Hormonal Acne
As a holistic esthetician, I look at more than just the skin. Our bodies are complex and all systems are related. When we look at acne, we need to look at the root cause. Is the acne due to lack of proper skin care or is it more? Hormones, diet, stress, immune health...or all of the above?!
As a human, whether you are male or female, you have hormones, and at certain times in our lives they fluctuate, change, and get out of balance. When our hormones shift, often we end up with the proof of it on our faces in the form of hormonal acne. In fact it has been found that most forms of acne are actually due to hormone shifts and imbalances in our body. When you think of why acne happens, it occurs because our pores become blocked by oil, bacteria, dead skin cells, and dirt. Everyone has oil in their skin. Under each of our pores is a sebaceous gland that produces a natural oils known as sebum. Sebum keep our skin hydrated and healthy. Sometimes though, the sebaceous glands can produce too much oil. When this occurs, we may also develop a pimple. For the sebaceous gland to produce to much oil though, a hormone in our body must send a signal to the sebaceous gland to increase production.
Just about everyone, male and female, starts to experience their acne challenges in our teenage years. At this time there is an increase of oil production due to a flood of testosterone hormones in our bodies as we go through stages of changes and development of our reproductive systems known as puberty. During this phase, increased oil and acne issues occur in the T-zone on our face (forehead/ temples/ nose area which forms a T ). Many continue to struggle with hormonal acne, on and off throughout many phases of our lives. Hormonal adult acne typically forms on the bottom of your cheeks and along your jawline.
A woman may become challenged with hormonal acne during phases of their monthly menstruation cycle, during or after a pregnancy, and even during perimenopause & menopause. From day to day fluctuations of testosterone, estrogen and progesterone levels we can face hormonal acne flare ups and changes daily but also underlying hormonal imbalances and disease can cause acne breakouts. It has been estimated that 50 percent of women ages 20 to 29 have acne, and 25 percent of women ages 40 to 49 are battling hormonal acne.
In one study, researchers looked at the hormone levels of 207 women between the ages of 18 and 45 years old with acne. They found that 72 percent of the women with acne had excess androgen hormones (hyperandrogenemia).
55% of the women in the study had at least one raised androgen level. The most common cause for acne was Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) due to elevated testosterone levels in women with this condition.
Stress, Acne and Your Hormones:
In a study from 2003, it was found stress could indeed trigger an acne episode. Stress leads to changes in sleep hours, sleep quality, diet quality, and number of meals per day, as well as external factors of stress, play a role in how stress on the body leads to acne breakouts, and the greater the stress, the more pronounced the breakout. Stress in our body causes hormonal changes and challenges. These stress specific hormonal changes affect our skin. A stress-related hormone called corticotrophin-releasing hormone, or CRH is one major culprit to cause hormonal acne. CRH can bind to receptors in the skin’s sebaceous glands, and that binding, increases oil production in the skin, which can cause pimples! What's worse, is as an esthetician I tell people- "Don't Pick Your Skin," but It has also been found that when people are stressed, there’s an increase in nerve signaling that causes itch, which can cause people to scratch or pick at their skin. This can create even more inflammation, redness and infection. It can spread bacteria, worsen the break out and even create scarring on the skin surface after the acne has cleared up. There’s evidence that chronic stress can affect the immune system by slow healing in the body. If you’re dealing with constant stress, your acne breakouts may stick around longer, and could be more likely to result in scarring.
So, all forms of acne are related and influenced by hormone fluctuations but how do we treat it...
When you think of how a Doctor would address your acne, they may suggest: - Antibiotics Topically and Orally - Benzoyl Peroxide to get rid of bacteria, dry the skin and sebum production - Vitamin A- to clean pores out and exfoliate -Salicylic Acid- Exfoliates and dries sebum Although these suggestions work, some of them actually wreck havoc on our bodies.
Here are my person natural solution recommendations to support your body and heal your acne.
Natural Self Care Recommendations to Care for Hormonal Acne:
Dr.'s Recommend: Antibiotics- well essential oils are anti-fungal, anti-microbial, anti-bacterial and so much more.
Natural Beauties Alternative- Apply create a blend of 8 drops oregano, 10 drops On Guard, 5 drops lemon, 5 drops peppermint and 8 drops frankincense with a carrier oil in a roller bottle and apply it to your feet & spine in the AM & PM. This will support your immune system and overall health and wellness of your body.
