You may have heard of zinc as a way to combat acne. It is true that zinc can work as a great acne-fighter, but you might not know exactly how. Zinc for acne works in two ways.
Zinc as Topical Application
Zinc can be a very fast acting acne-zapper when applied topically. Most acne medications that you can buy over the counter will actually use something like benzyl peroxide or an alpha hydroxyl acid to deal with clogged pores, but zinc can work very well as a strong acne-fighter for more persistent infections.
You may have heard the old wives tale of using toothpaste on your zits. This actually is one of the few old wives tales that is somewhat true. While toothpaste will not be as effective as a dedicated zinc-based topical application to get rid of zits, the fact is that most toothpastes contain zinc, so dabbing a little on a zit may well get rid of it in 24 hours or so.
Zinc for Consumption
Zinc is probably better when ingested than when used as an exfoliate. Zinc in tablet form can really help with acne and other skin conditions that appear in the form of red bumps and other blemishes.
Taken with food, zinc can be a big help to your immune system and your liver, and that can really help to keep your hormones and chemicals in check. This results in less oily skin and better health in general. Taken with the proper vitamins, zinc can be rendered even more powerful in fighting acne, and has been shown to help get rid of everything from minor red bumps to rosacea.
For best results, you may want to add a zinc cream to a zinc vitamin regiment. Note that it cannot be taken with antibiotics.
Zinc can also be depleted by too much caffeine. If you are a four-cup-a-day coffee drinker or you love your cola or energy drinks, you may want to cut back on the buzz as well as increasing your zinc intake.