Acne, which is characterised by the onset of blackheads, pimples, pustules, cysts and redness, can be an extremely frustrating and life-altering condition. Usually found around the face, acne can have a huge impact on an individual’s confidence and self-esteem.

Sufferers go to great lengths to seek out cures, which leads to experimentation with numerous different pills and creams. Sometimes a simpler, natural method may provide the answer.

In the case of acne, a very simple supplement known as methylsulfonylmethane, or MSM, can provide more benefits than some chemical creams. Best of all, MSM is a natural compound and is relatively inexpensive to take.

What Is Methylsulfonylmethane & What Does It Do?

MSM is a white, crystalline substance made from a naturally occurring sulphur compound. MSM is actually delivered during rainfall and, as a result, is found in many different whole foods like fruits and vegetables.

However, the quantity found in our food is becoming lower thanks to poorer soil quality. Therefore, supplements are now a more popular way of increasing dietary intake of MSM.

Once inside your body, MSM is metabolised to increase your overall levels of sulphur. Sulphur is an extremely important compound for your body as it contributes to a wide range of bodily functions from cell repair to hair growth.

How Can MSM Help Acne?

Due to sulphur being involved in so many different processes in your body, increasing your sulphur intake has a number of health benefits. As a result, MSM supplementation can actually improve acne symptoms via three different pathways:

1) MSM Has Anti-Inflammatory Properties

MSM has a very good reputation as a treatment for arthritis and joint pain thanks to its’ inflammation reducing properties.

In the past, it has been used to aid the recovery of race horses and was shown to reduce inflammation in their muscles after a race. Nowadays, it is used by many people who swear by it for reducing inflammation of their joints.

One of the main causes of acne is chronic inflammation, so it makes sense that MSM would be an excellent choice for reducing the redness and itchiness of the inflamed skin. Less inflammation will not only lead to current pimples and cysts being less visible but should also cause a reduction in the creation of new ones.

2) MSM Strengthens Your Skin

Sulphur is very well known for the key role it plays is the formation of collagen throughout your body. Collagen is a type of amino acid that helps to promote stronger, more elastic and better-toned skin.

Taking MSM to boost collagen production can make your skin appear smoother and suppler. It can also help with the repair of your skin and improve the appearance of any scar tissue that may have been caused by acne.

3) MSM Is A Strong Antioxidant

Glutathione is an extremely powerful antioxidant that is manufactured by your body and plays a big part in promoting healthy skin. People with acne have been observed to have much lower levels of glutathione than the average person, which means increasing their levels of it should be a priority.

Fortunately, MSM supplements can help to increase the production of glutathione in your body by upping your sulphur levels. Sulphur is absolutely vital to the manufacturing process of glutathione and using MSM to elevate the amount of available sulphur is a great way to give your body an antioxidant boost.

Having more antioxidants flowing around your body means your skin cells are less likely to become damaged or inflamed as a result of cell oxidation caused by free radicals.

How To Use MSM For Acne

You can purchase creams or even make your own MSM paste and apply it to your skin topically, which may be a good idea in some cases when more targeted relief is needed. However, topical application is unlikely to provide all of the benefits discussed above.

Oral ingestion of MSM in the form of a powder or tablets is the simplest and likely to be the most effective method for improving your acne. Dosage ranging from 2-6g daily have been demonstrated to be safe for most individuals.

However, it is recommended to take a cautious approach and begin on the low end of that range. MSM is a natural compound so most healthy people will not need to worry about side effects but it is best to assess your tolerance first and adjust your dosage based on the results.

Individuals who are currently taking blood-thinning medication are advised against taking MSM supplements. To be totally safe, it is always recommended that you discuss any new supplementation or dietary changes with a registered health care professional first.

High quality, UK-made MSM supplements can be ordered in 1,000 mg tablet form directly from our Hellenia online store by clicking here.