I hear from a lot of women. From emails to social media, I constantly have women asking me about certain foods, supplements and beauty products that I approve of. I love hearing from all of you as you clearly trust my opinion and I am grateful to always help guide you in the right, healthy direction.
Something I am asked about constantly is acne.
I hear from a lot women who are suffering with hormonal acne or PMS acne and have just had enough of it! I hear and feel your pain! There’s nothing worse than waking up in the morning feel refreshed and ready to start your day to only have a massive zit on your face that’s bright red. Or even worse, multiple zits that are popping up around your chin and jawline or even your forehead.
Yup… it sucks and it’s hormonal.
Of course there could be multiple reasons for a breakout, from indulging in too much sugar, to using a product you reacted to, or to lack of hydration; but if you’ve been dealing with monthly breakouts, there’s a very good chance your hormones are a little out of balance and are wreaking havoc on your skin.
For me, I tend to breakout just before my period, which is common for many women. If I’ve been eating well, taking my supplements and staying hydrated I’m not typically affected by pre-period breakouts, but thats not always the case. After ovulation, estrogen drops and progesterone rises. The drop in estrogen is what leads to PMS acne.
Estrogen is what gives us our glowing and radiant skin, plus it helps to support our bones, libido and mood.
In fact, women are seen as more attractive while at their fertile peak. Our faces become more symmetrical during ovulation. Even our lips and cheeks become naturally coloured, almost blush-like pink, as blood flow ups under the skin. Ever notice those amazing-glowing-clear-skin days when your skin looks flawless and perfect?? Well, you can thank ovulation for that.
Our liver is our main detoxifying organ and helps to metabolize hormones, so if you’ve been eating well and supporting your liver, theres a good chance your PMS acne won’t be so bad, as is the case when I’m on point with my diet. But on the other hand, lack of liver support combined with stress, poor food choices, lack of nutrients, vitamins and minerals, insufficient fat intake, lack of water – this can all lead to pre-period acne.
So what’s a girl to do?
The Obvious – ditch the sugar, eat more quality fats, like avocados, fish oil/fish, nuts, seeds and coconut oil, drink lots of water, eat more blood sugar stabilizing protein such as, chicken, fish, grass fed meat, etc, and manage stress effectively.
The Not-So-Obvious – have you just come off the birth control pill? If so, you will breakout and it may get worse before it gets better. The pill contains synthetic hormones (ethinylestradiol), which clears up your skin by suppressing sebum production. But don’t be fooled. The pill isn’t balancing your hormones BY ANY MEANS and is just in fact masking any hormonal imbalances. It may seem all fine and dandy to be on the pill and enjoy having clear skin, but those synthetic hormones ‘shut-off’ your own hormones from working, which is why you break out once you come off of them. But don’t fret, follow a clean, whole foods diet, support your liver, increase your fiber intake and your hormones will normalize and your acne will clear up.
Are you eating an inflammatory diet? If so, this could be the culprit to your acne, especially if you are consuming dairy. Click here to read more about the 5 foods that are making your PMS worse.
Are you insulin resistant? This is having an excess of the hormone insulin. Insulin works by transporting sugar into your cells. From there, your body can utilize this sugar as energy. If you are eating too many carbohydrate rich foods (bagels, cupcakes, cookies, pasta, bread, wheat, sugar, artificial sweeteners, etc), then this could be causing an increase in insulin and inflammation. Fruit juices, agave, fruit and sweetened yogurts also fall into this category. Oh! as a VERY IMPORTANT NOTE, the birth control pill can actually CA– — USE insulin resistance. So can stress, smoking and sleep deprivation.
You may be estrogen dominant? From antibiotics and hormones in our meat and dairy, to toxins in our environment and body care products, we are exposed to a lot of xenoestrogens – estrogen mimicking compounds. These compounds build up in our system, leading to what’s known as estrogen dominance. This can impair our liver health and thrown off our delicate hormonal balance. Typically, hormonal acne around the chin and jawline is affected by excess estrogen. Support your liver by taking the supplement Calcium D-Glucarate. *consult with a nutritionist or ND first to assess whether or not you have estrogen dominance.
Are you zinc deficient? Zinc helps to support the production of estrogen and reduces inflammation. Pumpkins seeds, cashews, beef, lamb, lentils and seafood all contain zinc. This important mineral will also help to support your immune system and is especially vital for men’s prostate health.
I want to HEAR FROM YOU!
Have you or are you suffering with hormonal or PMS acne? Do you use any natural remedies?
Or are you fed up and truly looking to heal your period, get off the pill and clear up your skin?
Comment below and let me know how you’ve been affected by acne or hormonal imbalances.
Share the LOVE. If you found this article helpful, I’d love it if you shared it with your ovary-fertile-friends 🙂
IN NEED OF SOME HORMONAL HELP?
Feel free to contact me at samanthagladish@gmail.com and we can set up a free 20 minute consult to discuss the right protocol and plan for you and get down to healing your cycle and pms.
Cheers!
Your Period Fixer-Upper
Samantha xoxo
