How to CURE Hormonal + Adult Acne
As you babes know, I've been suffering with hormonal acne + it's been terrible. I mean, things could be way worse but I'm OCD about my skin and this acne thing is fairly new so it's been quite the adjustment. Thanks for letting me continue to complain to you about it lol. The good news is that I've been doing a lot of trial and error + am super happy I can finally share with you what's worked for me!!
First of all, to see WHY you're getting hormonal acne (+ find out why I've been suffering from it this late in life), go here.
And side note: we're all going to get pimples around our periods, that's normal. To see how to treat those little pain in the asses in just TWO DAYS with ALL DRUGSTORE buys, go here.
So here's the thing: we all have different skin. That's why I'm including some steps that didn't really work for me, but upon TONS of research, have given GREAT results to other acne sufferers. SO, between my results + other babes' results, I've rounded up the 5 most important steps to take to CLEAR YOUR SKIN:
✖️ Change Your Diet
GIVE UP THE DIARY!! Acne is an inflammatory condition + milk increases inflammation due to a reaction with the hormones in our body. So, dairy is known for making acne worse. Now, this may seem impossible at first but trust me, it gets easier. After I switched to almond + coconut milk, regular 2% milk grosses me out, + it makes my stomach hurt. Also, I LOVE cheese as much as the next Italian girl, but the first place you WON'T EVEN MISS IT, is in salads + sandwiches. Switch to avocado instead.
Also, SKIP THE SUGAR. Blood sugar spikes are known to cause inflammation + hormonal fluctuation, which can really exacerbate that acne.
✖️ Check Your Birth Control
This is v. important because IUD's like Mirena + Skyla, plus implants like Nexplanon, release Progestin only, which could likely be the cause of your hormonal acne. To sum it up, if your birth control releases ONLY Progestin, SWITCH birth controls.
✖️ Keep Your Skincare Consistent
Even when your skin is clear, keep doing this EXACT routine! It's prevention + every acne sufferer needs it. Here's what you should do:
1. Wash your face twice a day with gentle cleansers that won't dry you out. Try this charcoal bar.
2. Exfoliation is key, since dead skin can v. easily clog our pores, which causes pimples. Face washing keeps our skin clean, but using just our hands isn't deep enough to unclog pores + stop oil production. SO, use an exfoliator with alpha hydroxy acids or salicylic acid. This can mean pads 2-3 times per week, or a mask like this one once a week.
3. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! Now, I know this seems counterproductive since oil production is our problem. But, if we don't moisturize every time we wash our face to balance out any dryness, our skin will OVER produce oil, which will def land you a big old zit.
4 Lastly, use a retinoid three times a week, at night. This includes retinal + you can purchase this at any drug store. (bonus: retinoids are amazing for fine lines + wrinkles, too!)
✖️ Consider Probiotics
Something that's vital to healthy skin that you wouldn't normally think about... is your digestion. A good gut = good skin! Why? Because we have a set of gut bacteria that produces an enzyme to metabolize estrogen. It's called estrobolome. Now, if we don't have enough of this good bacteria, we'll have an excess of estrogen. Which we DON'T want because again, this causes a hormone imbalance that worsens not only ACNE, but also PMS + BLOATING. Triple threat.
So, this is why we need probiotics. Here's my fave probiotic because it's DAIRY FREE + it doesn't need refrigeration, so you can travel with it.
✖️ Cut Out Stress
I know this one's super difficult, but trust me. The stress hormone causes more oil production, which causes more acne.
I like to workout to relieve stress, even if that means just taking a walk! I also take B complex, which calms your nervous system + balances your mood. I love getting massages for releasing all those stress toxins + I drink chamomile tea every night, as it reduces anxiety + helps with insomnia. And if you can, TAKE A BATH. Baths are proven to connect us with our time in the womb, which is relaxing in and of itself. Light some lavender aromatherapy candles + you'll be all set.
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I hope this helps you Babes! After you start the process, give it some time. The most important thing is to stay persistent + consistent with these steps. And please let me know how it goes!! I feel like we're all on some sort of journey, + for us, it's a skin journey. But at least we can do it together X
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