More often than not you are bombarded with aisles and shelves of generic external acne treatments ranging from face wash, toners and creams. Most contain the active ingredient benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid.

Rarely do you see any internal acne treatments (except through prescription drugs and antibiotics) or any other natural acne alternatives for external use. But it turns out that natural ingredients works just as well (if not better) than these synthetic chemicals from a test tube.

A 1995 study made by the State University of New York created a head by head comparison of topical B vitamin nicotinamide versus the prescription antibiotic clindaymycin. Results from this study shows that they had “comparable efficacy” on getting rid of acne with numbers slightly better for the B vitamin!

Too bad topical antibiotics are recommended by dermatologists while B vitamin nicotinamide is almost never mentioned to you. It is a pity considering that this natural acne alternative is probably better for your skin with no side effects.

But what about taking Vitamin B internally? In a 1975 study by the Archives of Dermatology found that by adding Vitamin B nicotinamide added to standard acne treatment produce solid clear skin results.

Another study done by the University of Pittsburgh found that 88 percent of acne patients in the two month study rated their overall improvement as either moderate or much better after taking a nutritional combination containing B vitamin nicotinamide. The benefits were especially dramatic for getting rid of inflammatory acne lesions.

Although three studies have found Vitamin B effective for fighting acne, nobody knows for sure why B vitamins works so well but a large open study (from The Nicomide Improvement in Clinical Outcomes Study reported in the 2006 journal Cutis) found that nicotinamide has powerful anti-inflammatory properties and works from the inside out.

In your diet, you can find nicotinamide in high protein foods. This includes meats, fish, brewer's yeast, milk,eggs , legumes, potatoes and peanuts. As an added benefit besides clear skin nicotinamide may help lower cholesterol levels, stabilize your blood sugar, support genetic processes in your cells and help your body process fats. But to receive more consistent results you should take a supplement that contains more of this incredible anti acne nutrient.

Everybody is different so the clear skin results may vary from one person to the next. But don’t expect to take one Vitamin B supplement and expect your acne will suddenly disappear. Instead take a more holistic approach by keeping your diet clean and healthy, control your stress levels, and give yourself extra protection by taking a vitamin supplement with more anti-acne nutrients in them. This by itself will almost always control acne.