It's that time of the month when you don’t feel yourself, your energy is low and your skin is breaking out with acne because your hormones are all over the place. Most of us suffer from regular hormonal breakouts and sometimes it feels like there is nothing that can help and that just makes us feel worse. When it comes to those irritated red bumps on our skin, we sometimes feel like no amount of skincare products, expensive treatments or clean diets will help improve hormonal acne. It may seem hard to believe, but there are ways to find balance with your hormones and find a way to improve and treat your skin.

Before we get started, it’s important to remember that at some point we all suffer from skin breakouts or acne and that we aren’t any less than because we have acne and breakouts on our skin. Acne is actually more common than we believe and is just part of being human. Unfortunately, acne doesn’t go away after our teenage years. In fact, over 85% of adults experience adult acne, with an estimated 50% of those adults being women over the age of 25.

What is Hormonal Acne?

Hormonal acne occurs when your body experiences hormonal changes and imbalances. Hormonal acne appears on the skin as whiteheads, blackheads, and red pimples that commonly appear around the chin, cheeks, jawline, back, or chest.

Acne can be triggered by a woman’s monthly cycles, pregnancy, stress, and poor diet. It's important to pay attention to our skin and body because what happens on the outside can tell us what is going on inside our body, so we need to take care of our body inside and out.  

Skin & Body Care

It is important to remember that all skin is different, so whilst it’s good to shop for skincare recommendations and find product inspiration online, you need to create a skincare and body routine that is specific to your skin. For hormonal acne, create a routine that doesn’t have any harsh ingredients (non-comedogenic), instead look for products aimed at sensitive or acne-prone skin. A good routine will include clarifying cleansers, hydrating toners, retinol, moisturiser, and, most importantly, SPF for protection!

Diet

When we talk about diet, it isn’t about eating less or depriving ourselves of the food we love, because this will not solve hormonal acne issues but it might cause more damage to our skin as well as our body. What we should try to do is understand our body’s response to certain foods and find a way to enjoy the foods that work for us. Skin experts agree that what we eat has an effect on the appearance of our skin. 
For some, dairy products can have a negative effect on acne breakouts, especially for those who already have a dairy intolerance. Cow's milk contains growth hormones that can impact our sugar levels and cause our skin to overproduce sebum, further increasing the risk of clogged pores, inflammation, and acne. So try cutting your dairy intake and be mindful of what you are putting in your body, as this can have a negative effect inside and out.  

Get Physical

For those of us who can't find joy in the gym or simply don’t have the time, then don’t worry, all we really need is at least 10-20 minutes of physical activity every day. This could be anything from swimming, to yoga, to running or the gym. For hormonal acne, regular physical exercise will help to balance out sugar levels, which is important in managing and improving acne.

Show yourself some Love

At the end of all of this, the most important thing to remember is to love your skin! Sometimes we can be too hard on ourselves and obsessing over our skin can do more harm than good. Even though breakouts can make us feel stressed out and insecure, we need to give ourselves a break and practice some self-love. Remember, that your acne does not take away from your beauty or value. The skin will heal and repair over time, so don’t let that stop you from enjoying life and loving yourself now!