This is a guest post by reader Nicole Schnackenberg, who is sharing her cautionary tale about B Vitamins.
I had the nagging feeling so many years that I was somehow, albeit subconsciously, making my skin problems worse. Indeed, my skin cleared up considerably when I stopped picking at it, stripping it with chemicals and covering it with thick layers of concealer.
Yet it would still flare up and I couldn’t get completely clear, no matter how hard I tried. I became obsessed with my diet, obsessed with environmental toxins, obsessed with everything. I figured that something must be causing the breakouts to continue and almost drove myself crazy trying to figure out just what it was.
I really tried everything and considered everything as a potential trigger. Or so I thought. One night I couldn’t sleep, walking backwards and forwards from my bed to the bathroom mirror, shedding copious tears over the reflection I saw there.
I sat on the sofa and allowed myself to have a good old cry. Perhaps I just had to accept it? Perhaps this is just how it was always going to be. I am not my appearance I tried to remind myself, sitting on my own hands to stop them from wandering up to my face.
What I Learned About B Vitamin Supplements
Then my mind seemed to take me back to when it all began. It was around four years previous. I had become a vegan. I had started to take B vitamins in an attempt to make up for the nutritional deficiencies in my diet, having read that B12 could only be obtained from animal products.
I began to wonder. Could the vitamins have something to do with it? I had never even considered this before. They were just a few tiny pills I took every day that were surely doing me nothing but good. Yet, my skin problems really did seem to develop around the time I started taking these vitamins. I switched on my computer and began to Google around.
Sure enough, I found numerous studies confirming that vitamin supplements, particularly B12 and B6 can induce and/or worsen acne in some people. Cases of rosacea and acne forming eruptions have been reported (e.g. here, here, and here) and there are many personal stories online of people who have experienced acne breakouts due to Vitamin B supplementation. I opened my kitchen cupboard and looked at the supplement I had been taking.
I was shocked to see that it provided over 4,000 percent of the Recommended Daily Allowance of B12 and B6 in each tablet, with the guidelines advocating taking up to five tablets a day! I had thankfully only been taking one or two a day, and have since come across stories on the web of people breaking out at much lower doses.
Why B Vitamins Could Contribute to Acne
The reason such high levels are ‘allowed’ is because B vitamins are water soluble, with excess reportedly being excreted in the urine. This would explain the dark yellow urine many of us experience when taking these supplements.
Further research, however, led me to understand that most B12 supplements are made from cyanocobalamin (as indeed mine were), which is a cheap, synthetic chemical containing cyanide molecules.
Yes – cyanide! These poisonous cyanide molecules must be removed from the body by the liver. One of the liver’s pathways of removal, as many of us are all too aware, is through the skin. Furthermore, the liver can store several years’ worth of B12, making toxicity more possible than the ‘water-soluble’ party-line would have us believe.
This then brings us to B6. The reason it was so detrimental to me, I believe, is because it is known to reduce estrogen levels and increase progesterone. My estrogen levels had been low for some time, and I had long wondered why. Low estrogen levels are often coupled with higher relative testosterone levels, which can mean higher levels of sebum production.
I sat on the sofa that night and wiped my tears decidedly away. I would stop taking my supplements. I would take a tincture of saw palmetto to help balance my hormone levels and a tincture of milk thistle to support my toxic liver and nothing more.
I would drink plenty of water and eat lots of fresh veggies. And I would be patient. My hormones were not going to fix themselves overnight.
What Happened When I Stopped Taking the B Vitamins
Patience when trying a new approach with your acne can be the hardest thing in the world. There is so much anxiety over whether it is working and how long you should continue, especially if things initially get worse before they get better (as they are sometimes want to do).
I definitely experienced a bit of healing crisis – lots of eruptions around my chin and jaw line that took weeks to subside. I nearly gave up and went back to my vitamins. Yet I am so grateful I stuck it out.
After about eight weeks my skin took a turn for the better. Fewer and fewer blemishes emerged and those that did were less inflamed and disappeared more quickly. I was also sleeping better and after twelve weeks my menstrual cycle had settled at 28 days, with fewer PMS symptoms and less discomfort.
A strange pain I had been experiencing in my jaw also disappeared, which I now think could have been nerve damage, a known side-effect of excessive B6 supplementation.
It is now four months since I stopped taking my B vitamin supplements and my skin is about 90% clear. I continue to only wash my face with water and avoid occlusive cosmetics, eat mostly a whole foods diet and take the milk thistle and saw palmetto which all help….but the B vitamins seem to have been a significant part of the puzzle. I am delighted beyond belief!
Our Bodies Are Actually Wonderfully Clever
I appreciate that acne has a vast and dizzying array of causes and triggers for different people and that vitamin supplementation may be beneficial for lots of you out there. I just wanted to share my story and to implore you at least to consider whether the supplements you are taking could be doing you more harm than good.
