Nearly every woman has gone through the sudden transition of feeling like a fully functioning adult woman to feeling like a teenage girl in puberty. Those with imbalanced hormones are especially prone to this issue, manifested by cystic acne, struggle with their period, and a hormonal imbalance called polycystic ovary syndrome.
There is no joking with hormonal acne, as they are not the same as the occasional blemish everyone gets. Most solutions on the market, including Retin-A, antibiotics, and benzoyl peroxide often aggravate the issue.
How Hormones Affect Your Skin
Endocrine imbalance is the root cause of hormonal acne, a problem which typically affects women around mid-cycle or before their periods. Estrogen and testosterone are at their higher point in the cycle. However, they don’t negatively affect properly functioning endocrine systems, but rather those whose hormones can`t process correctly.
These women have trouble carrying out detoxification and if they tend t make poor food and lifestyle choices, it is very likely that their elimination organs like the skin will be at risk, too. These effects are at their highest point before their period since during this period the blood comes closer to the skin`s surface.
The Path to Better Skin
Being the largest organ responsible for elimination, the skin works in synergy with other players in the elimination like large intestine, lymphatic system, and the liver. Once you understand the relation between these organs, you`ll start understanding why using drying ointment doesn’t do the trick.
In other words, the problem starts much deeper and what you ingest determines the outcome on your skin. The foods you consume, the products you use, and the cleaning products you deal with have to be eliminated properly. Instead of using creams or prescription pills, prevent the issue through wise food choices.
What to Skip
1. Dairy
Not only dairy products contain synthetic hormones, but they are also pro-inflammatory food which causes leaky gut syndrome.
2. Gluten
Just like dairy, gluten is yet another strong pro-inflammatory food.
3. Soy
The phytoestrogens in soy contribute to acne, especially in those who are already hormonally sensitive. Read the labels well, since soy can appear in unexpected places like supplements.
4. Peanuts
Even those who aren’t allergic to peanuts may experience side effects like breakouts and skin inflammation.
5. Caffeine
Caffeine can deprive your body of magnesium, zinc, and B-vitamins, affecting skin`s immune response.
6. Canola, sunflower, safflower, and vegetable oil
All of these cooking cools are high in omega-6 fats, which are known to cause skin inflammation.
What to Embrace
1. Get the right nutrients
Clear Skin Juice Recipe: half a green apple, half a cup of cilantro, four leaves of romaine lettuce, half a cucumber, four frozen strawberries, and the juice of half a lemon.
2. Replenish good bacteria
Start taking probiotics to ensure you have enough good bacteria, which are key to proper gut health and balanced hormones.
3. Go organic with your beauty products
Avoid any products containing the following ingredients:
– Anolamines (look for the acronyms DEA, TEA, MEA)
– Petrolatum or petroleum jelly
– Endocrine-disrupting phthalates (look for the acronyms DBP and DEHP)
– Sodium lauryl sulfates and ether sulfates (look for the acronyms SLS and SLES)
– Parabens (including methyl, propyl, butyl, and ethyl)