One of the most interesting rules of the acnesphere is that the more commonplace, frequently cheap as grass supplements are actually some of the most powerful.
Vitamin C, for example, is found on every high street, 100% trustworthy yet hardly exciting, but few realise that it can slash acne massively. There’s also NAC, the antioxidant boosting pill found in doctors’ emergency rooms everywhere, and the mineral zinc, found in every multivitamin sold, which can sometimes lower acne by a massive 49.8%.
Meanwhile, the mystical plants from obscure parts of the world have a more mixed record. Yes, saw palmetto is fantastic at slashing oily skin (for women) and guggul gum was once observed to slash acne by 70%, but herbal-style supplements generally posses no advantage whatsoever over the more ubiquitous and cheap ones…
…which brings us to methylsulfonylmethane, also known as MSM.
What is methylsulfonylmethane?
MSM is a white crystalline substance composed of methyl, oxygen and sulphur, which has a superb absorption rate into the bloodstream. This substance forms when the gas dimethyl sulphide, which is produced by marine life and bacteria (and provides some of the sea’s smell), reacts with ozone and ultraviolet light in the atmosphere.
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The newly formed MSM is delivered to the Earth in rainfall, and once there, MSM migrates into the root systems of plants. Consequently, traces of MSM are everywhere in fruits, vegetables, cow’s milk, and in particular, breast milk.
Minute quantities are also found in human skin, nails, hair and joints. Thanks to a deluge of studies, MSM has gained a steady but only moderate popularity as a health supplement over the last twenty years. Specifically, MSM is commonly used in coordination with glutamine or chondroitin for treating osteoarthritis and was approved as a drug (although it’s actually all-natural) for that purpose many decades ago.
The most important fact is that this immensely promising acne supplement can be purchased for roughly $5 for 6 months of supply.
MSM – calms inflammation at minimal cost
The first big acne power of MSM is illustrated clearly by its famous anti-arthritis powers. Methylsulfonylmethane has the power to prevent the widespread but insidious condition known as chronic inflammation, a hyperactive immune system, and one of the two biggest causes of acne.
How precisely MSM slashes inflammation is unknown. It could be the sulphur (34% of MSM), or it could be another component, but what we do have is a raft of crystal clear evidence.
Decades ago, long before it entered the public conscious for osteoarthritis, MSM was the go to for keeping racehorses healthy. Pro jockeys and horse breeders alike used MSM pills to nourish their horses’ soft tissues, relax muscle stiffness, and enhance lung function after a gruelling race, to get them back on the racetrack in record time.
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Greyhound racers used MSM as well, and recently, these legendary powers have been confirmed. In 2001, a study tested 30 Standardbred horses, all aged between 3 and 4 years, who were undergoing full race training at an Ohio country fair track. One group received no treatment, another group received 10 grams of MSM daily, and another received 20 grams.
The scientists found that every horse receiving MSM had dramatic improvements in their post-race recovery. Two tell-tale metabolites from muscle damage fell, and their average training time improved by 2 seconds in group 2, and 2.62 seconds in group three…
…but the most interesting factoid for us was a significant reduction in inflammation and muscle soreness, across the horse’ entire bodies. The soreness after you exercise is largely due to immune system chemicals repairing countless tiny tears in muscle tissues (and strengthening them, which is part of how muscle expands). Too much muscle pain equals too much immune system, and this led the scientists to conclude that MSM had “significant anti-inflammatory effects”.
There were also no annoying side effects – no diarrhoea, abnormal blood chemistry, or allergic reactions.
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Next, unless you’re a racehorse, we need human studies to confirm these powers, and thankfully there’s plenty. In this 2015 experiment, MSM massively blunted the typical increase in IL-8 and IL-1β after exercise, two notorious pro-inflammatory cytokines. The anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10 was 2-3 times higher as well.
Anecdotal stories hold yet more evidence; topical MSM is used in some parts of the world to treat swollen bites from snakes, mosquitoes, and snakes, and bee stings.
Then we have the fact that MSM is used in osteoarthritis drugs, and was confirmed by this study to be highly effective. Arthritis is a signature symptom of an overactive immune system which is constantly attacking joints and connective tissues, resulting in wear and tear that leads to constant pain.
If MSM is a strongly anti-inflammatory supplement, then you can expect calmer existing pimples, reduced creation of new pimples, and a dramatic improvement in overall skin tone.