Perhaps get your hormone levels tested (so you know what you are dealing with instead of blindly ‘shooting in the dark’), stick to good quality supplements (preferably in tincture form, since they are free of the nasty chemical fillers used in so many tablets) and try to meet your body’s nutritional needs from good old fashioned food.
B vitamins, for example, abound in many foods, including animal products, pulses, potatoes and grains. Deficiencies are actually quite rare. B12 is the only vitamin that must be obtained from animal products and I have now accordingly added eggs and even the occasional piece of fish to my previously-vegan repertoire.
The simplest explanations are often the best explanations. Our bodies were not made for an assault of chemicals and have wonderfully clever and natural mechanisms for maintaining balance. My supplements were throwing off the balance, which is now gradually and gratefully returning.
Nicole Schnackenberg is a teacher and psychotherapist, currently working towards her doctorate in health psychology.
PS from Tracy – B Vitamins can be incredibly helpful for reducing stress, balancing hormones, and helping your liver detoxify (and we even had a guest post not that long ago from someone whose acne cleared up after getting B12 injections… just to make this really confusing!)
All in all, it’s important to choose a really good quality B Complex to avoid the problems Nicole ran into. The only one that I have found of good quality that I can recommend, that doesn’t contain excessive amounts of B12 is Thorne Stress B Complex
I’m curious about the association between you turning vegan and starting to break out. You started taking B vitamins at the same time as you turned vegan more or less I am assuming.
When you stopped being vegan and became a vegetarian/pescatarian (also stopping the B vitamins) your acne cleared up.
There is more going on here than just the B vitamins, not to say for sure it wasn’t them.
Another point of note is the RDA of vitamins are the minimum required for avoiding disease and by no means the optimum amounts for health, although 4000% does seem quite excessive! It may have even been these excesses that caused the acne.
Just so everyone knows, I stopped taking B-12 for a few weeks and my acne cleared up. I tried taking B-12 which was made with Methyl… rather than Cyano (cianide) and I had the same problems with my acne. It was actually a quick release (put it under your tongue) rather than the time release capsules. Which means it wasn’t injested through my stomach, it was soaked in through the skin under my tongue (I think I’m not a doctor). Which eliminates the stomach or digestive tract from being the problem. I think that people like us just don’t do well with excessive amounts of B-12 in our system no matter what it’s bonded with (Methyl or Cianide). Which makes me wonder what I could take to make my brain feel like it’s functioning properly because without the B-12, I just don’t feel right. My brain doesn’t work like it used to without taking the B-12, but my face is broke out like a teenager when I take it and I’m 35 years old….
“Which makes me wonder what I could take to make my brain feel like it’s functioning properly because without the B-12, I just don’t feel right. My brain doesn’t work like it used to without taking the B-12, but my face is broke out like a teenager when I take it and I’m 35 years old….”
same here but i refuse to eat animals and their products, i simply can’t, there must be a way….
without b12, i am not myself, my brain is not fonctioning properly, i am litterally out of my body while walking…
with b12, i feel fine and great shape but my skin is horrific…
what is the solution?
thx
Just to let you guys know, eating animal products doesn’t actually mean you’ll be getting adequate levels of B12, at least according to the USDA.
Oddly, the researchers found no association between plasma B12 levels and meat, poultry, and fish intake, even though these foods supply the bulk of B12 in the diet. “It’s not because people aren’t eating enough meat,” Tucker said. “The vitamin isn’t getting absorbed.” http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2000/000802.htm
Thanks for your post it really helped because I was questioning whether only the cyanide one could be a problem, but it seems like both can be.
Have you tried taking Hydroxy B12? Is the activated form of B12 without the methyl donor. I seem to be unable to tolerate any methyl B12 but the Hydroxy B12 has been life changing, and it does not seem to be aggravating my acne (which B vitamins usually do, for me).
I have been a subscriber for over a year now, and am delighted to say that my skin HAD never looked better after following a lot of Tracy’s recommendations, like taking chaste berry, eliminating much of the chemicals I’d used on my skin, moisturizing with jojoba, using tamanu oil, etc. A few months ago, my skin problems started returning, and I couldn’t figure out why. OK, maybe I’d gotten a little lax about my regimen, but I wasn’t really doing anything THAT much different. What had changed? The only thing that I could think of was I had started taking a supplement I got at Costco for “Hair, Skin & Nails”. I have weak hair and weaker nails so I thought it sounded great. And why would a supplement that specifically says its for the skin make me break out? So, I continued to take it. I am so glad you posted this-turns out my inkling was right! I’m going to stop taking it right away!
