I know because I’ve been there myself. When you’re struggling with a chronic skin condition, you want something that’s going to help you as soon as possible. I’ve done it in the past, spending hours googling for the best supplements for acne. You’ll find hundreds of different products that promise to clear your skin in a few weeks. But the truth is that supplements to clear acne won’t work if your skin’s foundations aren’t in place. I’ve spent a load of money on things that don’t work. I’ve learnt the lessons and now I’m here to stop you making the same mistakes I did, so that you can finally clear your acne. So before you spend more money on supplements, let’s talk about what your skin actually needs to heal.

Why Supplements Alone Won’t Clear Your Acne

Supplements have their place, but they’re not a replacement for nutrients if your body isn’t getting what it needs from food. If your blood sugar is all over the place, your gut health is struggling, and your hormones are imbalanced, taking supplements without addressing your food and lifestyle isn’t going to undo that. Your skin often reflects what’s going on inside, and it needs consistent nourishment from real food to thrive.

And look, if clearing acne was as simple as taking one or two supplements, wouldn’t everyone have perfect skin by now? Unfortunately, our bodies are a little more complex. And to get real skin results we have to get the foundations in place to give our skin the nutrients it needs.

The Foundations of Clear Skin

Instead of asking, “What’s the best supplement for acne?”, ask yourself: “Am I giving my skin what it needs to heal?” Because before supplements can even make a difference, your body needs a solid foundation of:

1. Balanced blood sugar

Spikes and crashes in your blood sugar can increase hormones that trigger excess oil production, blocked pores and inflammation in the skin. Keeping your blood sugar stable with protein, healthy fats, and fibre in every meal is essential for your skin, trust me. If you were to do one thing for your skin, focus on getting this right. No more skipping meals or relying on caffeine and sugar to get you through the day.

To support your blood sugar and acne naturally:

• Start your day with protein – think eggs, dairy, meats, fish, nuts, seeds, beans, soy/tofu.
• Include healthy fats like avocado, nuts, seeds, and olive oil to keep blood sugar steady.
• Pair carbs with protein and fat – make sure you’re adding to your carbs. Toast with eggs, oats with peanut butter.

2. A healthy gut

Your gut and your skin are so connected. If your gut is struggling (bloating, irregular digestion, food intolerances), your skin can show it through acne, slow healing and just generally being a bit inflammed. Before reaching for supplements to clear acne, focus on diverse, whole foods that support your gut, think plenty of colourful veg, fermented foods, and fibre-rich meals.

Some simple gut-loving habits for clearer skin:

• Eat 30+ plant foods per week to feed your gut bacteria and reduce inflammation.
• Add fermented foods like kimchi, kefir, sauerkraut, or natural yoghurt.
• Include herbs, spices and herbal teas, these count towards your diversity for gut health

3. Balanced hormones

When we think about hormonal acne, we usually blame testosterone. But to balance your hormones, we have to be thinking about all of them together. Your hormones rarely go out of whack for no reason. Stress, poor sleep, nutrient deficiencies, blood glucose issues, gut microbiome imbalances and restrictive diets can all throw your hormones off, leading to breakouts along your jawline and chin. Instead of searching for the best supplements for hormonal acne, start with nourishing, consistent meals, managing stress, and supporting your body’s natural rhythm.

Here’s how to support your hormones for clearer skin:

• Eat enough! Under-eating causes stress on the body, leading to imbalanced hormones. Just eating something small for breakfast can make a difference if you usually skip it all together.
• Get enough sleep – aim for 7-9 hours per night to support hormonal balance.
• Reduce stress where possible – I know this is hard. But breathwork, gentle movement, doing things you enjoy, spending time outside in nature and prioritising rest are so important for your skin.

When Supplements Can Help (And When They Won’t)

Once your skin’s foundations are in place, and you’re consistent with them, supplements can be useful. But, we want to make sure we’re using the right supplements that our body actually needs. Even though we may all have acne, we don’t all need the same supplements. Another problem is that people usually reach for supplements before they’ve got the basics in place, and that’s why they don’t get results.

Supplements Might Help If:

• You’ve addressed blood sugar, gut health, and hormones but still have stubborn breakouts.
• You’ve identified a specific deficiency (e.g., low zinc or vitamin D, confirmed by blood tests).
• You’re working alongside food, not instead of food.
• You’re already eating well, exercising, sleeping properly, and using a great skincare routine, but breakouts persist due to deeper imbalances that food alone can’t fix.
• You’ve tested first to find underlying imbalances, and you’re using the right supplements to support what your body and skin actually need.

Supplements Won’t Help If:

• Your diet is unbalanced and lacking key nutrients.
• You’re relying on a pill instead of making changes to your lifestyle.
• You haven’t addressed the deeper issues behind your breakouts.
• You’re taking random “skin supplements” without testing to see what your body actually needs.

Common Supplements for Acne – Do They Work?

You’ve probably seen zinc, omega-3s, probiotics, and vitamin D listed as some of the best supplements for acne. And while they can help in the right context, they’re not miracle workers. Here’s a brief overview of what they can do and why they’re usually recommended:

• Zinc – Can support skin healing and reduce inflammation, but works best alongside a nutrient-rich diet (and if you have a deficiency).
• Omega-3s – Help reduce inflammation, but if your diet is full of ultra-processed foods, they won’t do much.
• Probiotics – Can be helpful for gut health, but they don’t replace a balanced diet full of fibre and diverse plant foods. Also, if you’ve got an overgrowth of bacteria or an infection, a probiotic can’t solve all your issues (that’s where a gut test really helps).
• Vitamin D – Supports the immune system, but if your acne is hormonal or blood sugar-related, vitamin D alone won’t fix it.

Please don’t think I’m saying supplements don’t help clear your skin. Supplements do work, and they play a big role in my work with 1:1 clients. In fact, a lot of my clients wouldn’t have achieved the results without them. But they work best when all the other foundations: food, movement, sleep, and skincare, are in place first.

When working with clients 1:1, we test first to find underlying imbalances and then use targeted supplements that their body and skin actually need to heal, not just random “skin supplements” off the shelf. There are times when acne is driven by deeper imbalances that food alone can’t fix, and that’s where supplements come in and work their magic. But grabbing random supplements you saw in a shop or on TikTok and hoping for the best? That’s just a waste of time and money.

So, What Should You Do Instead?

If you’re tired of trial and error and want to actually understand your skin, my best tip would be to focus on the basis first and nourish your skin from the inside out. That’s exactly what we do inside Six Weeks to Skin Confidence, a step-by-step course that teaches you everything you need to know to heal your skin naturally. No fads, no restrictions, just real results.

If you think you’ve got all the basics in place – you’re eating well, exercising and following a good skincare routine, that’s where digging in deeper to the underlying, internal causes can help. We can help you find your root cause in our 1:1 sessions.