Breakout Prevention
Vitamin A biology underpins acne care. β-carotene supports this pathway as a safer provitamin A, converting to retinol as needed. Historically, oral vitamin A (retinol/retinyl palmitate) was used for acne before isotretinoin; a 2022 review of 8 clinical trials reported improvements in 8/9 studies (36,000–100,000 IU/day, under monitoring). This highlights vitamin A’s role in normalizing follicular keratinization and sebum.
Aloe vera adds a direct anti-acne effect: a placebo-controlled trial in mild–moderate acne found oral aloe juice significantly reduced lesion counts.
Magnesium supports on the inflammatory side: meta-analyses of randomized trials show supplementation lowers C-reactive protein (CRP), a key marker of systemic inflammation linked to acne.