MSM provides a key ingredient for glutathione
The second acne-clearing power on our list is extremely straightforward – providing the building blocks for the antioxidant glutathione.
Glutathione is known as the body’s master antioxidant, as it’s the main antioxidant which we manufacture ourselves, as opposed to preformed dietary antioxidants like vitamin A. Acne-prone skin contains 20% less glutathione than average, which is why I firmly recommend eating more of its ingredients…
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…and MSM is exactly that. The key minerals involved in glutathione production are magnesium, zinc, and selenium, while the key amino acids are cysteine and glycine. The last piece of the puzzle is sulphur, a mediator in the creation of every single glutathione molecule in your body. Without dietary sulphur, there is no glutathione, and therefore there is no clear skin.
Methylsulfonylmethane is about 34% sulphur by weight, making it a fantastic cheap method for supercharging your levels. MSM’s ability to spike glutathione has been confirmed in numerous reliable studies.
Our first examined mice with HIV, which cursed them to a life of high free radicals and minimal glutathione. The results were clear-cut – MSM supplementation reversed both of the conditions. Interestingly, the scientists commented that “MSM has been suggested to act as a direct free radical scavenger, another mechanism that could be underlying its antioxidant properties“. Increasing glutathione might not be MSM’s only antioxidant power.
In a second mouse study, MSM led to soaring levels of glutathione, catalase, and superoxide dismutase (all 3 are manufactured antioxidants), and reduced levels of TNF-a, malondialdehyde, and methylperoxidase (all free radicals).
This human study tested untrained but largely healthy people, so in other words, your average teenager with a faceful of acne. 18 men were ordered to run 14km. For ten days beforehand, they were handed either a placebo or a methylsulfonylmethane supplement.
The result? The 9 MSM men had dramatically reduced levels of three free radicals, malondialdehyde, oxidised glutathione (a twisted free radical version), and protein carbonyl. However, both their glutathione and the ratio between undamaged glutathione and oxidised glutathione increased sharply.
Returning to the racetrack (study), making horses perform jumping exercises significantly increased the harmful free radicals known as lipid peroxides, while draining glutathione and antioxidant enzyme activity. MSM, however, made these symptoms disappear.
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Last but not least, we have a pair of contradictory studies. In humans undergoing intense exercise, MSM failed completely to increase glutathione (study, study). However, as hardcore athletes, they were probably clean living fanatics already. You can only increase your glutathione so far, and maybe these guys were satisfying their needs already through platefuls of broccoli and onions.
Plus, the MSM supplement still increased their TAC, total antioxidant capacity, which supports the theory above that MSM has direct, hidden antioxidant powers unconnected to glutathione.
MSM increases collagen and strengthens the skin
MSM’s final big power also involves sulphur, this time helping to manufacture the god of all acne proteins – collagen.
This connection has been acknowledged since 1965, when this study found that a low sulphur diet directly reduced collagen levels. Anti-ageing societies adore MSM and the firm and strong skin from increased collagen is why.
If you haven’t read this article yet, then boosting collagen can keep your skin strong against pretty much any threat. Collagen defends against air pollution, sneaky chemicals in cosmetics, sunlight and much more. It also enhances your general skin tone, and yes, it can delay ageing.
With MSM, the classic study on racehorse recovery offers more clues. After methylsulfonylmethane supplementation, the horses developed better hair coats, stronger hooves, and faster and healthier hoof growth. Collagen deficiency is the second big cause of osteoarthritis, as type 2 collagen is the glue that holds your joints together (with types 1 and 3 being found in skin).
What’s interesting is that MSM is a double-edged sword, wielded by you. MSM is made up of 34% sulphur itself, but in one excellent study, 1 gram, 2 gram and 3 gram dosages were given to human volunteers separately. They expected to see increased output of sulfate in urine, a waste product of sulphur metabolisation.
Instead, the correlation was the opposite way round. The more MSM they fed their human guinea pigs (I mean, er, volunteers), the less sulfate their bodies eliminated. This led the scientists to conclude that in addition to providing sulphur, MSM can improve your body’s metabolization of existing sulphur, through a secret mechanism.
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This ties in neatly with the endless tales of folklore, where MSM shows powers above and beyond that of a typical sulphur source. Both collagen and glutathione would benefit from this X2 sulphur power.
Does MSM have any side effects?
