Can Ashwagandha Cause Acne?: Top 5 Ashwagandha FAQ
Ashwagandha is an increasingly popular supplement for stress, anxiety, and mental wellness. Studies suggest ashwagandha supplementation can go even further with neuroprotective, anti-cancer, and energy-boosting properties. However, research into this powerful herb is still ongoing. In this article, we’ll explore the top five most frequently asked questions about ashwagandha, plus ashwagandha health benefits, and where to buy.
What is Ashwagandha?
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), also known as Indian ginseng and winter cherry, is a small, yellow-flowered shrub indigenous to India, Africa, and the Middle East. The herb’s name means “like a horse,” in Sanskrit, a reference to the smell of the plant’s roots, as well as its traditional use as a strength enhancer.
While ashwagandha contains several active components, the real stars of the show are a class of natural compounds called withanolides. Withanolides have a range of effects on the body from soothing anxiety to fighting inflammation and oxidative stress.
Ashwagandha Benefits
Ashwagandha’s benefits run the gamut from quelling anxiety to improving athletic performance.
Stress relief
Ashwagandha is a well-known adaptogen, with documented stress-relieving properties. The secret is in ashwagandha’s ability to soothe the HPA (hypothalmic-pituitary-adrenal) axis that regulates our body’s stress response.
Whenever your heart starts pounding, or your mind starts spinning with worries, the body is flooded with stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. Studies indicate that ashwagandha supplementation can help moderate cortisol and other molecules related to stress, including dehydroepiandrosterone-sulphate (DHEA-S).
Anxiety and mental health support
Feeling anxious? Ashwagandha has been shown to improve mental health and mood outcomes from anxiety to depression. In fact, ashwagandha is one of our 5 Best Supplements for Mental Health.
Improve sleep quality
Insomnia doesn’t stop with your morning alarm–poor sleep quality can leave us dragging for days after a single sleepless night, all thanks to a phenomenon known as sleep debt. Ashwagandha can help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer, leading to a more restful night.
In one study, 150 adults with self-reported poor-quality sleep saw a 72% improvement in sleep after 6 weeks of ashwagandha supplementation. In another study, insomnia sufferers saw significant improvement in measures of mental alertness and sleep quality after 8 weeks.
Other ashwagandha benefits include:
- Increased energy
- Reduced inflammation
- Improved memory
- Better athletic performance
Ashwagandha FAQ
Interested in trying ashwagandha? Below, we explore five common ashwagandha questions to help you find the best supplement for your needs:
Can Ashwagandha cause acne?
Does ashwagandha cause acne or does it help cure it? The answer: it depends. Due to ashwagandha’s well-documented anti-inflammatory and blood sugar-regulating effects, it might help soothe acne caused by inflammation and poor diet.
Studies show that high insulin levels (usually triggered in response to high blood sugar) often correlate with increased oil production in the skin, leading to higher rates of acne. Ashwagandha has been shown to reduce blood sugar, insulin, and hemoglobin A1c levels in diabetes sufferers.
However, in cases of hormonal acne–that is, acne caused by hormonal imbalances– ashwagandha may have the opposite effect. Ashwagandha can raise testosterone levels, especially in men–a fact that might not cause much of a stir until you remember that increased testosterone can also come hand-in-hand with increased sebum-production. Sebum is the "oil" secreted by oily skin, and, in many cases, more sebum equals more acne.
Ashwagandha can also increase thyroid activity, especially production of the thyroid hormone thyroxine (T4). Our thyroids and the hormones they produce regulate our metabolism, including weight, mood, body temperature, and even our sleep cycle.
But what about our skin? Individuals who have normal or overactive thyroids and take ashwagandha may experience hyperthyroidism, a serious metabolic condition that can cause weight loss, restlessness, and acne breakouts.
Does Ashwagandha affect birth control?
Unfortunately, at this time the scientific literature regarding ashwagandha and birth control is inconclusive.
Oral birth control comes in several forms. There’s the combined oral contraceptive pill that includes a combination of synthetic estrogen and synthetic progesterone, and then there’s the progesterone-only pill, which contains (you guessed it) only synthetic progesterone.
When you take your birth control pill, these synthetic hormones are broken down in the liver where specific enzymes are responsible for processing (a.k.a. metabolizing) them. The liver enzyme responsible for breaking down oral contraceptives is CYP3A43.
While some herbs, such as St. John’s Wort, may interfere with the behavior of liver enzymes like CYP3A43. However, according to one study from 2022, ashwagandha does not interfere with CYP3A43.
Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean it’s 100% safe to combine ashwagandha and oral contraceptives. There simply hasn’t been enough scientific research to give us a conclusive answer. As always, the best solution is to consult your doctor before adding a new supplement to your routine.
Does Ashwagandha make you emotionless?
Emotional numbing is a common concern with anti-anxiety medications and supplements. But, while some medications and herbs might have that effect in certain cases, ashwagandha does not alter your mood, your personality, or your affect by numbing out your emotions,
Ashwagandha’s calming effect comes from its interactions with cortisol, the stress hormone. In the body, the feelings and physical reactions we associate with stress and anxiety such as rapid heart rate, tense muscles, restlessness, and racing thoughts, are caused by the rapid release of hormones.
Ashwagandha targets several of these hormones through the HPA axis. The HPA axis regulates our body’s reaction to stress, primarily by releasing cortisol. Ashwagandha helps modulate the HPA axis, reducing cortisol levels by as much as 25% and helping you feel calmer.
What are the side effects of Ashwagandha?
Common side effects of ashwagandha include:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Upset Stomach
- Allergic reactions including hives and itching
- Alteration of thyroid hormones
Ashwagandha is only recommended for short-term (less than three months) use. Ashwagandha is NOT RECOMMENDED for individuals who:
- Are pregnant or breastfeeding
- Have a thyroid or autoimmune condition
- Are about to have surgery
- Have liver problems
- Are taking certain medications including benzodiazepines, anti-convulsants, or barbituates
Always consult your doctor before beginning a new supplement.
Where can I purchase Ashwagandha?
As with any herbal supplement, quality is essential. We recommend Standard Process Ashwagandha Forte, which contains 10mg of active, high-quality withanolides and is closely monitored for effectiveness and purity. You can buy it here in our shop.