DeeDee your blog is so similar to what happened to me. I also tried the Hair, Skin, & Nail supplement AND it contributed to more of my breakout. I think some of us are prone to adverse affects with the B vitamins in such supplements. I started avoiding anything with B vitamins and instead did natural detox of my liver and colon which boosted my energy level naturally without a B vitamin.
quite often Costco sells based on price only and sells junk. Almost every food item there contains vegetable oil, which is very bad for you. So, beware of Costco…
Can you please place a link as to what kind of Tinctures you used for Saw Palmetto and Milk Thistle? -The cystic Acne sufferer
heres a few more to consider, these are great brands.
https://megafood.com/store/speciality/un-stress/
https://megafood.com/store/vitamins/balanced-b-complex/
http://www.pioneernutritional.com/b-complex-vitamins/b-complex.html
Overdosing on biotin (aka B7) is what led me to your website! I was taking 2000x the daily recommended amount for about a month and a half… Prior to the biotin I had mostly clear skin except for a few pimples here and there but nothing I worried about. Then a few weeks into taking biotin my skin exploded. Once I figured out it was the cause, I immediately stopped taking them and experienced what you call a “healing crisis”. It got MUCH worse. It’s been about 6 weeks off and the acne is slowly clearing, but I assume I still have a ways to go. However, the experience hasn’t been all bad. I have COMPLETELY revamped my diet to something you would be proud of and even found out through an aesthetician that I’m lactose intolerant (which explains the more-than-normal acne I was getting this summer while drinking a ton of milk!) Even though I know the cause and have faith that my skin will eventually return to normal, I am delighted to have seen this article because it’s so reassuring to know I’m on the right path! Thank you!!!
hmmm, Not all B6&B12 supplements are made up of the same components. Thats why the B-Shots may help others with acne because what it contains, the body recognizes certain components. I personally take a Natural supplement which contains but are made up of B6(as pyridoxine HCI & pyridoxal-5phosphate) B12 (as Methylcobalamin) Example: Methylcobalamin is what your body actually wants and needs; cyanocobalamin is the substandard and unnatural substitute brought to you by the laboratories of big pharma which doesn’t perform as well and even releases a known toxin into your body. So next time you buy a multivitamin or a B12 supplement, check the ingredients and make sure you’re getting the superior methylcobalamin that your body can actually use.
Please correct me if I’m wrong…i love to learn!
I’m taking the methylcob B 12 and thinking it’s causing my acne. Even though this is the pill I was taking a realized the dosage was 16,666% and that’s not a typo. So I was thinking this is probably contributing to my acne since they started around the same time (the supplement and acne). However the acne is hormonal but spreading to areas like the browser and forehead which I haven’t had since a few years ago when I eliminated dairy… Do you think it would make sense for b12 to cause a hormone imbalance? Do you have any other thoughts on this? I recently stopped takimg it (today)
For those looking for a great jojoba oil in the USA, you can find Leven Rose jojoba oil on Amazon.com. It is organic, cold pressed, and unrefined. It is made in the USA (local) for me and the price is absolutely AMAZING. It comes in a dark glass bottle with a dropper which is perfect to dispense the amount you need without the mess or contaminating the whole bottle. I have been using it for 2 weeks and it is true to it’s claim.
Interesting read. Thanks for sharing this post Tracy!
Hi Tracy and Nicole, I definitely had this problem. I’m in my 20’s, and I am not a vegetarian, but I do not eat red meat and have not for about 10 years. I don’t eat meat daily (poultry, fish, etc.). I do try to pay attention to my diet and get what nutrients I need, but of course it can be hard sometimes! I am always feeling tired for no reason, so I had my vitamin B levels assessed by my doctor, and I was a little low. It makes sense since I don’t have a large constant source of them in my diet and I haven’t for many years. So I started taking a vitamin B complex, and it honestly made such a difference in my energy levels. I felt awesome!! I didn’t connect the dots until a few months had gone by, but I was also suffering from a huge breakout of cystic acne on my jawline and cheeks. HUGE! I hadn’t suffered from that much cystic acne at once ever before, usually my cystic acne was milder. I found out by looking at pictures of myself before and after the breakout started and connecting the dates with my doctor’s appointment. I was really concerned and getting scars and marks and the zits kept on coming. Then I googled B vitamins and acne and found a lot of results related to acne that sent off a lightbulb!
Basically, as soon as I stopped taking the supplement, new cystic acne stopped forming (practically the day after!). Healing took a few weeks but I definitely stopped getting that type of acne and went back to the normal mild and less frequent type. I was glad I figured it out and stopped but the scars are still there and are very stubborn. My main problem now is back to the low energy, I am constantly dealing with that issue. I eat eggs more frequently but it is still really tough being tired all the time when I know the supplement helped with that problem a lot. I’m just not willing to get more cystic acne and more scarring! If you or anyone has additional suggestions for easy B vitamin foods to incorporate daily or frequently, let me know!
