Jess's tips to kicking hormonal acne in the butt
Hormonal acne is such a common concern but can be hard to deal with, often giving your confidence a real knock. Often those pesky spots and cysts are from your body trying to tell you that something’s up.
We’ve had a chat with our wonderful stockist, Jess from Haylo Skin and Body - she’s a total expert when it comes to all things skin and wellness and having been through a hormonal acne journey herself, she’s here to give you her tips and tricks for kicking it in the butt.
What does hormonal acne look like?
It can look red and bumpy, and can feel hard. It can be around the chin and jawline/neck area.
I’ve had hormonal acne come out of the blue, where do I start? Do I exfoliate? Use a serum? Or stick with gentle simple skincare?
I find when I have any sort of skin issue, whether hormonal, dehydration, sensitivity, less is best. As long as you are hydrating the skin it will come right. So, my simple routine would be, cleanse, hydrating serum, and moisturise. I would suggest doing this routine day and night.
If you have a spot treatment, I would use this too, but only on the breakout areas. If your skin is hydrated it will heal a lot better, if it’s dehydrated it will be tight, and hard for those breakouts to heal properly. I would also recommend exfoliating 1-2 times a week as well to remove the dead skin cells, which will help your skin feel smooth, look brighter and help your products better penetrate into your skin.
It is important to remember that when you have hormonal, or any sort of acne, that this does not mean you have oily skin! Sometimes the skin can be so dehydrated it’s trying to over produce oils, which can cause acne. So don’t strip your skin unnecessarily with ‘oily skin’ based products and remember hydration, hydration, hydration!
I’m feeling stressed and not getting much sleep, is this making my acne worse?
Absolutely. Sleep is our biggest healer in all areas. It affects how you feel, how you eat, how you move and in this case how your skin can be. Make a good night's sleep your priority and everything else will come right from there.
Does hormonal acne mean I’m not cleansing my face well enough?
Not at all, hormonal acne will be something that is going on with you internally. The inside is just as important as the outside.
What lifestyle changes would you recommend to help my hormonal acne?
Managing hormonal acne indeed starts with lifestyle changes. I personally believe a good sleep, exercise, eating well and drinking plenty of water are important routines to adapt. (I’ve also started to try eating plant-based and feel my skin is doing a lot better).
Your gut health plays a big part not only in your skin but your overall health too, so ensuring it’s functioning optimally is an important aspect to consider in your lifestyle habits. I’ve found together with making lifestyle changes and supplementing with Marine Collagen to support my gut health, my skin health has improved. Oh and also, slow down, take time to yourself and stress less - it’s a change you’ll really notice.
I know Marine Collagen is great for gut health but will it help my acne?
Yes it absolutely is. I, like everyone else, still get breakouts, but keeping my gut health happy, in turn has a positive effect on my skin and helps with the healing process of my hormonal acne.
There’s a lot of hype about the power of antioxidants for your skin - but what are the best sources to try and should they be applied topically or ingested?
At Haylo we are very passionate about working with clients on the inside and out. There is only so much you can do topically, and there are some great products out there, but what we do on the inside is just as important. Your lifestyle shows in your skin, so taking a whole picture approach with the right skincare products and food sources for your body will provide the best results.
What are the go-to nutritional supplements for clear, glowing skin?
I love the Jeuneora Renew+ Marine Collagen Super Powder, honestly it gave me such a skin confidence boost (the Jeuneora glow is real). I also love Dr Libby Weavers, Cycle Capsules and Zinc. If you have any breakouts, zinc is a must, it’s such a great skin healer and really helped clear my skin when it was at its worst.
