post. Other effects FRM had mixed effect on acne itself. While there was no change in total number of pimples, acne severity dropped by 60% on average. I guess the best way to explain this is that smaller pimples replaced larger ones. A study by another group of Korean researchers also showed reduction in acne severity. Looking at the before and after pictures in the paper, it’s clear that the total number of pimples didn’t drop much, but the pimples look smaller and ‘less angry’ after the treatment. Those Koreans have been busy sticking needles into acne patients as yet another Korean study showed FRM treatment reduced acne scars in 70% of the patients (note: 70% of the patients saw reduction in acne scars – NOT 70% reduction in scars). Side effects All the studies noted some bleeding, crusting and inflammation after that treatment, as you would expect when you repeatedly stick needles into the skin. However, all the side-effects were quite mild and resolved within a week. Nobody noted hyperpigmentation or scarring as a result of the FRM treatment. Conclusion Fractionated radiofrequency microneedling is another hi-tech machine in dermatologists’ arsenal. By releasing targeted heat under the skin FRM treatment can destroy sebaceous glands and drastically reduce sebum production. Unfortunately, the sebaceous glands regenerate, and the reduction in sebum production is only temporary. Are the temporary results worth the price? That I can’t answer for you, but given that you only need a single session and the treatment doesn’t have significant side-effects, it could be an option for those times when you need your skin to look good.
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Topical Green Tea: One Of Nature’s Most Potent Acne Treatments
Natural remedies often score high on hype but low on credible evidence. And reading about green tea you certainly find a lot of hype. But can green tea live up to the hype? Can you use green tea to treat acne? The answer is a resounding yes. Studies show that green tea can reduce acne ... Read more
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Help I Have Oily Skin! What Can I Do About It?
Most acne patients suffer from oily skin. Excess sebum produced by the skin causes clogged pores and acne. In this post I’ll share some scientifically proven remedies that can cut down sebum production by 50% or more. Genes make acne-prone skin sensitive to hormones, and those hormones boost sebum production in the skin. Lucky for ... Read more
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More Evidence For Topical Treatment Of Oily Skin
Oily skin is a hassle for most acne patients. Studies show acne-prone skin produces 3 times more sebum than healthy skin. This creates ideal conditions for clogged pores and acne causing bacteria. Luckily for all of us with greasy skin, research is starting to deliver results. In earlier posts I’ve talked about topical treatments that ... Read more
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Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) For Acne – Skeptical View
The web is full of rumors and hearsay about vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) for acne, but there’s a gaping black hole when it comes to credible, evidence-based information. Let’s fix that now. The point of this post is to take a critical look at the claims that you can treat acne with B5, and the ... Read more
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Study: Green Tea Fights All 3 Causes of Acne
Are you using green tea to treat acne? Hot off the press from South Korea comes another study. And what this study shows just might prompt you to add some green tea goodness into your skin care routine. Before I tell you about the study and what it means to you, we need to briefly ... Read more
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Yet Another Study Shows Green Tea May Treat Acne
Just a quick post today about yet another study that shows green tea and its catechins may help with acne. I have had hardly any time on blogging over the past two weeks since I’ve been busy updating my book. I swear that reading all the hundreds and hundreds of studies in the process will ... Read more
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Research Uncovers The Mastermind Molecule Behind Acne – What It Is And How To Turn It Down
Research has uncovered the mastermind molecule behind acne. Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTor) regulates all aspects of acne, including sebum production, cell growth and skin inflammation. It can read the levels of various hormones and nutrients and regulate cell growth and sebum production based on these signals. In this post I’ll explain the mTor pathway ... Read more
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Botox – Now Also Shrinking Oil Glands In The Skin
Botox is not good only for wiping out that last remaining hint of emotional expression from your face; it can also shrink the oil glands in your skin. A quick post about an interesting study I found today. For some time now researchers have speculated that a neurotransmitter acetylcholine affects sebum production. Korean researchers wanted ... Read more
↧
High Tech Treatment Cuts Sebum Production By 70%
Today I want to share with you a new high tech treatment for reducing sebum production – at least temporarily. The treatment is called fractional radiofrequency microneedling (FRM). In the past two years studies have shown positive results for acne, sebum production and acne scars. Today I want to focus on what this can do ... Read more
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Topical Green Tea: One Of Nature’s Most Potent Acne Treatments
Natural remedies often score high on hype but low on credible evidence. And reading about green tea you certainly find a lot of hype. But can green tea live up to the hype? Can you use green tea to treat acne?
The answer is a resounding yes. Studies show that green tea can reduce acne by over 50%. Furthermore, it can cut sebum production by astonishing 70%.
So take a few minutes to learn why you should make green tea as your go-to acne treatment.
Benefits of green tea for the skin
Green tea has many benefits for the acne-prone skin, including the following:
- Reduces sebum production, one study showed 70% reduction after 8 weeks of use.
- Protects the skin against inflammation, several studies have shown that green tea cream can prevent and mitigate the damage caused by sunlight and other sources.
- Reduces inflammatory reaction to acne-causing bacteria. This is important because acne patients tend to have overtly strong inflammatory response to bacteria in the skin pores.