Thanks for the helpful post 🙂
Hey Lauren, stoked you connected the dots there 🙂
So I’m not sure what it is that causes the acne from the B Supplements… whether it’s the cheap ingredients some of them are made from (cyanocobalamin) or whether it’s the excess B12 in most B complexes… at the end of the article I suggested the Thorne Stress B Complex as it is made from better quality ingredients and doesn’t have excessive amounts of B12 in relation to everything else in the supplement. So if you are brave, you can give it a try and see if it is different (and if you do, please let us know what happened as I would be very curious to know!)
Recent research makes a link between B12 supplementation and a change in the chemical output of bacteria living on the skin (Propionibacterium acnes). B12 is posited to alter P. acnes’ metabolism and cause those bacteria to output a precursor to porphyrins, a substance irritating to the skin.
Hi Tracy,
Do you think vitamin B12 could be related to hormonal acne? My acne cleared up but has now been back for the last 4 months. The last few weeks my acne has been forming on my upper cheeks and this week my forehead too. I’m worried because it’s getting worse and worse and I’m eating paleo (except no starch bc I have Crohns Disease) but I’m not sure what else to do. I recently realized a b12 I am taking has 16,666 % vitamin B12! It’s high quality though and a methylated b vitamin. I’m planning on eliminating the b vitamins, but my mom wants me to continue (I’m 18). I’m also thinking of doing a hormonal test, bc my acne clears up days 14-21 of my cycle, but then goes quickly back to break outs after. it’s also mostly around my chin. However, my hormonal acne is getting a little better, but I’m getting more elsewhere. Do you have any ideas of what hormone imbalance this could signify (to clear up around ovulation)? Also do you think b12 could contribute to a hormonal imbalance?
Try green tea
I know this was written a long time but i was in the same boat as you – try liquid iron, ive been takimg it for about ten weeks, HUGE difference in my energy and anxiety levels
I have the same issue with b’s; however, there is actually yet another form of b12 that works for some people who can’t handle the cyano or metho forms of b12. It’s called Adenosyl/Hydroxy B12.
I recently had labs done, and of course, I’m low in b12. Unfortunately, every time I take b12, I break out on my face, neck, chest and back. If I don’t take it though, I get sooo tired and weak with brain fog and depression. This Adenosyl/Hydroxy B12 could be a solution for those with b12 issues. I will come back in a couple of months and update. Hopefully this one will work. *crosses fingers*
You could also try Garden of Life vitamins, they are made only of food not chemicals.
I heard the great radio nutritionist Dr. Robert Crahon comment 15 years ago that he has seen some “NASTY acne outbreaks from vitamin B12″….
I myself just moved and didn’t take ANY of my usual supplements for 2 weeks (off multiple amino powders, green powders and vitamins except continued vitamin C) and my skin became 100 percent clear….I know the chlorella powder and the “Swedish Bitters” supplement I was using gave me an itchy zitty looking rash on my face…Meanwhile I ate junkfood (a bagel with cream cheese and lox and plenty of yogurt milk) and my skin remained clear until I resumed the supplements…
Thank you so much for your informative article. I was diagnosed with a pretty severe B12 deficiency several years ago (levels were <10% when diagnosed). I've been on shots for five or so years but never felt I was getting enough. I finally added sublinguals and have made reminders to take one every day (I'm pretty forgetful…side effect of B12 deficiency). Since I started taking B12 daily, my face has broken out worse than ever before. I finally realized that the only thing that has changed in my routine has been the added B12, which I then decided to confirm by googling and thus ended up reading your article. I had no idea about the harmful ingredient, which was in the brand I was taking. I'll be looking into the healthier (and harder to locate) version first thing tomorrow. Again, thank you so much for putting your story out there.
Good luck Heather! Glad this article was helpful for you 🙂
I just found your wonderful website, and my daughter is thrilled. First I’ll start with the B vitamins issue. My daughter has had Lyme disease for 16 years which spread to the brain. She also developed hashimoto’s, as a result of the Lyme attacking the brain (it’s called infection-induced autoimmune encephalopathy). In addition, she has mycoplasma oneumoniae, common in Lyme patients. BUT the point is, she’s had acne almost all her life and it is worsening of late. She’s 20. The reason I’m bringing all this up, is that when we finally found our Lyme dr, 13 yrs after being misdiagnosed, he tested her for the mth fr gene. There are two mutations: C677T (for a predisposition to coronary artery disease – doesn’t mean you WILL get it, but in our family there is a history of it. So people who have it, have to watch their homocysteine levels…you can have one copy of two). The other mutation is A1298 which shows a predisposition to psychiatric illnesses (could be anything from anxiety and depression to bipolar). Again, it doesn’t mean yiu will get it. How does this all fit in with B vitamins? If you have the mutations (it’s a simple blood test you can ask your doctor to do – many don’t know about it, so brace yourself; if they won’t do it, you can use the 23andme.com website to do genetic testing no have a dr online or your win dr interpret the results).
