Vitamin B5 for Acne, Oily Skin

An inexpensive, natural, and safe treatment for acne –

Pantethine (Vitamin B5) - Nature’s Accutane

One of the most beneficial vitamins for treating acne Vitamin B5 or Pantothenic acid.

Pantethine is derived from PANTOTHENIC ACID

What is it? Pantothenic acid is a B vitamin that is used as a supplement to treat acne, osteoarthritis, Pantothenic acid deficiency, rheumatoid arthritis, and wounds. It is also used for inflammatory bowel disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, lowered blood cell production, mitochondrial dysfunction, infection, adrenal (gland) dysfunction, stress disorders, allergies, liver problems, and to support the immune system.

Other names for Pantothenic acid include: D-Pantotherate, Vitamin B5, D-Panthenol, Calcium Pantothenate, Pantothenol, Pantothenylol, and Dexpanthenol.

There are few natural compounds more powerful than Pantethine and its relative pantothenic acid. For decades pantothenic acid is one of the essential nutrients used to help adrenal function. In fact, it is a good substitute for prednisone, a drug which has horrible side effects, but is very valuable in the treatment of auto immune diseases including arthritis, allergies, and colitis.

Once inside the body, pantothenic acid forms a substance called Pantethine, which is further converted into an enzyme called “Co-enzyme A.” Co-enzyme A is an extremely important compound and is essential in the metabolism of protein, fat, and carbohydrates. It is also the starting point for the body’s production of adrenal steroids, cholesterol, bile, and haemoglobin.

While pantothenic acid ultimately leads to the creation of Co-enzyme A, the use of Pantethine is a much faster way to achieve the same effect as panothenic acid and with intense potency. Panethehine is critical to the management of auto-immune disorders as well as adrenal fatigue. Pantethine allows the adrenal glands to generate more cortisone which is an anti-stress hormone. With more cortisone produced, the body’s inflammatory response is reduced.

Acne and Pantothenic Acid/Pantethine (Vitamin B5)

The use of Vitamin B5 for acne was pioneered by Dr. Lit-Hung Leung.

Vitamin B5 for acne is causing quite a stir throughout the Internet, There are many web sites mentioning the use of Vitamin B5 for acne and oily skin. Some claim that mega doses of vitamin B5 will completely eradicate all traces of your acne while others claim that such B5 doses are totally useless and even dangerous.

Who do you believe?

A regiment of vitamin B5 to treat acne is claimed to be second only to treatments based on vitamin A such as Accutane® - but much safer. Accutane® is very effective because it shuts down oil producing glands that cause acne, however, a list of side-effects have created 'bad press' for Accutane®. B5 on the other hand, is suppose to be effective and safe because it increases your body's ability to metabolize oil rather than to stop oil production altogether.

B5 is an essential vitamin and can be found in our everyday diets. Foods such as eggs, yeast, whole-wheat, broccoli and red meat all contain vitamin B5. There is no proof to indicate that taking large doses of B5 to treat acne are dangerous - only opinions.

Programs that suggest mega doses of up to 10 grams or more of B5 each day may be unnecessary. Since vitamins B5 is water-soluble, much of it would be flushed from your system before your body could absorb what it needed. On some Internet sites, as many as 20 tablets a day are recommended. Some may find that very hard to swallow! We do.

A program that offers time-released vitamins for acne may be the answer. A lower dose of 2 to 3 grams of vitamin B5 each day, time-released to allow your body to absorb it makes sense. Why take 20 tablets when you can get the same results with 4 to 6? It is much cheaper too!

The usual dosage of Pantethine that we suggest is 900-1500mg a day in divided, time released dosages. Anything more than that is most likely excreted in the urine and is totally wasted.

Time Released

Some supplements are Time Released. This means that instead of a peak of the vitamin absorbed in the body, Time Released will make absorption more constant. Some articles say that Time Released does not work as well. Some articles state that a Time Released version will interfere with absorption of other vitamins, and thus cause a deficiency of other vitamins in the body. For this reason, most people don't use Time Released version of the Vitamin B5, and most "vitamin B5 for acne shops" do not sell a time released form. We totally disagree with this. We actually prefer a Time Released form of Vitamin B5 for the treatment of Acne and Oily Skin.

By using a time-released supplement, you are actually making the chances of this other vitamin deficiency far less likely. This is due to the fact that competing vitamins are almost always absorbed in the stomach (unless you're taking these in time-released form as well), so there is little concern over direct competition between vitamins for the same receptor molecules. Even if some competition occurs, it's nothing like the sudden flush of vitamin B5 (presumably five times per day) from high-doses of standard B5 capsules, again mostly absorbed in the concentrated area of the stomach. The later scenario is much more likely to result in a crowding-out of receptor molecules. So, using a Time Released formula is actually preferable.

