Acne.org Products
so im on Dans Regimen and it has worked great for my skin... I also eat very healthy and take the right vitamins.. I still average around 1-3 small active pimples a day.. but overall my skin looks good. I take an all natural multivitamin.. omega 3/6 fish oil/flax/cod liver oil/and zinc. I used to take saw palmetto but im not sure if it helped me out because it was hard to tell if that was helping my acne.. but should i start taking saw palmetto again because it blocks dht and reduces sebum production.. or should I just stick with what Im doing.
Hey roxy, I'm assuming you're a male? It's not suitable for women.
Anyways, saw palmetto is an herb that lowers androgen hormone levels. Helps some people, does nothing for others, and actually causes breakouts in some (not totally sure why).
I took it for a while and didn't care for it. Trial and error I guess. Sorry that's not too much help.
I take it with "chasteberry"....
Been takin it since the 17th of this month I think?
Its a tincture so its:
15-20 drops of agnus cactus/chasteberry in a bit of water twice daily
(Description:
This herb has a long tradition of use as a general ‚œbalancer‚„ for the female hormones. Despite its common name, Chaste Tree, Agnus castus is actually a shrub found in the Mediterranean. The fruit of the plant is used in phytotherapy and gives off a pleasant peppermint-like smell.
How it Works:
The action of Ginkgo has been Agnus castus acts on the Pituitary gland to increase the secretion of Lutenising Hormone, which leads to an increase in the production of Progesterone during the second half of the menstrual cycle. It has also been reported to possess the ability to inhibit Prolactin.
Both these actions are thought to he important in PMS, particularly as many who suffer with the problem have a greater sensitivity to Prolactin. Agnus castus has also been found to be beneficial in the treatment of acne in both men and women. )
20-30 drops of saw palmetto in a bit of water twice daily
Saw palmetto appears to reduce DHT in three different ways:
How does it work in women?
One of the most troubling symptoms of women with PCOS is hirsutism (too much hair, in the wrong places). Hirsutism is thought to be mostly due to excessive levels of androgenic hormones. Examples of androgens are testosterone, androstenedione, and DHEA.
Testosterone is the main androgen we‚„re concerned about. It‚„s normal for men to have a lot of testosterone and for women to have some. In both men and women, testosterone is converted into a more potent hormone called DHT (dihydrotestosterone). DHT is the hormone in your skin that stimulates hirsutism, which is male pattern hair growth. If you can reduce DHT, you may be able to reduce hirsutism (hair growing where you don't want it) or male pattern hair loss (restoring hair where you do want it).
*Inhibits DHT production;
*Inhibits the binding of DHT to its cell receptors;
*Promotes the breakdown of DHT.
Is It Similar to Anti-Androgenic Drugs?
Two drugs commonly prescribed for PCOS women are spironolactone (Aldactone), and finasteride (Propecia, Proscar).
Spironolactone is a diuretic that blocks two pathways to the production of androgens, or male hormones. One of those pathways is inhibition of 5-alpha-reductase. Spironolactone may cause irregular bleeding in some women, as well as nausea, indigestion or fatigue.
Propecia and Proscar inhibit 5-alpha-reductase and are used mostly for male pattern baldness and men with enlarged prostate glands.
The Journal of the American Medical Association published a review of studies that concluded saw palmetto was as effective as finasteride in the treatment of enlarged prostates.
Two advantages of saw palmetto are:
(1) it is free of side effects, and
(2) it is less expensive than the drugs mentioned above.
A number of herbal products and nutritional supplements work synergistically to modify your hormonal profile. A few examples include vitex (chasteberry), saw palmetto, and stinging nettles (pygeum). You may wish to combine saw palmetto extract and stinging nettle root for a greater effect. You may also wish to add vitex. As you can imagine, your supplement program can get complicated.
Im currently clear, pores are clearing nicely too 
and its only been a month of low carb! Im using the herbs though to balance my hormones in the long term and hope to take them for 6-12 months ..
Cant see why taking it would hurt to be honest, no problems for me, but if you are going to take it I suggest looking at diet and exercise too or it would be pretty pointless
Best of luck!
Saw Palmetto is an anti-androgen. Our acne problems are VERY closely tied to PCOS... researchers have found that the same cures for PCOS can cure 75% of acne cases out there... and the same medications are prescribed (Progesterone cream is one of them...).
PCOS and acne are caused by an excess amount of androgens. Researchers have found both groups are can be helped by the same diet. PCOS and acne appears to be like siblings born from the same problem/parents.
Saw Palmetto is like the Vitamin b5 cure, DIM, Yasmine and Diane-35. Its an anti-androgen.
To be honest I've had experience with oral dht blocker and it isn't pretty. Ive taken Beta-Sitosterol for around 3 months and it killed my sex drive completely. Who would've guessed dht is needed for libido. I'm thinking about taking 50mg zinc every night before I go to bed. I was reading about Spironolactone and it looks like it would be pretty harsh on your body.