Acne.org Products
Chronic acne sufferer here. Started at 13 and is still here at almost 26. As I get older, it gets worse. Anyway, last summer I found a fermented cod liver oil product from Green Pastures. It combined fermented cod liver oil with high vitamin butter oil. In short, it contains a ton of natural Vitamin A, D, and K2 which apparently all work together. It is better by reports than plain old synthetic vitamin A. You can read more on the Weston Price website if you are interested.
Anyway, I started taking it the beginning of September 2012. My face was riddled with deep pimples (some cystic) and I also had some nasty ones on my neck. By the end of the month, I stopped breaking out! October, November, December. Nothing. My horrible breakouts stopped and the oil on my face was gone. That's 3 months of no pimples and that is literally a record for me. I never went 3 days before without a zit since I was a kid.
Come Christmas Day 2012, yes Christmas, I got a staph infection on my chin. For some reason, I attributed it to the cod liver oil. I stopped taking it after antibiotics for the staph infection. Acne comes back a few weeks later. I start the cod liver oil again. Face clears. Another staph infection in my nose in April. I stop the cod liver oil again as I was sure it caused it (stupid me).
So here I am looking to get the magic back from the fermented cod liver oil. I do not think it caused my staph infections and that was probably something totally different. I am going to be taking 1.5 TSP a day and should know in the next few weeks if it's gonna work. 1.5 TSP a day gives me between 9000-10000 IU of Vitamin A day. Remember it isn't synthetic so every bottle isn't the same . This is as close to a low dose of accutane you will get in my opinion so I am excited. If I do get clear, and I think I will, I will keep this log updated as I attempt to come off topicals. Stay tuned.
I wanted to add this to the thread: http://www.westonaprice.org/cod-liver-oil/cod-liver-oil-basics
Natural Cod Liver Oil (fermented) is nothing to be afraid of. All of the vitamins are natural and in the correct ratios. Brands like Carlsons and other common brands are NOT in the correct ratios and all of the Vitamin A and D are synthetic. K2 is also not included and the delicate balance between Vitamin A, D, and K2 is crucial for safety and effectiveness.
"We have pointed out that concerns about vitamin A toxicity are exaggerated. While some forms of synthetic vitamin A found in supplements can be toxic at only moderately high doses, fat-soluble vitamin A naturally found in foods like cod liver oil, liver, and butterfat is safe at up to ten times the doses of water-soluble, solidified and emulsified vitamin A found in some supplements that produce toxicity.(1) Additionally, the vitamin D found in cod liver oil and butterfat from pasture-raised animals protects against vitamin A toxicity, and allows one to consume a much higher amount of vitamin A before it becomes toxic."
Day 2:
I took a full dose yesterday in the morning and at night and a full dose this morning. It may be in my head but I feel like I have less oil around my t-zone. Obviously no change in active acne yet but I didn't wake up with anything new yet. Still way to early as it has taken 2 weeks in the past to really show but a bit less oil already is encouraging.
Days 3 and 4:
This stuff continues to amaze me. All of the BP I slather on my face, all of the AHA, all of the diet changes, all of the other b.s doesn't even come close to what getting the correct amount of Vitamin A in me does. And it isn't synthetic man made Vitamin A but natural vitamin A from nature. The oil production slows down but in a completely natural way. My skin doesn't become dry, my lips don't get chapped. The oil gets to be where it should be.
The first time I starting take this stuff last year, I actually started at a much lower dose (1/4 tsp) a day. I started this time at the dose that I found most effective last time (1.5 tsp) which equal 1 tsp of the fermented cod liver oil and .5 tsp of the high vitamin butter oil as it is in a 2:1 ratio. As I previously said, this is about 9500 IU of Vitamin A a day and around 2000 IU of Vitamin D as well a the correct balance of vitamin K2.
Regarding my current acne:
I use a ton of Dan's BP in the morning and .1 Tazorac at night. I also have been on a low glycemic, anti-inflammatory, diet with no dairy or grains. This gives me SOME results but cysts and acne still slip in if I cheat even a little bit. I have been on this topical routine for years and I HATE it. Basically all of that work for results that I am not satisfied with. If the cod liver oil continues to do what it did for me before, I can potentially just take that every morning and night and not do any of the other b.s. Takes 10 seconds in the morning and 10 seconds at night.
No new breakouts in the past 4 days. I have about 7 pimples healing rapidly now and 3 were cystic. They popped up the day before I restarted the cod liver oil and they were because I ate dairy (how shitty is that?)
I am 99 percent sure I will be completely clear again in 3 weeks with just red marks lingering. Not sure I can afford this long term as it costs 50 dollars a month. All I know is that Vitamin A is the answer and topicals, antibiotics, and diets are just headaches and frustration. So if my money starts getting tight, I will either go on a full dose of Accutane or a low dose (which I bet is pretty comparable to this results and side effects wise).
Day 7:
No new pimples. A few small clogged pores that lasted a day that I could just scratch off. Usually they get hard, stay for a few days, than get inflamed into big pimples or cysts. Oil is reduced on my face but in a good way. No excessive dryness, no chapped lips, no shedding hair, no erectile dysfunction, and none of the other 100000 side effects discussed on this forum that Accutane brings.
I am going to start reintroducing dairy and grains back into my diet. Tired of being so restrictive. My goal for day 90 is to be on a regular diet again and using no topicals. Maybe some of us just need a little bit of Vitamin A...