Pantethine –

A stonger, more effective form of Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5)

Although most people use Pantothenic Acid instead of Pantethine, Pantethine can also be used to treat acne. In fact, it is the form of Vitamin B5 that we actually prefer to treat acne and oily skin.

Dr. Lit-Hung Leung was asked about Pantethine. Here's his reply:

"Pantethine, and for that matter, Coenzyme A, are but the active forms that pantothenic acid takes once it gets into the body system. They are probably a little more efficient than calcium pantothenate, the commonly available commercial form of pantothenic acid, but they are much more expensive. If you look up Pantethine, you'll find that it is the disulfide dimer of pantetheine, the derivative of which is an intermediate in the conversion of pantothenic acid to coenzyme A. As such, weight for weight, no matter if it is pantothenic acid, or Pantethine that you are taking, you end up with approximately the same number of Coenzyme A molecules that they generate. Though with calcium pantothenate, you have the added calcium mo;ecule there, making the molecular weight slightly higher, which means that you have to take a slightly bigger dose of calcium pantothenate than Pantethine in order to generate the same number of Coenzyme A in the body."

What results can I expect for Acne and Oily Skin?

This is hard to say if you haven't tried it. I have personally tried it, and found the results to be remarkable! Results started in just 2 days. I saw a huge improvement in Oily Skin, and breakouts started to reduce almost immediately. My skin looked smoother, and I did not have to use any Oil-Control type products during the day. At the time, I had an upcoming appointment with my Dermatologist to start Accutane. I actually did so well with using the Panthenine, that I cancelled the appointment. Not to mentioned saved hundreds of dollars, and did not have to suffer through the side effects of using Accutane.

I took 3 of the 300mg pills a day. That’s all. I used the Gentle Clean Cleanser 2 times a day, and I used the 3% Salicylic Acid Serum every night. During the day, I used the Caribbean Sol SPF25 sunscreen with Mineral Powder on top (no foundation). Once a week, I used a 30% Glycolic Acid Peel.

I have found that the fewer products I used produced the best results in keeping my skin clear. Aggravating the skin with too many products will often aggravate and inflame acne, and increase oil output. The use of a gentle cleanser is very important for those with Acne and Oily skin. Our Gentle Clean Cleanser cleans the skin without stripping the protective Acid Mantle of the skin, which helps to regulate oil production and control bacteria that leads to Acne.

Using just one product at night, such as the 3% Salicylic Acid Serum. Or the 15% Glycolic Acid Gel, will exfoliate the skin and keep the pores super-clear. Do a Skin Peel once a week for an added boost.

During the day, use just a sunscreen and a makeup foundation or cover-up on spots, or a mineral powder on top of the sunscreen for some coverage and evening out of the skin tone.

B5 often gives an initial breakout (a temporary increase of acne) for some individuals, probably because deeper acne or sebum is pushed/removed out of the skin. Some people see a breakout and quit without knowing how effective B5 might have been in their bodies.

If B5 is working, it lowers the amount of oil/sebum on the skin, which can also cause dry skin. In my case oil reduction happened very quickly, something like 4 days.

Some people don't get any results. The question is how long these people should continue until they can see results or should just quit.

Everyone is different and some will take longer to respond. However, it has worked for over 90% of those who have tried it. Skin usually becomes less oily within 3 days to 2 weeks. Acne starts diminishing within 60 days. Mild to medium acne sufferers may have clear skin within 60 days while severe acne sufferers may need to wait at least 6 months for clear skin. So, worst case scenario while on B5 alone, you may need to wait up to 6 months for flawless skin although a high percentage see desired results much sooner."

What are the side effects?

Although some websites report that B5 is safe, side effects might be possible. That B5 is a water-soluble vitamin, is not a guarantee that side-effect won't appear.

Unfortunately there aren't a lot of studies done on mega doses of B5. So it's impossible to say if a mega dose of B5 might or might not cause serious long term side effects. Although Dr. Leung (the one who found the treatment of a mega dose of b5 for acne) is treating acne patients since 1997 with B5.

Keep in mind that there are always a percentage of people who get problems, whether it is caused by B5 or by something else. Some will blame B5 for it without knowing the real cause. Maybe the real cause was something that would have happened without B5.

Despite all of these objections, the overwhelming amount of positive user feedback on message boards and non-commercial websites leads one to believe that there may be something to this claim. Indeed, there are many other theoretical reasons in support of this idea.

For one, acne is an inflammatory condition, and pantothenic acid has a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect in skin tissue, even after oral administration to humans. Pantothenic acid also increases the level of zinc in injured and inflamed skin, and there is a wide research base indicating that zinc causes significant acne reduction both orally and topically. Pantothenic acid also effectively metabolizes many toxins, some of which may possibly play a role in the formation of acne. These effects, along with the possibility of accelerated lipid breakdown, provide a good theoretical basis for the effects which are commonly reported.

More about Acne

Acne is pustular eruptions, localized abscessed formation and local inflammatory conditions of the dermis and epidermis skin layers. Endogenous hormones (mainly androgens), which are present in unusually high concentrations in the blood during adolescence and puberty give rise to an excessive production of sebum (or oil). The condition may worsen by a simultaneous increase in the rate of keratin in the skin's outer layer (the horny layer) that causes skin cell death. As the horny cells proliferate, they can form an occlusive plug or comedone which coupled with the increased production of the sebum, represents an ideal medium for the proliferation of the skin resident anaerobic bacterium, P. acnes.

	Plugged follicles may take the form of either 'whiteheads,' where the plug in the follicle remains beneath the skin's surface, or 'blackheads,' where the plug in the follicle extends to the skin's surface and becomes visible. In the majority of these clogged follicles, the bacterium P. acnes will cause swelling, itching, and redness around the follicle

The bacterium P. acnes is normally present in all skin types as part of the skin's sebum maintenance system. In a hair follicle, P. acnes produces enzymes that break down sebum creating a balance of oil in the skin. However, a clogged follicle creates an ideal environment for this sebum-eating skin bacterium to multiply. Consequently, the increase of P. acnes and its enzymes irritates and inflames the skin resulting in acne. Furthermore, P. acnes is responsible for at least 90% of all acne cases.

When used in small doses, no COMMON side effects have been reported with Pantothenic Acid or Pantethine. Severe side effects of Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5) may include allergic reaction:

Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue). So, if you are allergic to Pantothenic Acid or Pantething (Vitamin B5) – Do Not Use it.

Dosage: The usual dosage of Pantethine that we suggest is 900-1500mg a day in divided, time released dosages. Anything more than that is most likely excreted in the urine and is totally wasted.

Pantethine/ Pantothenic Acid – Other uses

Pantethine is not only used to treat acne and oily skin, but has been used impressively to treat high cholesterol, heart conditions and gastrointestinal problems:

Pantethine is an excellent choice when it comes to reduction of triglyceride in the body. A daily dose of 900mg has been shown to reduce triglyceride by up to 32% as well as a 19% drop in total cholesterol and a 21% drop in LDL ( the “bad” cholesterol) cholesterol . At the same time, HDL (the “good” cholesterol) rose by 23%. Pantethine also protects the heart and arteries and acts synergistically with vitamin E against cholesterol build up.

Pantethine’s role in optimum heart health cannot be under-estimated. By generating more Co-enzyme A, the heart muscle’s metabolic rate is enhanced, thereby increasing the heart contractile forces. With a stronger contraction, a longer relaxation phase is possible, resulting in the slowing of heart rate. In addition, Pantethine also helps to increase the production of omega-3 fatty acid in the body ( EPA, DHA, and other essential oils). Omega-3 fatty acids also have powerful anti-inflammatory effects and reduces the clot promoting fats in cell membranes. Most spectacularly, there are no side effects.

Pantethine is also an excellent nutrient when it comes to 2 major gastrointestinal problems, namely colitis and Crohn’s disease. A daily dose of 900-1200 mg matched with 900-1200 mg of pantothenic acid will drastically improve those with Crohn’s disease and colitis. The normal waiting time for effects to kick in is 4 to 8 weeks, but many have reported benefits in much shorter time. Pantethine also helps beneficial bacteria to grow in the intestines. It helps the body get over yeast overgrowth and accumulation of other toxic substances such as formaldehyde. Pantethine is therefore a natural detoxifier.


In summary, Pantethine is a remarkably safe and extremely valuable natural dietary supplement. It is used in a variety of settings, with the most important being lipid balancing and in combating adrenal fatigue. The usual dosage of Pantethine is 900-1500mg a day in divided dosages.

Before Using: Tell your doctor if you ...

• are taking medicine or are allergic to any medicine (prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) or dietary supplement)
• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while using this medicine
• are breastfeeding
• have any other health problems, such as high blood pressure, liver or kidney problems, or heart or blood vessel disease

Dosage: The usual dosage of Pantethine that we suggest is 900-1500mg a day in divided, time released dosages. Anything more than that is most likely excreted in the urine and is totally wasted.

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