Take 1-1.5 tsp per day or 3-5 capsules of Maca for Women or Maca for Men with breakfast or lunch. Minimum suggested treatment time is 6-12 weeks. Beyond this you may continue to consume maca daily and do not require taking a break from treatment if you are receiving positive benefits. For recipe ideas of how to include maca in your daily routine download our recipe booklet here or watch our recipe channel here.

Some people may experience persistent acne-which starts in adolescence and continues through adulthood-or recurrent acne-which occurs in adolescence, improves, and then reappears after 25 years of age¹.  Alternatively, for some people late onset acne only appears after 25 years of age ^1,2. No matter when acne appears, it impacts daily life, as people with acne commonly experience mental and social anxiety, depression, and a lower self-esteem ^3-5.

Acne occurs when hair follicles become blocked, leading to clogged pores. Acne also develops when the body makes excess sebum-an oil that stops the skin from drying out. When the body makes surplus sebum, this can clump with dead skin cells in a pore, increasing bacteria, inflammation and acne ^1,6-9. Some of the causes of acne are:

• Hormonal dysfunction
• Genetics
• Cosmetics use
• Diet
• Stress

One of the major causes of acnes is hormonal imbalance of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone ^1,8,10. During adolescence, increased testosterone levels increases sebum levels and oily skin, therefore clogging pores ⁶. However, adults may also experience hormonal imbalances. Adult hormonal imbalance is also associated with acne, such as elevated androgen levels ^1,8,10,11. Multiple scientific studies conclude that acne patients would benefit from anti-androgen therapy and thus hormonal contraceptive pills are used to treat acne ^1,8,12,13. Other treatments, such as topical antibiotics target the inflammatory acne, while topical retinoids can decrease sebum production ^6,12.

Since there are numerous causes of acne, multiple treatments may be required to treat this skin disease. Not all treatments will be appropriate for all patients-especially since acne impacts both men and women. Additionally, most treatments target only one causes of acne-either the hormone dysfunction or the inflammatory response. However, recent data suggest that Lepidium meyenni (maca), a traditional Peruvian plant used as a natural supplement, may provide a healthy alternative to treat acne and protect the skin ^14-16.

Recent data demonstrate that maca may treat acne in a multi-faceted approach, through both hormonal regulation and antibacterial activity. For example, maca can regulate hormonal balance by regulating testosterone levels, as oral administration of maca extract decreased serum testosterone in a dose dependent manner ¹⁷. In laboratory settings, maca treatment also regulates sex-hormones including estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, further demonstrating the potential benefits of maca in hormonal regulation ^18,19. In additional to hormonal balance, maca extract also demonstrated broad-spectrum antibacterial activity in both cell culture, as well as decreased bacterial activity in rodents ^20,21. Furthermore, topical treatment applied to the skin has shown to generally protect the skin¹⁶.  Altogether, both the hormonal regulation and antibacterial activity of this natural supplement suggest that maca may provide a natural method to improve skin health and treat acne.