Hi welcome or welcome back to my fitness journey. Today I wanted to write about all the methods I am using and have used, which have dramatically reduced my hormonal acne! This has always been one of my biggest insecurities and I’m sure lots of other people feel the same way as me, so if you’re looking at ways to heal it- I hope this helps!
The first thing I decided to do a few months ago was cut out dairy. However, I understand this can be difficult when eating out or eating at a friend’s house, so I want to reiterate that you don’t have to be super strict about this. Perhaps trial a week or two of dairy free and if you notice improvements keep it up, but if there are occasions when you simply can’t avoid it- that’s fine, its very unlikely your skin will break out!
Next in terms of eating I reduced my consumption of sugary and processed foods- now I eat mainly whole foods, but if you are worried about restricting your sweet tooth there are honestly so many sweet, healthy recipes you can make, or if you look for some healthy cereal bars (many of them claim to be healthy, but they can be packed with sugar, so be careful to check). There are plenty of healthier sugar alternatives as well, such as honey, which don’t spike your blood sugar as much, so you can still satisfy your sweet tooth in moderation. Besides the same goes for this, if you really want something processed or sugary don’t deprive yourself, because this could lead to binging, so your skin will break out more. Whereas, if you have the odd treat your skin won’t break out and you won’t feel restricted!
Similarly, I recommend eating low GMI foods- these are the kind of foods that don’t spike your blood sugar and they also fill you up for longer, so you feel satisfied. If your blood sugar isn’t spiked you are less likely to have a hormonal break out.
I know sometimes you can feel yourself being sucked into restricting calories etc, but please don’t do this as you will be less likely to get the nutrients you need to obtain healthy skin. Trust me I know this is easier said than done, but if you want to heal your hormones and skin make sure you are getting all the right nutrients!
Eat super foods, such as greens, seeds, berries and nuts. These are really great for balancing hormones as they are a good source of protein, good carbs and healthy fats! I’ll do a whole post on the best super foods if you would be interested!
Make sure you have regular meals and you listen to your body when it is hungry, because if you have lots of food in one go rather than spreading it out through the day you will feel bloated, but also really hungry, so you will be more likely to crave unhealthy foods, which will cause your skin to break out.
Something random that I have noticed is really useful is cod liver oil tablets, because yes they are designed for joints, but they contain collagen which is so good for your skin as well as your bones, so you may find this really useful for clearing up your acne.
Ok another point that is easier said than done, is to reduce stress as higher cortisol levels can throw your hormones out of whack and cause your skin to break out. I have certainly noticed my skin is more prone to breaking out when I have high stress levels.
This may not work for you, but just find a face wash that complements your skin type. I personally find just the simple face wash works a charm for me. I don’t have a lengthy skin care routine, because personally for me- my skin is sensitive so just more likely to break out if I use too many products.
Exercise! By exercising you balance your hormones and sweat out toxins in your body, so this will really help to clear up your acne and prevent further breakouts.
Make sure to wash your face after exercising, as sweat can be really bad for your skin, as it clogs up your pores, so yep that’s right- your skin will be more likely to break out.
Ok a quick cliché one we all know- drink lots of water, but I wanted to mention it, because I have always drunk lots of water, but when I started drinking a gallon of water everyday, now that is when I noticed improvements.
Finally, a super random one- change your bed sheets, pillow sheets and towels regularly as these can hold a lot of bacteria, which you are probably getting all over your face if you don’t wash them regularly (every 2 weeks for bed sheets at least).
Thank you so much for reading this blog post- if you have any ideas, questions or suggestions for my blog- please comment below, as I would really appreciate it! If you enjoyed reading it- a like would mean a lot to me.
Eva’s Fitness Journey 