The Problems Behind Yoga, Sweating, Acne & Vitamin A

The Problems Behind Yoga, Sweating, Acne & Vitamin A

Dr. Irwin
August 18, 2011
For the past seven months I’ve been practicing Bikram yoga 4-5 times a week, I love the practice but experience acne in the areas that most of the sweat occurs. I keep a very strict clean diet and have started taking Vitamin A, C, D, E, B-complex and Zinc in hopes of clearing my skin. The problem I’m having now is Vitamin A [I think] is interfering with my periods [late last month and this month]. Is there anything else you recommend me doing, should I stop Vitamin A to get my periods back on track? Thank you!

These are all good questions. Your period change could be due to many things. It makes sense to me to try stopping the vitamin A first (and never take more than 5,000 iu a day anyway). If your periods aren’t normal in a month or two though, please see your doctor.

Remember that acne is primarily due to hormones. I wish acne could be cured with diet but unfortunately even good changes don’t help much. It’s great that you’re making the healthy choices for lots of other reasons though! In my opinion, all that heat and sweating on top of your normal hormones will make it difficult to control the acne. Could you do Bikram yoga 1-2 times a week and regular yoga on the other days? If it doesn’t clear up when you change your yoga, please see your dermatologist.

Just like you need a balance of different foods for healthy eating, you need a balance of different exercise for healthy muscles and joints. A regimen of yoga 2-3 times a week alternating with a mix of some walking, running, swimming, pilates, etc. (whatever you like best) would be better than yoga 4-5 times a week over the long run. Hope this helps.

Dr. Irwin

Dr. Brandith Irwin, MD

Ask me your skincare question!

Hi, I’m Dr. Irwin. I believe that consumers deserve a medically trained and unbiased skin care advocate.

  • All our content is written and researched by myself.
  • My medical office in Seattle has treated thousands of patients for 15+ years.
  • This site is not affiliated or financially tied to any product, treatment or device.
Ask Me Something
SkinTour Skincare
One of the best investments in your skin is your daily skincare. Why? Because you can prevent many problems with blotchy skin color, lack of glow, texture, some types of acne, and fine lines with good skincare products. You can also correct some of these problems with effective skincare products. Great skincare is often more expensive because quality ingredients are expensive. Some companies spend on research/development which benefits all of us and adds to the cost. Are they worth it? In general - yes! I have handpicked some of what I consider to be the best skin care products, and offer them for sale on SkinTour's shop. This is based on my team and I's testing and research at our clinic. Many of the products are in my own regimen. What could be better than using skin care products a dermatologist uses?!
Browse Shop