By Saya Skincare
When you think of hormonal breakouts you immediately think of your teenage years. So, when you hit your 20s, 30’s and even sometimes your 40’s and you are still dealing with breakouts – it can feel like a bit of a rort.
Aren’t we supposed to have left this behind along with the braces and bad fashion choices during our teens? Sadly, that’s not the case for everyone.
What Are Hormonal Breakouts?
Hormonal breakouts are exactly what the name suggests — acne and breakouts tied to fluctuations in your hormones, usually brought on by menstruation, pregnancy, postpartum, menopause, stress or hormone conditions.
Hormonal adult acne usually appears along the jawline, chin and cheeks as big, often blind, cyst-like pimples under the skin’s surface that can be painful to touch. It’s kind of like a beard of acne – which sounds funny, but the experience of it is far from humorous.
How Do I Know If I Have Hormonal Acne?
- You’re no longer a teen
- Your breakouts appear around your chin and jawline
- Breakouts usually occur or get worse before your period
- You’re experiencing extra stress (which exacerbates hormonal breakouts)
- The breakouts contain painful cysts rather than your run-of-the-mill blackheads and whiteheads.
Can Skincare Cure Hormonal Breakouts?
As the root cause of hormonal breakouts are changes in your internal hormones, it’s not something that can be solely fixed with skincare. We always recommend consulting a healthcare professional to help treat the underlying internal cause, along with monitoring your diet and stress levels. However, skincare plays an important role in supporting your skin through hormonal breakouts, lessening their severity, nourishing the skin to promote healing and avoiding long-term scarring.
How To Treat Hormonal Breakouts With Skincare
If you’re suffering from hormonal breakouts, the most important thing to do is support and nourish the skin to promote healing.
Here’s how:
1. Promote Healing
Firstly, keep your skin clean by cleansing each morning and double cleansing of a night to remove bacteria and excess oil, stopping it from causing congestion.
Using a hydrating toning mist that is pH balanced to strengthen your skin’s natural barrier function and help soothe inflammation around breakouts.
Clear congestion with a gentle exfoliant or clay mask. This is a good way to release the build-up of oil and bacteria in your pores.
Use a retinol or retinol alternative like Bakuchiol to stimulate your skin cell turnover, refine skin texture and prevent clogged pores (you can also enjoy the anti-ageing benefits along the way!).
2. Support and Nourish
Keep your skin hydrated with a lightweight moisturiser rich in hyaluronic acid and anti-inflammatory ingredients that will moisturise your skin without clogging your pores.
Use a non-comedogenic face oil like Argan Oil to help balance your skin’s oil production and soothe sore, inflamed breakouts.
Try a serum, moisturiser or mask with Niacinamide and Vitamin B’s to strengthen and support your skin during a breakout and keep it well hydrated.
3. Avoid Scarring
Opt for products with Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs) like Lactic Acid or Glycolic Acid to minimize the appearance of acne scars and remove excess dead skin cells. Best applied in an exfoliant, mask or serum.
Invest in a natural retinol alternative, like Bakuchiol, to help stimulate and renew your complexion and help minimise the appearance and severity of acne scars.
Use a Vitamin C serum or products rich in Kakadu Plum. This powerful antioxidant brightens the complexion and helps reduce the appearance and formation of acne scarring. An essential for healthy, glowing skin. Our entire face range contains Kakadu Plum!
