Natural Methods for Controlling Hormonal Acne
When you think of someone with acne, the image of a teenager hitting puberty is the first thing that pops into most people’s minds. Rarely do we think about adults suffering from inflamed pimples but the truth is that hormonal adult acne is becoming more and more prevalent. As of the time of this study, up to 50% of women aged 20-29 struggle with hormonal acne (1), with women in their 30s, 40s and even 50s struggling as well!
The difference between hormonal and bacterial acne is stark. Hormonal acne tends to create a type of acne “beard” on the jawline and lower cheeks and can consist of blackheads, whiteheads, pimples and quite frequently, cysts. If you’re not familiar with cysts, they’re pockets of oil and debris that form under the skin and are unable to be extracted, either by yourself or an aesthetician. They can be incredibly painful and have a high recurrence rate, especially in these hormonal acne hot spots.
A few things can trigger adult hormonal acne, including your menstrual cycle, menopause, increased androgen levels and frequently, polycystic ovarian syndrome. Other factors include pregnancy, diet, stress levels and birth control (2). All of these hormonal issues can result in overall skin inflammation, oil production in the pores and clogged skin cells in your hair follicles.
At this point, we’re sure you’re thinking “It’s hormonal so it must be out of my control!” but that is absolutely not the case. We’ve included a few helpful hints on how to manage your hormonal acne naturally, no prescriptions needed!
Drink plenty of green tea
Green tea is an antioxidant superstar and on top of being extremely healthy and delicious, adding a cup or two to your daily diet can actually help reduce inflammation (3). A reduction in inflammation may mean fewer breakouts. While this won’t help you reset your hormones, it can be a very helpful tool in managing the symptoms.
Watch your diet
Try adding in some foods that are rich in fatty acids like avocado and salmon! Omega 3 is great for hormone balancing and most people don’t get nearly enough of it. On top of that, try to incorporate more plant based foods that are high in antioxidants such as blueberries and broccoli. This study (4) found that a diet that was low in refined carbohydrates and high in fiber helped with the management of hormonal acne, so perhaps make the swap from white rice, pasta and bread to a fiber rich whole wheat version.
Review your products
Many products out there are marketed to sufferers of acne and are actually highly comodegenic. Be sure to check your ingredients careful for known comedone inducing chemicals. Because there is no official governing body over marketing on skincare products, many companies are able to make claims that are not entirely truthful.
Another thing to be cautious of is products containing toxic ingredients. The David Suzuki Foundation has a list (5) of commonly found chemicals that are found in cosmetics and skincare products that can have harmful hormone disrupting effects, as well as causing a whole host of other health issues.
Practice good skincare
While this has no effect on your hormone activity, practicing good skincare hygiene is incredibly important. Make sure to cleanse the oils and debris from your skin twice daily, once in the morning and once at night to help prevent an excess of buildup that can become infected in your pores. Moisturizing is also incredibly important as it’s very easy for the moisture barrier to become damaged. Just make sure your products are non-comedogenic and toxin free and you’ll be on the right track!
Take a zinc supplement
This study (6) has shown that frequently cases of hormonal acne are caused by insufficient zinc intake. You can choose whether to try to supplement zinc by getting enough in your diet by eating legumes, seeds, nuts and whole grains. Alternately, you can take a vitamin with zinc in it. The previously mentioned study found that 30-40 mg each day decreased the number of participants with acne in the study from 100% to 15%.
Reduce your stress
Of course we live in a busy world so this sounds impossible but excess stress can cause an increase in cortisol, which stresses your adrenal glands and causes a spike in androgens. Androgens are male hormones which can are present in the female body but can be thrown out of sync by overstressed adrenals. So, if you can, try to get 7 hours of sleep and take a bath, meditate, whatever you need to lower your overall stress levels. It could be contributing to your acne.
By taking in these steps, you should feel like a clearer skinned, more balanced version of yourself! It may seem like a lot but it is absolutely worth it to be able to get your previous confidence back after struggling with hormonal acne.
References:
1. https://www.aad.org/adult-acne
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5300732/
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27634207
4. https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/86/1/107/4633089
5. https://davidsuzuki.org/queen-of-green/dirty-dozen-cosmetic-chemicals-avoid/
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/137693