Does Puritan's Pride Zinc for Acne work like some reviews say or can its ingredients actually cause breakouts to become worse?
Our Zinc for Acne Review
Puritan's Pride Zinc for Acne reviews on Amazon can vary as some customers say it works for clearing acne while others have experienced side effects and no results as all. It has 4 out of 5 stars and almost 70 total reviews.
The supplement comes in tablet form and are smaller than a dime. They are easy to swallow, but can still be cut in half if preferred.
Zinc for acne before and after images can be found online from real users.
Puritan's Pride Zinc for Acne Tablet
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Dosage and Directions
- 100 tablets in one bottle
- 2 tablets daily
- Not recommended to exceed two tablets per day
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What are the Benefits of Zinc?
Zinc is commonly used in many natural cold remedies because of it's ability to boost the immune system, but is also has other properties which may help skin health.
- Antioxidant- Can slow the aging process and protect our skin from harmful UV rays. Zinc can help acne because of it's anti-inflammatory effects.
- Balances hormones- Hormone dysfunction can be a factor in the development of acne. Zinc has been shown to be an essential part of all bodily systems that impact hormones including reproductive, nervous, and skeletal. (1)
Zinc is an aromatase inhibitor so it can help block the enzyme that converts testosterone into estrogen. When there is too much estrogen in the body it can cause acne and other side effects as well. - Collagen enhancer- Collagen production is important for healthy skin that is elastic, strong, and smooth. Zinc is known to increase collage production and also slows the breakdown of existing collagen. (2)
- Can be used topically- Topical zinc for acne has been used for centuries and may also help rosacea and dandruff. (3)
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Zinc Deficiency
Deficiency in zinc may lead to side effects such as constant fatigue, inability to concentrate, dull and flaky skin, and weight gain. (4)
Other symptoms of zinc deficiency include:
- diarrhea
- wounds not healing
- hair loss
- weakened immune system
Severe zinc deficiency isn’t common as most people get the proper amount of zinc from their diet. People who don't eat meat or enough meat are at a bigger risk of zinc deficiency. This is when supplementing with zinc may be beneficial however too much can cause side effects as well.
Can You Get Side Effects?
Zinc can become toxic when taken in high doses. It can also interfere with how the body uses copper and iron. (5)
Even lower levels of zinc supplementation, closer in amount to the RDA, have been suggested to interfere with the utilization of copper and iron and to adversely affect HDL cholesterol concentrations.
Zinc can also interfere with certain antibiotics and medications as it may decrease the effectiveness. (6)
If this product is used as the directions suggest and you have clearance for your doctor you should not experience any bad side effects.
How Long Does Zinc Take to Clear Acne?
This is a question that cannot be answered definitively because some people may not see positive results for their skin.
There are many people who take zinc for acne, but studies show that it increases testosterone which is the androgen that aids in the development of pimples. One study showed that men who took 30 miligrams of zinc per day had an increase in testosterone. (7)
Customer reviews with success using the product have said you need to take it for at least one month to see results.
Everyone reacts to supplements differently and depending on the type of skin and acne you have the healing time may vary.
What the Ingredients?
Zinc is added at 50 mg in the form of gluconate and is not the only ingredient as this supplement contains 5 other ingredients as well.
- Vitamin A 1000 IU
- Vitamin C 150 mg
- Vitamin E 50 IU
- Vitamin B-6 20 mg
- Rose Hips 10 mg
Among zinc, this supplement also contains two types of vitamin C.
Rose Hips are the fruit from the rose plant. It is a natural source of Vitamin C and has been used as a laxative and diuretic. (8)
Rose Hip oil is used commonly in topical clear skin care products because it contains essential fatty acids which help the skin by reducing inflammation and redness. This is why fish oil for acne is popular as well because it contains some of the same fatty acids.
It also contains antioxidants and is an anti-inflammatory which may help subdue skin issues, but there are no real studies showing if it's effects on treating acne.
Because of it's antioxidant effects it can help wrinkles and skin elasticity. (9)
Where Can You Buy Puritan's Pride?
Bottle Amount | Price | Shipping | |
|---|---|---|---|
Amazon | 1 Bottle 2 Bottles | $7.37 $13.99 | Free shipping for Prime Members |
Puritan's Pride Website | Buy 1 Get 1 Buy 2 Get 3 | $13.99 $27.98 | $3.95 Free Shipping International shipping available |
*UPDATE 2020- The price on Amazon is now $4.95 and there is also a coupon for 25% off.
Puritan's Pride Zinc for Acne is not available at Walmart, CVS, or Walgreens. You could probably find zinc for acne at these stores, but this brand specifically is not available there.
There are Puritan's Pride Zinc for Acne reviews from Indonesia and the Philippines found on YouTube as the company ships the product there from their website.
Other Products from Puritan's Pride
The company Puritan's Pride sells many different types of supplements and are a well known brand. They sell other zinc products like Zinc Picolinate and Chelated Zinc.
Puritan's Pride Zinc Picolinate is different from zinc gluconate in that it is combined or chelated with picolinic acid rather than glucose to make it more easily absorbed by the body. It was shown that Zinc picolinate is actually better absorbed than gluconate.
You can also take zinc picolinate for acne as the higher absorption rate may be beneficial for this purpose, but there is no evidence confirming this.
Puritan's Pride Chelated Zinc 50mg is another zinc supplement they sell and comes in the form of gluconate.
What If I'm Not Happy with Zinc For Acne?
Their Amazon US return policy states that you can not return the product for a refund. Luckily the product is inexpensive so it isn't much of a loss, but they could receive negative feedback and product reviews for this reason.
Returns are accepted through their website if you order from there, but you will have to pay for shipping to send the product back.
Pros & Cons
PROS
Gluten and dairy free.
Zinc has various different health benefits.
Can be taken along with other supplement stacks.
CONS
Not vegan as it is contains gelatin and fish ingredients.
Some customers have trouble swallowing the pills.
Not really a "Zinc" supplement as it contains other ingredients as well.
CONCLUSION: Is Puritan's Pride Effective?
Zinc may ease acne in a natural way which is why it interests people to look into it. On its own some people get results from its ability to balance hormones, reduce inflammation, and smoothen complexion while others it is not a cure as they get increased acne from the androgen side effects it may cause.
Those with zinc deficiency may most benefit from taking this type of product. Our recommendation is you consider taking this product along with a product such as Acne Tame which could have a synergistic effect.
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19528881
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7466582
- https://www.hindawi.com/journals/drp/2014/709152/
- https://draxe.com/zinc-benefits/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2407097
- https://www.emedicinehealth.com/zinc-page3/vitamins-supplements.htm
- https://www.asep.org/asep/asep/BrillaV2.PDF
- https://www.drugs.com/npc/rose-hips.html
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4655903/