Dr.'s Recommend: Benzoyl Peroxide- I find it is very aggressive and the idea of drying the skin, and often overly drying the skin as many pharmaceuticals do, impedes the skins barrier function from preventing bacteria from getting into the skin and body, as a well as excessively drys the skin to the point it actually hurts. This is a huge issue, and creates a need to heal the skin further. Natural Beauties Alternative-
Argan Oil with essential oils. Many people think if you have acne, you need to avoid oils, but you actually want to find the best natural oils that will benefit your skin health and not clog it further. Argan oil is the number 1 natural oil for healing acne and preventing future breakouts. It is the best possible carrier oil for an oily/acneic skin type. Argan oil can be used as a pre-wash cleanser, as it cleans your pores, loosens makeup. dirt and debris while also healing, soothing and nourishing skin. Using essential oils with argan oil will also prevent infection, eradicate bacteria, while promoting cellular turnover, balancing hormones, healing soothing, calming inflammation and so much more... I recommend using argan oil as a pre wash cleanser but also as a moisturizer or serum to treat and heal the skin while nourishing and feeding it.
Dr.'s Recommend: Vitamin A ( or Accutane- a medication that comes from Vitamin A) - Although Vitamin A is touted as a miracle for anti-aging, as well as beneficial for healing acne and reducing inflammation, studies have shown it to be unsafe. It has been found that Vitamin A increases risk of skin cancer, as well as causes a variety of health problems, including brittle nails, hair loss, osteoporosis and hip fractures as well as liver damage. In acne skin I primarily see it over drying the skin, to the point of peeling the skin, and honestly there are other ways to care for the skin. Natural Beauties Alternative- Green Clay Mask- my green clay mask is the best mask to use to promote healthy skin.
It is made with French Green Clay, which has seaweed in it which is rich in vitamin and nutrients that nourish and feed the skin, while pulling impurities from the skin. It tightening the pores, tones the skin, exfoliating dead skin cells and reducing inflammation in acne.
Dr.'s Recommend: Salicylic Acid- Salicylic Acid is a very strong exfoliant and for some skin types that are challenged with acne skin conditions, it maybe too strong.
Natural Beauties Alternative- We can use other exfoliants and purifying masks helps balance the skin.
1) Glycolic Acid and lactic Acids- are much gentler but still very effective at exfoliating the skin, and reducing excess oil production when used correctly. I like to use a glycolic acid cleanser 1 time a week, and my french green clay mask has yogurt in it, which lactic acid.
2) French Green Clay Mask mentioned above is amazing for deep cleaning and calm the skin both due to the clay and the yogurt. It also is incredibly gentle and will not over strip your skin. Instead it feeds and nourishes your skin with nutrients and minerals that are extremely beneficial to the skin. The Green clay mask is actually gentle enough that is can be used a few times a week on the whole face or even daily to spot treat active acne until it is gone.
3) Wintergreen Essential Oil- Salicylic acid is naturally derived from the bark of white willows or the leaves of wintergreens, methyl salicylate is the active component of Wintergreen essential oil. Salicylic acid isn’t a volatile aromatic compound, so it isn’t found in the essential oils. Using the essential oil will not exfoliate the skin as a salicylic acid would, but it will calm and soothe inflammation. Being it is a mint you will want to use only 1 drop and highly dilute it in a natural carrier oil like argan oil which helps heal and soothe acneic skin types.
Additional Natural Beauties Solutions-
Anti-Inflammatories- Copaiba! This oil is amazing for its anti-inflammatory properties, and should be used both topically and internally. Lavender, Tea Tree, Eucalyptus and Frankincense are also high in anti-inflammatory properties and will help calm and soothe the skin, while reducing redness and more.
Diet:
Pro/ PreBiotics- The health of your gut microbiome greatly affects your immune & skin health. Imbalances in your gut bacteria can lead to leaky gut and inflammatory responses which may eventually present as acne on the skin.
So, consuming foods rich in natural probiotics like kombucha, sauerkraut and other fermented foods as well as taking a high quality pre & probiotic will greatly benefit your gut and skin health. Probiotics can also be used topically to reduce inflammation, heal and soothe the skin. I incorporate this with my French Green Mask as well, because has yogurt in it.
Digestive Enzymes- are excellent for us because they help us absorb the nutrients from our food, which will feed our skin and organs with needed nutrients and vitamins that promote healthy skin.
Anti-Inflammatory foods are key to a healthy gut and may help prevent acne.
Plant-based foods high in antioxidants may help reduce inflammation in the body and promote clearer skin.
Omega-3 fatty acids are rich in nutrients that nourish and feed the skin and may also decrease skin inflammation.
Junk food alone doesn’t cause acne. But overdoing it on certain foods can lead to increased inflammation.
You may consider reducing or limiting the following foods from your diet and see if there are changes in the skin
sugar
dairy products
refined carbs, such as white bread and pasta
red meats
With proper skin care practices, paying attention to what you eat, and the guidance of a professional you can learn to care for your problematic skin with holistic skincare product and professional skin treatments.
Be sure to schedule your 30 min skin consult to learn how to care for your skin.