If yiu have this genetic mutation, yiu cannot take regular B vitamins. You must take methylB12, methylfolate with B6. Thorne makes one and xymogen does as well.
” methyl protect” or “methyl guard”. Now, some people can feel worse when they take it because it’s not the proper amount. It’s a very delicate balance, and to learn more, you can visit, mthfr.net Dr Ben Lynch has all kinds of great info and videos about it.
Because my daughter has the C677T gene (and it would be the same for the A1298 gene), it makes it harder for her to detox especially with all the medications she was in for Lyme and mycoplasma. At one point, she took herbal,,and her back broke out like she had a combination of measles and shingles! It was painful and horrible,,and she still has scarring. We thought it was a bad allergic reaction, but we learned, because of the genetic mutations, it makes it difficult for the body to detox, so the only place it can escape is the skin.
Good detoxing should include cleansers, far infrared saunas, and even something as simple as hot water with lemon in the morning, and water with a high quality Vit C (with a small amount of juice if you can’t tolerate plain water and C…you want to avoid as much sugar as possible..another acne trigger!). We take liposomal vitamin C (it’s a packet) and not very good tasting (it’s like a gel) …suck in the gel, and then wash it down with water or any be erase if you can’t tolerate the taste. liposomal C is great for the skin.
Lastly, my daughter is estrogen dominant, and has painful breasts, heavy bleeding, painful cramps (evening primrose works for some people). Her blood test showed she had low progesterone. With the nth fr Gene, you can’t take the pill, so her gynecologist was going to give her a low progesterone pill. She tried it for a month, and it didn’t work. Then the gynecologist put her in spironalactone which people say is miraculous. It’s a pill that works as diuretic, lowers blood pressure, supposed to stop hair loss (which she has from hashimoto’s) and reduce weight gain. It didn’t work for her, and when she stopped it, the acne came back with a vengeance…
So we did a saliva test which showed low progesterone (lower than what the blood values were), low cortisol in afternoon and evenings and low Shea which the blood work didn’t pick up. We are working with a compounding pharmacy and they prescribed 10 mg of progesterone in pump form (if she needs a higher dose, we need to get a prescription from her gynecologist). She’s also going to use a newer product (prescription) that is a combination of sprinoloactone and niacin for acne. Don’t know how or if it will work, but she is desperate to cure the acne …hers is mostly the jawline (which is hormonal) or cheeks (which they say is from respiratory or liver issues – she will be taking a supplement called Max Liver, and also an adrenal supplement since the cortisol shut her adrenals down). If you have acne from diet, it usually manifests on the forehead or nose (triangle area).
We both look forward to reading all the great posts (already my daughter ha related to three posts that sound exactly like her!).
Thank you for a great site…we found out by googling low progesterone and acne…never made the connection!!!
I found your post very interesting and helpful! I tried replying once but it got deleted. I would recommend vitex and reading Tracy’s article on it. It is a herb to naturally help the body produce it’s own progesterone and is a lot safer. Also if you can afford it id recommend liver rescue. Good luck 🙂
Hi all,
I recently found I have quite a serious vitamin B12 deficiency which warrants the heavy dose of B12 pills – 1 to 2 pills of 1000mcg a day. I had been forewarned about cyanocobalamin not being the most natural / easy to digest version and therefore am taking pills with 500 mcg methylcobalamin and 500 mcg adenosylcobalamin 500 instead (also containing 400 mcg B11 / folic acid which I’ve been told helps take up the B12). I had read one other post suggesting it is the cyanocobalamin that causes acne, not these two more natural forms. I was not fully convinced, so was bracing myself for an acne breakout, as my skin is prone to it (but the neurological symptoms were more important to treat). To my surprise and relief, after my first few days of taking this quite heavy dose, my skin seems to clear up rather than break out. So there is some anecdotal support to the theory that it is only the cyan version of the cobalamin causing the acne. Anecdotal evidence is not the same as scientific proof, but I thought I’d share all the same. I’d advise everyone who starts to take B12 to discuss this with their doctor and to consider methylcobalamin and/or adenosylcobalamin. Good luck everyone, our bodies are still quite the black boxes with literally and figuratively complex communicating vessels…
I started taking Jigsaw brand “Activated B w/SRT” (B complex)….The form of B12 in this is methylcobalamin (thinking this form wouldn’t turn me into a zit face)….Yes…it turned me into a zit face….Immediately cleared up when I stopped taking this crap….
