A Holistic Approach to Hormonal Acne

If what you wished would only be a struggle during your pubescent years, hormonal acne, is coming back to haunt you as an adult, then continue reading. (OR listen to episode 23 of my podcast episode with acne specialist Meg Langston).

If you are experiencing your breakouts right before your period, or during your luteal phase, we know that these breakouts are hormonally induced. Although our hormones are constantly shifting during our menstrual cycle, also known as the infradian rhythm, we should not be experiencing unfavorable PMS symptoms, such as hormonal acne, unless there is an imbalance going on within the body.

What many practitioners and doctors alike fail to acknowledge is the emotional stress and turmoil that having painful, hormonal acne can cause women. In fact, most of us aren't even taught how the food we are eating, the lifestyle we are living, and high levels of stress are causing our breakouts. Instead, we are prescribed hormonal birth control or another potentially harmful medication to "treat" our hormonal, even cystic, acne.

Hormone imbalances, and any PMS symptom, can be due to one, or many, of the following root causes:

1. Micronutrient deficiencies
2. Sluggish liver function / detoxification
3. Inflammation
4. STRESS!!

Inflammatory foods that can cause PMS and hormonal acne:

1. Dairy
2. Peanuts
3. Vegetable / seed oils
4. Coffee / caffeine
5. Gluten
6. GMO soy

Here is my integrative approach to eradiating your worst breakouts:

1. Start tracking your cycle and the four phases. Listen to my podcast episode on the four phases here.
1. Menstrual
2. Follicular
3. Ovulatory
4. Luteal
2. Track your PMS symptoms and breakouts.
1. If you are always breaking out, you are most likely inflamed. Eat anti-inflammatory foods high in omega-3 fatty acids and reduce stress in all areas of your life.
2. If you break out during your ovulatory phase, this is most likely an estrogen-dominance situation. Through liver-supportive foods and proper supplementation, you can say goodbye to your breakouts!
3. If you breakout during your luteal phase, right before your period, your progesterone levels may be low. Consumer progesterone-boosting foods and supplements, like the herb Chaste Berry which is in my herbal supplement Soothe.
4. If you breakout under stress, this is because cortisol is dysregulating insulin. Focus on balancing your blood sugar by eating three balanced meals/day, little-to-no snacking, limiting high-sugar foods / no processed foods or sugars, and specific supplementation recommended by your practitioner.
3. Create a support, bio-individualized nutrition and supplementation plan.
1. Work with an Integrative Health Practitioner or any functional / naturopath that you trust. You can work 1-1 with me here!
2. Don't take any supplement just because you saw a blogger you follower use it. Same goes for food. Everyone is so different, what works for her may not work for you.
1. Some staple for skin health are: B vitamins, Zinc, omega-3, magnesium, probiotics/gut support.
2. HERBS! Click here for Soothe.
4. Find the right skin care products for you
5. Reduce Stress

I am HERE FOR YOU! Remember that you are never alone in your struggles and that there is always a natural, holistic way. Make sure to subscribe to peace. love. hormones. texts/emails and to follow us on Instagram for all of the support!