How to Control Your “Period Skin” and Be Free From Hormonal Acne

God bless Crissy Teigen’s “period skin” tweet for being a beautiful woman who is not afraid to show her flaws to the world! We all have imperfections and “period skin” is one all too many women know about. However ladies, just because we have a cycle does not actually mean we are bound to breakout. Let me explain…

Period skin is actually caused by hormonal imbalance that arise from foods high in androgen hormones. The week before our cycle, our estrogen levels drop. If you consume foods higher in androgens, the imbalance becomes more apparent during this time. The redness in Teigen’s skin is a sign of that hormonal imbalance and inflammation that so many of us have experienced. Here’s how to control your period acne for good: 

1. Go dairy-free. This one is huge! If you want to be free from hormones, free yourself from eating the #1 contributor to hormonal acne. Cow’s milk has more than 60+ naturally occurring hormones including IGF-1, which has been directly linked to acne in several scientific studies.

2. Reduce your sugar intake. Processed sugar can also contribute to hormonal imbalance, inflammation, and increased androgen levels. Lowering your added sugar consumption will decrease skin redness and the chance of breakouts occurring. Bonus: it also keeps your collagen levels high, which preserve keeps you looking good as you age. Bye bye wrinkles!

3. Limit your alcohol consumption. