When you're looking for clearer skin or healthier hair, it seems only natural to grab a “Hair, Skin, and Nails” formula like the ones you’ve seen at CVS. But the reality that no one talks about is this: if you have acne-prone skin, these traditional formulas can make breakouts go south very quickly due to the high levels of biotin (AKA Vitamin B7) almost all beauty supplements contain.
While the bottle may promise to reverse thinning hair, strengthen brittle nails, or create healthy skin, excess biotin can actually do more harm than good. In this article, we’ll explore how certain hair growth supplements can affect your skin health and how you can prevent acne breakouts with the right skincare regimen and smarter supplementation.
Can Biotin Cause Acne?
How? WHY? So, does biotin cause acne? Glad you asked - here’s the deal. Acne is inherently linked (if not directly caused by) a genetic predisposition called “retention hyperkeratosis.”
That's a big word, so let's break it down. Keratin is a primary protein in the outermost layer of your skin (it’s those white flakes that come off when you scratch). Hyper means excessive amount. Keratosis is the term used to denote the keratin-production cycle. Retention means it all gets trapped in your pores leading to acne. Put it together, acne-prone skin is fundamentally linked to an excessive amount of keratin already present in our skin. Add more of that and you're likely to break out like crazy!
Those of us who are prone to acne have a genetically high amount of this surface keratin protein, making it naturally more difficult for our precious pores to remain unclogged. We produce up to 5X more than those who are blessed to never break out. People with severe acne generally also possess a higher level of oil, but the hyper-keratosis is the driver when we speak of constant or near-constant breakouts.
Excess keratin is also a major factor in creating those rough texture bumps on your arms and thighs called Keratosis Pilaris (KP), and it can also turn small breakouts into big ones, even turning minor flares into cystic acne.
So should you avoid biotin if you have acne? Biotin is fine in small doses as it is a micro-nutrient that does serve a purpose in the body. It's when you see it in these hair supplements at super high doses that makes a ton of trouble for those who suffer from acne. Supplementing with biotin is like adding gasoline to a fire. It sends keratin into hyperdrive, causing clogged pores to become buried even further into your skin, often leading to cystic acne that scars very quickly.
But since this link to biotin and breakouts is so commonly overlooked and counterintuitive, most people don't make the biotin-breakout connection until a few weeks later after we start to see new acne and keratosis-pilaris bumps popping up on our arms.
Why Do Hair Skin and Nails Supplements Contain Biotin?
If biotin is so bad for breakouts, why would it be in supplements for skin? It's actually BECAUSE biotin spikes keratin that it's included in these supplements! Since your hair and nails are made of keratin, the idea is that biotin stimulating this production will make your nails and hair stronger. But for the acne-prone, an excessive amount of keratin physically clogs our pores and mixes with your natural oil to create a sticky plug, even if your skincare routine is acne-friendly.
This leads to blackheads, comedones, cysts, and therefore more acne scars. Biotin often causes cystic acne because that clog then gets further buried by the fast-growing skin around it. The only way to get rid of these buried cysts is through a professional extraction or steroid injection.
If you’ve ever had a cyst you know the experience is painful and relentless, so don't set yourself up to fail by taking supplements that can cause more acne!
How to Avoid Biotin-Related Acne
PRO TIP: Ice pack cystic acne to reduce swelling of inflamed breakouts.
It might seem simple; to avoid biotin-related acne, just don't supplement with biotin! But this ingredient is sneaky. Since it's part of the B-vitamin family, it can appear in high doses in "B-complex" supplements as well. Thankfully, it’s water-soluble so we can flush out the abundance fairly quickly, but that doesn't mean it won't wreak havoc when you over-supplement with it.
The devil is in the dosage. We have found over the years that taking more than 300% RDV of biotin can contribute to breakouts, and most hair, skin, and nails supplements have at least 10X-30X this amount! The recommended normal daily value is only 30 mcg, but typical hair vitamins can have as much as 10,000 mcg. See the problem? 10,000 vs. 30 mcg can accelerate your acne VERY quickly, often leading to cystic lesions that appear all over the body where you don't normally break out. This new acne can suddenly appear on the tooshie and back of thighs, where it gets constantly irritated by friction, therefore more likely to leave pitted scarring.
It’s critical to note that high-biotin supplements have other acne-related side effects too; large doses compete with the receptor activity for other B-vitamins, like B5 (Pantothenic acid) which is crucial for skin and adrenal health. Those of us who are acne-prone absolutely need all the B5 we can get (which is why it's in our MINDBODYSKIN supplement!), so the fact that biotin also interferes with B5 is a double whammy. It can also interfere with lab results in many people, leading to misdiagnosis of certain conditions.
So what should you do if you’ve been taking biotin and are seeing more acne?
- Stop taking the biotin supplement immediately.
- Begin a daily exfoliation regimen to account for the excessive skin. We recommend VITAMINSCRUB and CLEARITY 8% Mandelic Acid serum to physically uncover the pores and clear out the material clogging the hair follicle. The Sulfur Spot Treatment is also excellent if there is any oil or bacteria to dry up.
- Replace your supplement with one that doesn't contain biotin.
What to Take Instead of Biotin
Since biotin supplements and acne just don’t mix, we created an epic formula to get your hair, skin, and nails in their best era ever! Enter CLEARSTEM HAIR SKIN NAILS, a biotin-free beauty breakthrough for all the beauty benefits, minus the pore-clogging ingredients.
HAIR SKIN NAILS is the best biotin replacement for acne-prone skin because it doesn’t tell your skin to hyper-produce keratin. Instead, it actually supports the strength and quality of the proteins being made by increasing the delivery of oxygen and other nutrients to the follicle. Silica and MSM Sulfur are time-tested, all-star ingredients that also have a host of other benefits, like reducing inflammation, supporting the liver, and keeping your hair and collagen production on point. Many people find that silica and MSM Sulfur work better than biotin, so get excited for this new hair era!
Think of our biotin-free beauty supplement as a personal trainer for your skin, hair and nails. It helps them get stronger and better every time you take it.
Powerhouse ingredients in this formula include:
- MSM Sulfur - which eases redness and gives dull complexions a fresh start, all while promoting stronger, fuller hair
- Silica - your inner beauty booster, powering up collagen so your skin stays firm and youthful, and your hair gets shinier and less prone to breakage.
- Folic Acid - a bioavailable form of folate that actually helps the hair follicles get stronger at the root and reduce shedding.
Your nails will be the first to feel this structured improvement and then your hair will follow shortly, and the best part is the continued improvement over time.
What to expect? Plan for a 6-month commitment, as hair takes time. This blend does start to deliver real results in just a few weeks, starting with your nails, and then over time it's designed so you begin to see new baby hair growth. After a few months, your hair begin to transform, more elasticity in your skin, and overall healthier tone.
The best part? It helps to strengthen skin and collagen in your entire body, not just your face and neck! The MSM Sulfur in this formula helps prevent premature wrinkles from the inside out, so your skincare routine can work even better for you. It's an all around win and we are so thrilled to be able to offer it to the acne community.
Enjoy this beauty-in-a-bottle knowing it will help get you to your hair goals while also boosting your skin health!