It’s now becoming clear that genes influence acne a lot. Not by causing it directly but by making the skin extra-sensitive to hormones and inflammation. One reason green tea is so effective against acne is because it mitigates these genetic vulnerabilities.
Studies: Over 50% reduction in pimple count
I searched the publicly available medical studies on effectiveness of green tea on acne. Unfortunately this isn’t getting the research attention is deserves and I only found 3 studies. But they show very promising results.
All 3 studies showed over 50% reduction in pimple count after using green tea cream. The study periods varied from 6 to 8 weeks (standard in studies like this). This graph summarizes the results.
In one of the studies the researcher wrote that green tea is as effective as benzoyl peroxide or antibiotic creams. Pretty impressive given that those are the go-to treatments for most dermatologists. And not only is green tea as effective as topical antibiotics, it also worked faster. Green tea lotion got results in 8 weeks while it took the antibiotic cream 12 weeks to really kick in.
The present work showed that 2% tea extract lotion was effective in clearance of papules and pustules,especially in mild and moderate acne. This result was comparable to the therapeutic action of other topical agents like topical benzoyl peroxide and topical erythromycin, which act as antibacterial agents and mainly on inflammatory lesions like pustules and papules, but tea lotion has a more rapid action than erythromycin as tea caused a significant reduction after 8 weeks, while topical erythromycin caused significant reduction after 12 weeks.
No mean feat for a humble cup of tea.
In case it’s not clear, these studies used topical green tea lotion.
Here’s a before and after picture from one of the studies.
Source: Topical therapy of acne vulgaris using 2% tea lotion in comparison with 5% zinc sulphate solution (PDF)
Not what you could call ‘stop the press and rewrite page 1’ results, but still very good. And since this comes from a scientific paper (see the references below) you know it’s no photoshopped.
Green tea reduces sebum production by 70%
Excess sebum production is a problem for every acne patients. One reason green tea works so well is that it can reduce sebum production. One study found 70% reduction after 8 weeks of green tea cream.
Sources: Outcomes of 3% green tea emulsion on skin sebum production in male volunteers (PDF).
Earlier I mentioned how we acne patients got a bit unlucky in the genetic lottery. Because of genes our skin is far more sensitive to androgen hormones, and this causes excess sebum production. Green tea can mitigate this by blocking the androgen hormone receptors in the skin. And the graph above shows just how much this can help your skin. Though you should take these results with a grain of salt. That study had some methodological problems and I’m fairly certain it overstates the results.
For those who are technically minded, green tea does this by hindering the conversion of testosterone to DHT in the skin; something that happens far too actively in the acne-prone skin.
Green tea and skin inflammation
Excess inflammation is another problem for acne patients. Studies have shown that acne-prone skin reacts to bacteria much more strongly than normal skin does. The immune system sort of goes on an ‘overkill’ mode when it detects bacteria. This can turn otherwise harmless blocked pore into an angry pimple.
The presence of androgen hormones in the skin further strengthens this inflammatory response. Green tea can reduce the severity of your acne by mitigating the damage these hormones cause.
Further, green tea is strongly anti-oxidant on its own right. UV exposure from sunlight can damage and even cause skin cancer. Several studies have shown that topical green tea lotions protect the skin form UV-induced damage.
This is relevant because this sort of ‘external’ inflammation can trigger the acne formation process.
No real side-effects
In medicine desired (treatment) effects often come with adverse effects (side-effects). The more effective a treatment is the more side-effects it usually causes. Not so with green tea. The studies didn’t show any major side-effects from green tea creams. A few people experienced minor skin itching, but even that subsided over time.
Product recommendation
People often ask me to recommend a good product with green tea. There aren’t that many available yet. iHerb.com carries quite a few skincare products with green tea, such as these, and I’m sure you can find some from Amazon also. But the best one I’ve used is Exposed Skin Care. They include green tea into most of their products, and I noticed big drop in the oiliness of my skin when I used them.
They also use chemicals (benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid) responsibly and when they are called for, and compliment them with proven natural treatments. This aligns perfectly with my ideas for treating acne.
Disclaimer: I may get a small commission if you buy Exposed after clicking through from my website. You pay the same price and the income helps to keep this site going.
Take-home messages
So what’s the overarching conclusion from all this? Green tea is one heck of an effective acne treatment. It counters the main reason of our skin problems: genetic sensitivity to hormones and inflammation.
- The effectiveness of green tea is at par with benzoyl peroxide and anti-biotic creams, the current gold-standard treatments.
- Studies show over 50% reduction in pimple count from using green tea lotion.
- Green tea reduces how sensitive acne-prone skin is to androgen hormones by blocking androgen receptors in the skin. This can reduce sebum production, and one study showed over 70% reduction after 8 weeks.
- Green tea is also strongly anti-inflammatory. It can dampen the inflammatory response to acne-causing bacteria and protect the skin from external sources of inflammation.
With all this in mind I can confidently conclude that if you aren’t using green tea lotions you aren’t doing your best to fight acne.
The post Topical Green Tea: One Of Nature’s Most Potent Acne Treatments appeared first on Acne Einstein.
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