It does at extremely high doses, but at normal intakes, methylsulfonylmethane is almost completely safe. Even megadoses are safe; the standard recommendation is 1.5 to 2 grams (1500-2000mg) daily, but even 6000mg has been demonstrated to be safe.
Exceed that limit, and the side effects can rear their ugly head. They include…
- Swelling of the ankles.
- Intestinal discomfort.
- Minor skin rashes.
- Nausea.
- Fatigue.
- Insomnia.
Clearly, a skin rash is bad news, otherwise your entire clear skin mission would be derailed, but it looks like the risk is tiny. One study by the Oregon State University gave 12,000 volunteers two grams worth of MSM for 6 months straight, and by the end, none of them had experienced side effects. None of the 30 racehorses experienced any side effects like diarrhoea or allergic reactions – they were back on the racetrack in no time.
What can have risks is a compound virtually identical to methylsulfonylmethane. MSM is produced in the human body during the metabolization of DMSO, which has one less oxygen molecule than MSM, which is why MSM is occasionally referred to as DMSO2.
Despite the structural similarities, DMSO is somehow much riskier; taking too much at once can cause reddening, itching, nasal congestion, allergic reactions, and crippling shortness of breath…
…but even through it’s only one atom different, MSM is extremely safe. Some argue that it’s no more toxic than water. Many MSM proponents recommend taking 500mg per day for a short period, before slowly upping the dosage to give your body time to adapt. That’s a very wise strategy, particularly if you’ve never taken MSM before.
Can MSM be used topically?
It sure can, although the evidence is far more convincing (for now) as a supplement. Many forum dwellers first stumble across MSM being recommended as a topical treatment, not a pill.
Scientists from this study invented a topical cream consisting of methylsulfonylmethane and silymarin, a plant-based antioxidant. They gathered 46 patients afflicted with stage 1-3 rosacea, in a double-blind, placebo controlled experiment (ultimate for reliability). The scientists evaluated their rosacea after 10 days, 20 days and 1 month. The skin’s overall appearance was measured, but so were numerous secondary characteristics such as stinging…
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…and the cream caused a strong improvement in every single one. Skin redness, papules, itching, hydration and skin colour were particularly improved, leading to the grand conclusion that “the combination of silymarin and S-MSM can be useful in managing symptoms… of rosacea skin”.
The verdict? There’s some great results there, but for now (watch this space), anything other than eating your MSM is wasting it. Basically, you manufacture glutathione inside the body. Chronic inflammation is a systematic problem. You can increase your collagen production locally with an MSM cream, but does this match the benefits of a good old fashioned pill? Certainly not.
In this instance, laziness is the way forward. It could have all been the silymarin as well. Silymarin is an extremely potent antioxidant compound (it’s the reason why milk thistle pills work wonders occasionally).
The verdict/ultimate product
The average MSM supplement contains 2 grams per day; the MSM from your average daily fruit and vegetable intake amounts to 2.3-5.6mg. My main recommended supplement is this Kala Health MSMPure (amazon link), which is manufactured using the perfect distillation method. In fact, Kala Health pulls no punches and is quadruple distilled, for maximum purity. The type you need to avoid is crystallised MSM; always remember that.
Methylsulfonylmethane won’t clear your skin in all circumstances. If your body is already flooded with glutathione and all the necessary ingredients for it, then levels won’t increase further. With vitamin C, you can take vast megadoses which will flood through your bloodstream, deactivating water-soluble free radicals with unstoppable efficiency. With vitamin E, taking massive doses will tear through the armies of fat-soluble free radicals.
With glutathione, meanwhile, your body regulates its production with a hard upper limit. But that said, almost everybody does need more glutathione. Glutathione is also a detoxification agent, and with all the deadly chemicals and heavy metals hiding in our environment today, its services are called upon more than ever.
If you’ve only just stumbled into the natural acneverse, then the chances that your skin needs more glutathione are 90% plus. That’s before considering MSM’s extraordinary collagen and anti-inflammatory powers.
MSM is a fantastic supplement to take if the more expensive glutathione replenishers are outside your price range, such as grass-fed gelatin. Some glutathione compounds are unskippable, particularly zinc and selenium, but with the bonus superweapons, you can pick and choose.
You don’t need MSM to get clear skin, not by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s an excellent bargain basement add on.
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Thanks for reading!