Hormonal acne — what do I do?
Hi beautiful people,
When I first started Modern Mind, I had a vision that surpassed just sharing my writing alone. I wanted it to be a wellness resource, not only for our mind, but for our body and soul also. As I expand, I want to take this community with me -- so that we can explore all of the factors that impact our mood and frame of mind.
Today's blog is all about skin -- especially for my girls who have struggled with hormonal acne around the jaw.
One thing that has always intensely impacted my mental health is the condition of my skin. It may sound superficial, but for those among us that have struggled with acne during our teens and even more frustratingly -- as adults, I know you get where I’m coming from. That feeling of wanting to be in the world, met with the impossible task of trying to hide our own face. When I was having a terrible breakout and had to be social, I would slouch my shoulders, and hang my head low, as to not draw too much attention to myself. I couldn’t help but feel like it was the only thing someone would notice. It beat down my confidence to the point I would stay home and skip being social altogether.
I thought I had left my days of breaking out skin in my mid teens. Although it damaged my self esteem and my willingness to put myself out there, when I hit 20, my skin seemed to balance out. I applied expensive creams, and stayed up to date with the latest treatments to try keep my skin glowy and clear. Fascinatingly, I never realized that it was much less about what I was putting on my skin (despite it being agitating & non organic), and much more about what I was putting into my body.
At 23, I was a sugar addict. I’d often start my day with a cinnamon brioche and mochachino and think that was an appropriate breakfast. Despite looking after my mind through meditation and exercise, I neglected to acknowledge the role my diet would have on my mind and body. I’d often have energy crashes in the early afternoon, or wake with little energy at all.
During an especially stressful time, I remember going to wash my face and noticing tender lumps under the skin around my jaw and chin. I’d never experienced anything like it and dismissively applied some tea tree oil and went to bed. Over the next few weeks, it got progressively worse. I’d wake up with one or two new breakouts every morning. Despite my regimented skincare routine, nothing was helping.
Thankfully, my best friend at the time was studying to become a Naturopath. If you are wondering what that is -- don't worry I had honestly never heard of a Naturopath before either. Naturopaths practice holistic health, using natural remedies (like supplements and medicinal plants) to treat acute and chronic illnesses. She invited me to come and have a consultation and opened me up to a world where I started to see that nutrition and lifestyle were intertwined with my mood and physical body.
She took inventory of my diet, lifestyle, stress levels and symptoms and pointed out that it wasn’t just standard acne, it was hormonal acne that I was experiencing.
Hormonal acne in women looks like:
Located around the chin, jawline or down to the neck
Cyst like or whiteheads
Clustered breakouts
Suddenly it made sense why all of the topical creams I had been trying hadn’t worked at all. Hormonal acne is from an internal cause, so an external approach isn't impactful.
With time and a few simple hacks I’ll share below, my hormonal acne healed. Although I can no longer have cinnamon brioches for breakfast without noticing an impact on my skin, I have a much deeper understanding of what works and what does not work for my body. I eat and seek out foods that I know work for me and leave me feeling good — inside & out.
I’ve noticed the key to clear skin for me is to
Keep my blood sugar balanced &
Manage stress through meditation and exercise
Lots of water (aim for 2 litres a day).
Your body is always speaking to you, and sometimes it speaks to you through your skin. Any issues that you see on your skin are usually solvable by taking a deeper look at what could be going on. Namely in your diet. Or what is happening in your emotional world too.
MY TOP HORMONE BALANCING TIPS:
Avoid oat milk coffee’s on an empty stomach (Oat milk is high carb and converts to high glucose in the body = spiking your blood sugar)
When you do have sweets, try to have them after a meal with fats and protein. It will change the way your body processes the glucose.
Focus on adding more protein into your meals if possible (organic wherever possible). If you are plant based opt for things like chickpeas, lentils, tofu or hemp seeds)
HORMONE BALANCING INGREDIENTS:
Add cinnamon to sweet drinks, it helps your body move the sugar through your body
Flax seeds (add 1 tablespoon to smoothies!)
Dandelion tea
Brazil nuts (just 1-2 daily)
Broccoli, kale, cabbage (cruciferous veges)
Avocados
Almonds
BEST HORMONE SUPPORT SUPPLEMENTS:
I’ve used DIM for some time and found that it’s helped me. I use “Thorne”. I’m not sponsored in any way. It’s just one I found worked and was high quality. DIM works to regulate estrogen levels. It also improves mood and memory which is a great pro-bono.
A really good probiotic (healthy gut = healthy skin)
I hope these tips help you if you’ve been struggling with hormonal acne in any way. I’ve been there — I know how it feels to want it to disappear as quickly as possible. But when you take the time to get to know your body and give it the right support & nutrition you will do more than heal your skin. You’ll feel your absolute best.
Focus on one day at a time and know that your true self has no face at all. You are beauty radiating from within.
As always, much love,
Amber xx
As a side note:
For additional insight and depth, I’d recommend a hormone test (which you can do online through test delivery, or with your doctor). This can more specifically point out what's happening in your body and find targeted solutions that will work for you.