It’s not impossible to treat hormonal acne!
It might sometimes feel like you’ll never get rid of it for good. But once you understand how the natural treatment of hormonal acne works, you really can get to work clearing it up fast. So let’s take a closer look at how to go about getting rid of your acne.
First, we need to understand what causes hormonal acne, as it’s by understanding the root cause that we can then work out how to treat it.
What causes hormonal acne?
Quite simply, hormonal acne occurs when your hormones get out of balance.
This can happen during your menstrual cycle, for example, which is why women often suffer outbreaks of acne around their period.
During this time, your oestrogen levels decrease and for most women this is accompanied by an increase in the progesterone hormone. It’s this hormone that causes an increase in the amount of oil in the facial pores. This oil then clogs your pores and causes the acne.
Your hormones can also become unbalanced when you’re stressed and anxious too.
And a hormonal imbalance can also be caused by a few other factors such as poor diet and digestion, lack of exercise and extreme tiredness.
Now we know what causes hormonal acne, let’s take a look at how we can treat it naturally…
Natural treatment of hormonal acne
Given what causes it, the key to the natural treatment of hormonal acne is to maintain a balance in your hormones.
It’s all very well knowing what we have to do, but we also need to work out how to actually do it. And to do that, we need to understand why we’ve got a hormonal imbalance in the first place.
Identify what’s causing your hormonal acne
As mentioned earlier, one cause is the menstrual cycle. If your acne outbreaks always take place around this time, then you can be pretty sure this is the cause.
Other causes can be more difficult to pinpoint. You’ve got to honestly appraise your lifestyle and circumstances and ask yourself some questions.
Are you stressed? Do you get enough exercise and sleep? Do you eat a healthy diet?
Answering questions like these should help you identify the root cause of your hormonal acne. Then you can start to take the appropriate steps to treat and prevent it.
Tips to treat hormonal acne naturally
Here are a few tips on how you can treat hormonal acne naturally:
Improve your diet
Make sure your diet includes enough essential fatty acids as these help to balance your hormones.
And avoid high sugar junk foods. These cause spikes in your sugar levels which increase the stress on your body.
So try and eat more organic low glycemic index foods such as whole wheat, muesli, pasta, lentils, sweet potatoes and so on.
De-stress
The more stressed you are, the more stress hormones your body produces, throwing your hormonal balance completely out of whack. And this, of course, results in you suffering from more acne. So try and stay calm and relaxed, and not get worked up.
Aromatherapy and essential oils can be of great benefit when it comes to reducing stress. Other good ways of de-stressing include:
- Yoga and meditation.
- Avoiding refined sugar.
- Reducing your caffeine intake.
- Making sure you get plenty of regular exercise.
- Take an Epsom salt bath.
Note that it’s important to reduce both emotional stress and physical stress as much as you can.
Take the right vitamins and herbs
Some vitamins and herbs are great natural treatments for hormonal acne.
Herbs for hormonal acne
Ashwagandha is a calming and relaxing herb, that helps your body cope with both physical and psychological stress.
Turmeric’s main ingredient is something called curcumin, which has many beneficial properties. One of these is that it acts as a very effective anti-inflammatory, which is obviously important for acne sufferers. Curcumin has strong anti-microbial and anti-oxidant properties too, which are also both of great help in treating acne.
Milk thistle is another herb that has proved to have beneficial effects for many people when treating acne.
Vitamins for hormonal acne
Vitamin A is an anti-oxidant that has long been used by dermatologists as an acne treatment.
Studies have shown that acne sufferers are often deficient in vitamin E, so you should try to ensure you always get your daily recommended amount which is 15mg for most adults. You can see the daily recommended intakes for all ages here: Vitamin E daily recommended intakes.
Vitamin C is also good for promoting hormonal balance.
Sleep well
It’s important for your overall health and well-being that you get enough good quality sleep. Your body actually produces hormones while you’re sleeping.
So try and make sure that you’re in bed and asleep between the hours of 10pm and 2am, when your body is best at repairing itself. If you’re struggling to get off to sleep (which can be difficult when you have a hormonal imbalance), try using tessential oils or simply try having a nice, relaxing cup of chamomile tea.
Watch your creams
Many creams and moisturizers will actually block your skin pores. And this will only exacerbate any acne problems.
So make sure any such cosmetics that you use are non-comedogenic, which means they won’t cause any blockages.
One of the best natural astringents is tea tree oil, which can be very effective in the natural treatment of hormonal acne.
Summary
Once you’ve identified what may be causing your hormonal acne, you can start to treat it. Follow the above advice on natural treatment and hopefully you’ll soon see an improvement.
As always, let me know in the comments below if you have a particular natural treatment for hormonal acne that works well for you.
See also:
- 5 all natural homemade beauty care products
- 6 DIY facial scrubs for brighter, fresher skin
- 8 must-have beauty products to minimize pores
- Basic tips for acne treatment
- Coconut oil for skin
- Epsom salt for acne
- How to make a natural astringent for oily skin
- How to prevent acne scars
- What is my skin type?
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