What is Zinc?
Zinc is a trace mineral needed by many enzymes.
What it does for skin
The review abstract reports that acne patients had significantly lower serum zinc levels than controls.
The same abstract reports that zinc-treated patients had a significant improvement in mean inflammatory papule count compared with those not treated with zinc.
What the research shows
The review authors conclude that zinc is effective for acne, particularly at reducing inflammatory papules, whether used as monotherapy or as an adjunct.
The abstract gives no pooled effect size, p-values or number of studies, so the size of the effect cannot be quantified from it.
Forms, amounts and limits
The NIH recommended amount is 8 mg a day for adult women and 11 mg a day for adult men.
The NIH tolerable upper limit is 40 mg a day for adults.
Safety
The NIH fact sheet says doses of 50 mg or more a day, taken for weeks, can interfere with copper absorption and cause low copper status.
Talk to a doctor or pharmacist before starting any supplement, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, have a medical condition or take medicines.
Questions
Does zinc clear acne?
The review reports that zinc reduces inflammatory acne papules, but its abstract gives no effect sizes. It is not a replacement for acne treatment from a clinician.
What about zinc and copper?
Long-term high zinc lowers copper absorption. The NIH fact sheet puts that risk at 50 mg or more a day for weeks.
Sources
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Zinc fact sheet (opens in a new tab)
- Systematic review and meta-analysis, Dermatologic Therapy: serum zinc levels and efficacy of zinc treatment in acne vulgaris (PubMed 32860489) (opens in a new tab)
General information, not medical advice. Vanu Health does not sell this supplement. Read our terms.