November 19, 2020
Hormonal acne – The guide
by Leonie Poppe
Your guide to hormonal acne
For many people, acne is an emotionally stressful issue that cannot simply be "creamed away" with a few creams and serums. For people with clear skin, it may be easy to say that we should love ourselves and our skin despite blemishes. From personal conversations and sometimes from my own experience, I know only too well that it demands a lot from those who have to struggle with these sometimes very painful blemishes. Acne is often equated with poor hygiene and is therefore often associated with shame. It is difficult to put a positive spin on that.
But I don't want it to remain a topic of shame for you and to lead to insecurities in the long term, and that's exactly why I'm writing this post. You shouldn't feel like you have to hide. Quite the opposite! I want acne to be seen as something normal. Which doesn't mean that we shouldn't do anything about it. After all, it's a sign that something isn't right. But I hope that the more the topic is discussed and the more we know about it, the less stressful it will be. I want you to come to terms with your skin! :-)
Dealing with acne has so much to do with your own attitude. What makes you beautiful to others is yourself, your story, your experiences, your attitude and your charisma! Not blemishes or skin imperfections. This way you take the pressure off yourself and the journey to the actual cause becomes easier.
That's why it's so important to me to educate you about acne and show you what you can actually do about it - besides having a positive attitude! :-)
And because so many customers have asked us about this via various channels, I will focus on hormonal acne. It is one of the most common types of acne.
In this article you will learn
- How does acne develop?
- What specifically characterizes hormonal acne and how does it manifest itself?
- Why are women particularly affected by hormonal acne?
- What can I do about acne and which products will help me?
- What improvement can I really expect from care products?
- My personal tips for you
1. How does acne develop?
In short: Acne is a disorder of the sebaceous glands. It is an inflammatory “multifactorial” skin condition. This means that there are many different causes that can influence or cause the development of acne:
- Hormones
- Nutrition
- genetics
- stress
And as always, our hormones play a super important role here too! I have already mentioned this several times in other blog articles, but our hormones work together in a very delicate and sensitive system. This system controls important functions in our body. This is why hormonal fluctuations are often reflected in our skin.
Puberty is the perfect time for this! 70 to 95% of the population are “affected” by it at least once in their lives. Acne is one of the most common diagnoses in dermatologists’ offices.
Most often, the combination of seborrhoea (excessive sebum production) and hyperkeratosis (excessive keratinization of the outer layer of skin) forms the basis for micro-inflammations of the sebaceous glands and hair follicles. The skin has a harder time shedding old horny cells. The pore becomes clogged and sebum accumulates.
The large amount of sebum provides a great breeding ground for some bacteria that are naturally found on our skin. One bacterium in particular is particularly popular here: Propionibacterium acnes, which is why acne is named after it. Propioni feels very comfortable in the excess sebum and metabolizes fatty acids on an assembly line. Its excretion products cause inflammation and unpleasant pressure pain and redness. Blackheads, pustules, papules/pimples and nodules develop. Preferably on skin areas with many sebaceous glands. These include the face, neck, back, shoulders and upper chest area.
But how could it be otherwise, not all acne is the same. Of course, acne manifests itself differently in every person and in different degrees of severity and manifestations. For severe forms, a visit to a dermatologist is therefore recommended. That's why I'm mainly giving supportive tips and recommendations for milder forms. But maybe you've already tried a few things and nothing has really helped you. That's why I want to look at the topic in a holistic way and give you one or two ideas. There is definitely something you can change to achieve improvement. :-)
2. What is specific about hormonal acne and how does it manifest itself?
Why do I want to talk about hormonal acne in particular? Because it is the most common form of acne.
In this case, these hormones lead to the seborrhoea and/or hyperkeratosis mentioned above and not only our hormones but also our skin becomes unbalanced.
During puberty, blemishes are mainly found in the T-zone, i.e. on the forehead, nose and chin.
In adulthood, we see the effects more in the lower part of the face, on the underside of the cheeks and in the jaw area. Because the inflammation is often deep under the skin, cosmetic products can rarely reach it. However, they can still relieve acne. Nevertheless, it is extremely important that you look at your body as a whole and not just treat the areas externally and selectively.
Why are women particularly affected by hormonal acne?
Actually, men and boys are more likely to suffer from acne. This is simply because sebaceous glands are particularly sensitive to androgenic hormones. Androgens, which include testosterone, are sex hormones that are responsible for the development of the male sexual organs. They occur in men, but also in women.
During puberty, sex hormones increase equally in both sexes. However, since boys' skin is naturally a little thicker and oilier, the threshold for acne to develop is somewhat lower than in women.
In addition, men’s hormone levels stabilize over the course of their lives.
However, women also experience hormonal fluctuations more frequently later in life: during pregnancy, before menopause, due to hormonal contraception or hormonal diseases with increased androgen levels. If we have too many of these in us, ovulation and our periods may not occur. This disrupts our cycle and fertility. This form of hormonal disease is called polycystic ovary syndrome (PCO syndrome).
Another trigger is stopping taking the pill. I have already written about this topic in detail in this blog post. After stopping taking the pill, temporary post-pill acne can occur. This is because the pill suppresses sebum production and, depending on the form of the pill, inhibits androgens, i.e. the "male" hormones. This can curb excessive body hair or pimples while taking the pill, but after stopping taking it, the androgens shoot up again and with them the sebum production.
What can I do about acne and which products will help me?
Generally speaking: anything that helps against inflammation. Since acne is particularly noticeable through inflammatory processes, it is important that you take care to prevent or even completely inhibit inflammation in the future.
You can of course achieve this with anti-inflammatory and supportive care products, but also with anti-inflammatory measures from within. We have all neglected a balanced diet, stress reduction and healthy sleep for far too long. But thank God it is now becoming increasingly clear how enormously important these points are for us and our health and therefore also for healthy skin.