I have found the same thing with vitamin B and I had severe acne cystic acne that not even accutane could clear. It mostly cleared up after cutting out the vitamins and also switching to Enjoy sulfate free shampoo. The shampoo is expensive but every time I try to switch brands my face breaks out again. It has made a huge difference
You could also wash your hair with Kirk’s Natural Castile soap and instead of using conditioner use that cheap diluted reconstituted lemon or lime juice to make the ph of your hair and skin perfect (dilute it half water, brush it through your hair and rinse with water….)….
my face started really breaking out about 5 months ago, and I have not been able to figure out why. Even taking a prescription for acne has not helped. I finally googled today and found your article. I really hope this is the cause. I will stop taking my B vitamin supplement now!
thank you for the article!
I am a 69 yr. old male with cystic acne. I take vitamin B-12 cyanocobalamin [ 1000 mcg ] once a day . The only relief i get is using “clindamycin phosphate ” topical solution. Going to stop B-12 for awhile and see what happens. Thanks and i hope your advice helps.
Read up on the action of b12 on Propionibacterium acnes on your skin.
Jim, I’m 61 and I feel your pain! My hormone doc recommended B Supreme or B Active – both high in B12. After much research, am dumping all the B’s and trying TMG – 1000mg – by NOW. This is to lower my homocysteine levels without the gift of acne. Will keep everyone posted.
Wow, that really sucks for me because if I don’t take a super B complex vitamin then I’m more depressed and cry easily. I thought taking that was the reason for my acne so I guess I’ll have to choose one or the other.
Hi Evan – try the Thorne one I linked to
Thank you so much for posting this I am a 52 year old woman who takes a regular multivitamin but after having a b12 injection suffered a severe bout of adult acne. It’s now been 4 weeks and although much better still having breakouts. My biggest struggle a has been understanding why this has happened and not much I could relate to online. Thanks for helping me make some sense of this.
Hi Lee, just wondering how your breakouts are going?
Thanks for writing this blog post. I was diagnosed as b12 deficient, and given 3 b12 injections at the end of January 2016. The last injection was the 28th, and on Feb 1st my face was covered in the worst acne I’ve ever had in my life.
My face was red, itchy, covered in bumps that became cystic acne and whiteheads. I was so upset and shocked I stayed off work for a week! I couldn’t deal with the idea of be 27 with acne like a 14 year old boy…it’s disgusting!
I don’t know what to do – It’s been 2 months now, and still the acne is all over my face, my chest…all I want to do is cry and hide. I hate what this has done to my skin. The strange this is it will calm down for about a week and a half or 2 weeks, but then flare up again all over my cheeks, forehead, jawline…
I really hope it goes away. I will be seeing my doctor next week. I hope that I have a good outcome like you – I have stopped any b12 supplement since that last injection. I had clear skin before this…and now I just look awful.
Off the B12 you should clear up in a week…
Make sure your sugar intake is always low and AVOID GRAINS!!!!
Almost ALL grains are toxic GMOs sprayed with Round-Up and pesticides….
Thank you for your post! I have really quite the same story as you.
I’m 30 years old and though I had some acne when I was a teenager, I hadn’t had any problems in years. So I became a vegan (and started taking a b12 supplement) about a year ago and soon started getting mild to severe acne all over my face. I was confused about what the reason would be and tried everything to cure it: oil cleansing, retinol, low carb and low fat diet, no alcohol.. I became obsessed about skin cleansing and also changed all the cosmetics and makeup I was using but nothing was working. Sometimes my skin might slightly clear for a week or so but then it would get even worse than before again.
Then three months ago it took a step for the worse and I developed a painful cystic acne all over my cheeks and jawline (before it was mostly white heads), something I had never had before (I mostly break out on my T-zone). That was when I really took to researching my problem. I knew it had something to do with my veganism but I wasn’t ready to let go of it so I hadn’t really thought about it more closely.
Anyway, somehow I came across this research from last spring that showed a clear relation between acne and b12. I believe it said that vitamin b12 can lead normal skin bacteria called propionibacterium acnes to pump out pimple-producing chemicals. I was taking 1mg every day so for me in fact it was too much per day. I decided to start taking it only every other day and try and see what it would do.
I have to say it has made a worlds difference. But I also fould out in another research that to clear acne you need to combine chemically pealing products such as AHAs or bezoyl peroxide with antioxidants such as topical c-vitamin, pycnogenol or green tea. So at the same time I have gained some amazing knowledge about acne skin/aging skin health and besides reducing my b12 intake I’ve made some other life changes as well which might have contributed to my ever clearing complexion as well.
What I’ve done is I started useing benzoyl peroxide cream when I had my acute acne period and after a while I introduced glycolic acid cream (10%), hyaluronic acid serum, antioxidant products (for instance green tea, vitamin c and pycnogenol serums/creams) and bentonite clay masks. Now my skin is still healing and I have many read marks left but other than my skin is not bumpy but really soft and even. I can say my skin has never looked better! So if you’re looking for something that might help in your skins recovery – besides reducing your b-vitamin intake – try antioxidants combined with pealing agents. I beleave these are the key.