Days 3 and 4:
This stuff continues to amaze me. All of the BP I slather on my face, all of the AHA, all of the diet changes, all of the other b.s doesn't even come close to what getting the correct amount of Vitamin A in me does. And it isn't synthetic man made Vitamin A but natural vitamin A from nature. The oil production slows down but in a completely natural way. My skin doesn't become dry, my lips don't get chapped. The oil gets to be where it should be.
The first time I starting take this stuff last year, I actually started at a much lower dose (1/4 tsp) a day. I started this time at the dose that I found most effective last time (1.5 tsp) which equal 1 tsp of the fermented cod liver oil and .5 tsp of the high vitamin butter oil as it is in a 2:1 ratio. As I previously said, this is about 9500 IU of Vitamin A a day and around 2000 IU of Vitamin D as well a the correct balance of vitamin K2.
Regarding my current acne:
I use a ton of Dan's BP in the morning and .1 Tazorac at night. I also have been on a low glycemic, anti-inflammatory, diet with no dairy or grains. This gives me SOME results but cysts and acne still slip in if I cheat even a little bit. I have been on this topical routine for years and I HATE it. Basically all of that work for results that I am not satisfied with. If the cod liver oil continues to do what it did for me before, I can potentially just take that every morning and night and not do any of the other b.s. Takes 10 seconds in the morning and 10 seconds at night.
No new breakouts in the past 4 days. I have about 7 pimples healing rapidly now and 3 were cystic. They popped up the day before I restarted the cod liver oil and they were because I ate dairy (how shitty is that?)
I am 99 percent sure I will be completely clear again in 3 weeks with just red marks lingering. Not sure I can afford this long term as it costs 50 dollars a month. All I know is that Vitamin A is the answer and topicals, antibiotics, and diets are just headaches and frustration. So if my money starts getting tight, I will either go on a full dose of Accutane or a low dose (which I bet is pretty comparable to this results and side effects wise).
Does the CLO have to be fermented? Today, I picked up this: http://www.amazon.com/Carlson-Super-1000mg-Liver-Softgels/dp/B001LF39PG
This particular brand contains 2000 IU of Vitamin A per capsule.
It is extremely important to get fermented cod liver oil.
Also, if they list the IU, that means they added synthetic IU. You mise well be taking synthetic D3 and fish oil pills.
The fermented will help acne 100x faster.
Check out the Vitamin A and D discussion on this page for more information:
http://www.greenpasture.org/public/FAQ/index.cfm
And:
"
Below is a detailed Bio-feedback test report from one of the top Bio-Feed Back practitioners in the country. Dr Wendy Meyer has a practice plus she trains other practitioners in this field of medicine. She does not sell Green Pasture Products or any fish oil. This test comparison was not requested by me but by another person in the medical field. I was able to obtain a copy of the report but would only publish if the name of the compared cod liver oil was removed as i do not think it is proper to discuss others work specifically.
The Cod Liver Oil was described to me as a new virgin and minimally processed CLO but i do not know what this means other than the post I put within the FAQ area of the website outlining Virgin Marine Oil/CLO defined by governing bodies from the EU/Norway.
I fully respect the medical art field of Bio-Feedback testing and energetic testing. Not all practitioners are the same in ability and there are a few that are highly regarded in these fields such as Dr Wendy Meyer and Dr Louisa Williams...and others...
Comparison of Green Pasture CLO to virgin, minimally processed CLO from Norway.
Purpose of the study: The study was designed to compare different cod liver oils from two different companies on patients using biofeedback equipment
Study was performed using Spectravision biofeedback equipment on acupuncture points pertaining to toxicity, allergy, circulation, brain, and hormones. It is electronic equipment that can measure responses of the body to different compounds including nutritional support.
Results of the test:
GP CLO: 0/38 reaction for toxicity; VMP CLO from Norway: 37/38 reacted to toxicity
GP CLO: 0/9 reaction to people with APO E; VMP CLO from Norway 9/9 reaction to people with APO E
GP CLO: 9/13 positive support for hormone imbalance; VMP CLO from Norway 0/13 support for hormone imbalance
Toxicity point reacts to substances that the body is struggling to eliminate out of the body. It is affected by genetics, length of exposure, type of compound, amount of exposure. There is one particular genetic trait called APO E that can lead to heart disease, Alzheimers, or Parkinsons disease if certain conditions are met. According to Pamela McDonalds book The Perfect Gene Diet, fish oil will raise LDL and lower HDL in people with this genetic trait. It will block arteries and thus decrease oxygen to the brain. Considering that this trait is found in 30% of the population, it is considered very relevant to the medical field. Eating fish does not cause this problem, however. This indicates that there is something removed during the extraction of the oil that is required by people with this genetic trait. The results of the study indicated no ill-effects from the CLO produced by Green Pasture with patients with this genetic trait. However, the fish oil that was considered VMP CLO from Norway decreased circulation on all patients with this trait. It showed toxic on all patients across the board except for one. It is believed that this patient in particular had the genetics that allow him to detoxify very efficiently (APO E2) . People that have the genetic trait APO E4, have a harder time detoxify and need more detox support, and need to be more careful with supplementing with all fish oils due to its potential to cause harm to the body.
Conclusion: GP CLO provides support without the risk of harm other CLOs can pose to people with genetic trait for APO E4.
Dr. Wendy Meyer"
Non-fermented means they somehow processed the oil in a way that looses the key nutrients. They then add them back, but from alternative sources. This is why they are listing their IUs. They are not allowed to list IU unless the IU comes from something they add to the oil.