Before I recommend any skin care products, however, I would like to point out that the skin needs around 28 days to renew itself. So it's better not to try more than 1 or 2 new products at once. Give your skin time to react to the ingredients and get used to them. Then you can integrate the next product into your skin care routine.
Skin that is struggling with acne is rather sensitive anyway. That's why you shouldn't overwhelm it with too many new things. Be patient with yourself and your skin.
I have had good experiences with these 6 care products, which is why I like to recommend them for acne.
Example of a step by step daily routine
- Gently cleanse with our cleansing oil or rose water to avoid damaging the skin barrier, but still free the skin of all dirt and deposits. Cleansing in the morning and evening is often recommended. However, I have also found that evening cleansing is actually better for the skin! However, this is something you have to find out for yourself.
- Vitamin C to reduce blemishes and acne scars. Its antioxidant effect protects the skin from external influences and has an anti-inflammatory effect. This supports the skin barrier.
- Hyaluron concentrate and/or aloe vera gel to provide the skin with light moisture without clogging the pores.
- Fruit acids - glycolic and salicylic acid in the form of our AHA peeling to remove dead skin cells, to clear clogged pores and to allow sebum to drain away more easily. They also noticeably stimulate the regeneration of the skin. To begin with, application 2-3 times a week is sufficient. Later, you can increase to daily.
- Retinal cream or serum regulates sebum and noticeably supports the regeneration of the skin. Here too, we recommend starting with an application interval of around 2-3 times a week and then gradually increasing.
- Jojoba oil to balance and reduce sebum . This is more of an empirical cosmetic. But I have already spoken to several people who swear by the antibacterial and skin-clarifying plant oil.
- For spot care of pimples, I recommend the Pimple paste . It specifically dries out pimples and promotes the healing process so that the skin gets rid of the inflammation as quickly as possible and can fully perform its protective function again.
- For occasional relaxation for skin and soul, you can use the Clay Mask It has an anti-inflammatory effect, balances sebum production and acts as a gentle peeling when gently washed off in circular movements. This way you wash away excess sebum and dead skin at the same time.
And since our products are unisex, they can of course help men and boys just as well.
Click here to go directly to our products.
Be careful if you have acne during pregnancy or if you are breastfeeding. Retinal products are not allowed here and I would also avoid fruit acid peeling. I would definitely recommend consulting a dermatologist here!
What improvement can I really expect from care products?
I am convinced and have already seen that with the right care we can achieve a lot. But hand on heart: that alone will probably not be enough to fight acne permanently.
As I mentioned before, it is important to look at the body as a whole and to realize that acne does not depend on just one factor, but can have many causes.
Especially when we start to live in such a way that our body is a holistic system, we have the chance to find out the real causes and really achieve a profound change.
That's why the success of a treatment or care product depends entirely on the severity of the acne, the condition of the skin, your diet and also your stress level. It's important to stick with it and patiently try out different things to find out what really works for you.
My personal tips for you
As always, your diet is a big factor that affects your skin and can therefore help fight acne. In addition to drinking plenty of fluids, keeping your blood sugar levels low helps. You can avoid fluctuations in your blood sugar levels with a low glycemic index (GI). This means that you should remove foods that increase your blood sugar levels from your plate. These include foods with refined sugar or wheat.
You've probably often heard that dairy products can cause blemishes and acne. In fact, cow's milk products and whey protein can promote inflammation and also affect hormone levels. As described above, these are precisely the triggers of hormone-related acne. Goat's and sheep's milk, on the other hand, are generally better tolerated by you and your skin. It's also important to eat a nutrient-rich and anti-inflammatory diet in the form of omega-3 fatty acids instead of omega-6.
Nutrition is a key to healthy skin
In addition to the general tips on how to avoid sugar and dairy products, which can be very effective, I have also had very good experiences with high-dose zinc. Specifically zinc to take orally. It supports your immune system and has an anti-inflammatory effect from the inside out! Make sure that it is a good product that is free of fillers and unnecessary additives. Then this dietary supplement can be a great support on your way to clearer skin.
Monk's pepper plant
In addition , chasteberry, also known as Agnus Castus, is a great herbal remedy that has been very well researched and has a balancing effect, especially in women, on hormonal fluctuations and can therefore also bring the skin back into balance. Chasteberry can be particularly helpful after stopping the pill!
Of course, it wouldn't be a blog post of mine if I didn't mention sun protection at the end . I know that it's very difficult to find a suitable sunscreen, especially if you want to use mineral filters. If you have had any experience with this, I'm all ears! :-)
Closing words
Finally, I just want to remind you that acne is a skin condition. A condition that can be changed. Yes, our genes may tell us that we have a tendency to develop acne, but I firmly believe that we have enough leverage to bring about improvement. Nothing is set in stone and there is always the possibility of changing something for the better.
Your attitude and your attitude towards yourself and your skin is what really matters! I can only say it again and again: hang in there, be patient and use this journey to get to know yourself better. Meet yourself with a good feeling and take the pressure off yourself.
You are so much more than just your skin. Toni from mutausbrueche (seen on the cover photo) has found beautiful words to describe this. Check us out on Instagram and let her inspire you. She definitely touched me a lot.
All love
Sources
1 https://www.amboss.com/de/wissen/Acne_vulgaris opened 01.09.20
2 2nd edition, Elsässer Sabine, Personal care and cosmetics, Springer Medizin Verlag Heidelberg 2008
3 Ranzato E, Martinotti S, Burlando B. Wound healing properties of jojoba liquid wax: an in vitro study. J Ethnopharmacol . 2011;134(2):443-449. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2010.12.042