Take a zinc supplement
How it works
Raises levels of zinc in the blood to help reduce severe and inflammatory acne
May also help
Cell growth
Hormone production
Immune function
Inflammation
Metabolism
Oxidative stress
Safety
Possible side effects
Zinc is an essential nutrient that’s important for cell growth, hormone production, metabolism, and immune function.
It’s relatively well studied compared with other natural treatments for acne.
Research indicates that people with acne tend to have lower levels of zinc in their blood than those with clear skin (9Trusted Source).
Several studies have also shown that taking zinc orally may help reduce acne.
For example, a 2014 review found that zinc is more effective at treating severe and inflammatory acne than treating moderate acne (10Trusted Source).
The optimal dosage of zinc for acne has not been established, but several older studies have observed a significant reduction in acne using 30–45 mg of elemental zinc per day (11Trusted Source, 12Trusted Source, 13Trusted Source).
Elemental zinc refers to the amount of zinc that’s present in the compound. Zinc is available in many forms, and they contain varying amounts of elemental zinc.
Zinc oxide contains the highest amount of elemental zinc at 80%.
The recommended safe upper limit of zinc is 40 mg per day, so it’s probably best to not exceed that amount unless you’re under the supervision of a medical doctor.
Taking too much zinc may cause adverse effects, including stomach pain and gut irritation.
It’s also important to note that applying zinc to the skin has not been shown to be effective. This may be because zinc is not effectively absorbed through the skin.