Maybe you should stop the B vitamins all together….
If you’re eating enough meat and chicken you don’t need it…
Love this site! Am 61 and have always had oily skin. After menopause, I discovered bioidentical hormones. Good stuff – except for the testosterone supplementation. My blood work showed very low levels but when I took the tiniest bit …..boom!!! Acne on a 61 year old is beyond humiliating. Also, my homocysteine levels were high so I advised to take B-Activ or B Supreme. Both contain significant B12. You guessed it – acne. Am trying the Thorne Stress B Complex but so far, no improvement. Must I choose between clear skin and a heart attack? I’m too old for this crap!
Updated – 2 weeks off all B’s (except B2) and skin is much less oily than before. After hours of research on high homocysteine and the MTHFR gene defect, am taking TMG – 1000 mgs 2x a day and 100 mgs B2/riboflavin 2x a day. Malabsorption of B’s w the MTHFR defect, can cause acne, depression, miscarriage – lots of great stuff. My hormone doc us not up on all of this. Very disappointing. Basically, the skin reveals the body’s issues. If B12 (either kind) causes breakouts, there are larger issues at hand.
Cathy, what did yu end up doing? I’m not sure if I have MTHFR gene defect, but b12 really breaks me out badly. My problem is, at 52, I’m concerned about early onset dementia, like my mom had. People are always telling me to take b12.. But the acne it causes is CRAZY. Anyway, I’d love an update on your situation..
I’m not Cathy, but whether you have the MTHFR gene mutation or not, you can take the active forms (methylfolate (not folic acid), methylcobalamin (not cyanocobalamin or “b12”), and pyridoxal 5 phosphate (not pyridoxine or “b6”). That way, even if you do have the MTHFR gene mutation, you’re bypassing the defective gene and making sure you don’t have vitamins in your body, floating around, causing more issues. You’ll have to get them at a vitamin shop or online. Pharmacies only sell the cheap and synthetic vitamins.
Thank you for this post, it really made me think about how I’d been feeling the past two years. I started the b complex about two years ago. Also, I think I was having some serious issues with B complex because a doctor was worried about how my levels of a few b vitamins were slightly lower than what was optimal. I’ve had horrible acne the past two years which I had thought was just stress related. But now I think it was B vitamins, also my nerve pain had become worse while on them, my estrogen levels have been off too since I’ve been on them. Only a few days off of them my skin feels less inflamed, but I’m sure my body will have to detox before I feel 100% normal again.
How delighted I am to find this website. Thank you! Started taking B1 about 2 weeks ago. Read that it could help folks like me who are highly allergic to mosquito and gnat bites. I’m 65 and my skin started breaking out like crazy. Nothing seems to work. I Googled, thinking I’d find nothing and up popped this site. I’m happy and grateful! Going to stop the B1 and will come back with an update next week.
This post looks like my situation right now…I became vegan and tried to supplement B vitamins. The main one is Hair, Nail and Skin. I stopped all of them and let’s see. I am taking a liver cleansing and probiotics. I’ll update in a month. Thank you!
OMG!!!!
I have been vegan for 2 years, and have had the worst acne Ive ever had since… and nothing else has changed. I always had a feeling my acne had to do with my diet but I do not want to start eating animal products again… so i tried about everything to clear my skin up….Just had a blood work done everything looks great, but something I noticed is that my B12 levels are insanely high… though my doctor did not seem to see a problem with it, it kept coming back to my ming. Today i stumbled upon this post….I am stopping my supplements today and hopefully i will see some amelioration!! I do not want to get my hope to high….but oh this would be such a blessing if I could just see a bit of an improvement! Thinking of everyone going through this painful journey of trying to figure out what is causing adult acne…
Thought this article was interesting. I recently came across something about B12 causing acne and so I stopped taking mine. I am vegan and figured I need B12. But thought it was a good idea to try not taking. I noticed a difference then I started taking vitamin E tablets the brand was Vitamin Code. Those 2 things together my skin has improved a lot. Unfortunately I am still looking to fix that dreaded monthly hormonal break outs. I know I need something to help with hormonal balance and have been looking into calcium D glucarate. Does anyone have any experience with that? I take thyroid medication also does anyone know if it will affect that? Thanks!
You can try classic homepathy. It does help a lot with hormones.
Thank you for this article!
I am suprised no one mentioned quit zits in any comment above!
I stopped smoking 7 months ago, and soon after I got whiteheads all over my face and these cystic pimples I never had mostly around my jaw and chin! I never had this problem before… i used to get a pimple or 2 on the T area, a had mild blackheads on nose.
People, including doctors, kept telling me its a way of my body healing and to keep taking my vitamins, training everyday like a do, eat healthy . It kept getting worse, like a alergic reaction.
