How Do Zinc Acne Treatments Help?

Zinc acne treatment is effective for acne symptoms even though there is a small percentage of people for whom it doesn't work. Zinc is one of the natural acne treatments. Zinc is a mineral found naturally in foods, and plays a key role in maintaining hormonal balance. The role of hormones in acne is well understood.

Zinc, in combination with a few other key nutrients, helps to balance hormonal production. Zinc acne treatment normalizes your skin’s oil production. In addition, it will help your body kill off any excess acne bacteria, due to it's role in fortifying the immune system.

In retinol metabolism, the mineral zinc plays an important role. Tissue regeneration and healing processes occur in the presence of zinc. Not only that, is it an important co-factor for many biochemical processes, and is important for optimal immune function.

Some substances will drastically impair the action of zinc in your body. And some actually "deactivate" zinc in your body. If these substances are found in your body zinc acne treatment may not be helpful for you. Zinc does not act independently. It will only be effective in normalizing hormone production and normalizing skin oil if used in combination with the other zinc co-factors.

There are only 2 forms of zinc that consistently work for zinc acne treatment, Zinc gluconate and Zinc Monomethionine. From these two, Zinc Monomethionine is the best. Copper is a competing mineral for zinc. And with the widespread use of copper piping and birth control pills (very high in copper), copper toxicity has become more and more common. If you have high levels of copper in your system then you will need to take zinc as high as 300 mg a day for before you will get results with zinc acne treatment. But if you are taking zinc in excess of the recommended daily allowances, always check in with your doctor first.

While zinc is a key mineral for normalizing hormone production, it's important to realize that hormones are only one half of the acne puzzle. Naturopaths and traditional Chinese herbalists see the lymph and blood as in need of cleansing and 'decongesting'. That is why cleansing, or 'alterative' herbs, are often given to treat acne. Alterative herbs have a gentle, but non-specific cleansing effect on the body's eliminative system. For an example of one such herbal zinc acne treatment alternative, see this site.