Thankfully, I quit taking all the vitamins on my own hand. Unfortuently, I started taking yogurt and all this food that is filled with b12. I presume this is why my face still is in the healing process, after 3 months off of b12. No more cystic acne though, but my face is still filled with whiteheads that tend to subside a bit and then outbreak. Probably when I eat food that is rich with b12…but its getting better.
I kept doing research! And last week i found an article linking b12 and acne.
After checking my b12 levels I finally got to the answer! And I was wondering how long it will take for my face to get back to normal. Thank you so much for being specific! Now, I know what to expect.
Im wondering if all the people suffering from acne after giving up smoking are actually starting to absorb b12 differently. In a different dose or similiar. Hopefully someone will see this comment that was in the same situation like me (wanting to heal faster and taking all kinds of supplements). and get a better answer than- ^wait it out^.
Good luck to all that found their way here!
I haven’t read all of the comments, but wanted to note my experience. I have the MTHFR gene mutation which inhibits my ability to process synthetic b vitamins. Because of the food fortification mandate in 1993, all processed foods have synthetic b vitamin fortification in the US. Flour, cereal, orange juice, any processed frozen meal will have synthetic vitamins added. If you see “folic acid, b6, b12” listed, it’s symthetic. If you have the MTHFR gene mutation (and 50% of the population does) and you eat fortified foods, your body is going to have a hard time processing the “water soluble” vitamins out. It’ll get stuck in a methylation loop. Add synthetic or bio available b vitamins to that, and it’s not going to matter. You’re still going to have the synthetic vitamins stuck in your body trying to get processed and failing. You’d think the bio available vitamins would take precidence, but they don’t. They’re not absorbed because your body is trying so hard to process the vitamins that it can’t process.
I’ve seen a lot of people on here stating that their b vitamin levels tested extremely high. That could very well be because of a methyl loop. You have high levels because they’re not being processed. They’re in your blood, but my bet is that the same level would not be found in your urine. They’re just stuck.
I cut out all processed foods and waited 3 months for the vitamins that were stuck to clear out. Then I started on ONLY bio available vitamins. Methylfolate, methylcobalamin, and pyridoxal 5 phosphate. My brain fog lifted, my mood became more stable, my acne cleared up, my cystic acne went away, and my periods became regular.
Thank you Sarah for your very informative message! This is all making so much sense to me! I stopped 3 weeks ago b12 and can definitely feel the inflamation going down, slowly, but its going down!! So seeing that you mention 3 months gives me so much hope. I will talk to my naturopathic doctor about the MTHFR gene mutation! SO interesting, Im sure I have that too, it would make so much sense.
Thank you for taking the time to post about your journey!! Have a great day!
That’s great! I’m glad you’re going to check. Not many doctors know how to treat MTHFR and often prescribe high doses of synthetic folic acid. The old thought (before bio available vitamins were readily available) was that if one of your mutated genes was ineffective, the other would pick up the slack if there was enough vitamins in your system. That just leads to a host of other issues including cancer and the methyloop I was talking about.
Look up metanx or neevo. They’re both prescription vitamins, but they only have bio-available b vitamins that bypass defective genes. If you end up having MTHFR, you can get a prescription, or copy the ingredients by ordering vitamins online. (You won’t find them at regular drug stores because it’s much cheaper to produce synthetic vitamins.) I’ve also heard of MTHFR patients taking raw vitamins, but I haven’t researched that enough. I don’t know if they add synthetic vitamins in as well. MTHFR.net is a good resource.
Thank you so much for sharing this! I’ve never had flawless skin, little breakouts here and there until more than a month ago I broke out immensely. I first blamed it on a new face wash I was using, until a friend mentioned to me she broke out because of a biotin vitamin. It all clicked in my head. I started doing research and came across your post. The multi vitamins and biotin vitamins were the culprit all along. It’s been a week that I’ve stopped taking them and my skin hasn’t improved but I know I need to be patient. Your post has helped me learn a lot!
I came across this post and am most thankful that I did. I went off of birth control about a year ago and started taking prenatals. I have dealt with acne off and on due to genetic hormone issues (overproduction of testosterone and a wacky thyroid), The prenatals helped to feel balanced mentally however I started having issues with cystic acne on my jaw line about 6-8 months ago and about 3 months ago my back. I thought I was having an allergic reaction to something (laundry detergent for example) so I tried different tactics to lessen the acne…nothing has worked ugh! So I started doing research and came across this post. Turns out my prenatals have the cyanocobalamin for the B12 and this may be causing the issue. I am going to stop taking them and see if my back clears up. I have never had back break outs like this and it has gotten ridiculous. Electrolysis helped majorly with the cystic acne on the jawline and neck and it has reduced the appearance of the scarring. I highly recommend electrolysis for cystic acne on the face and I will let you know about the back in a few weeks after stopping these supplements. Thanks again for your posts.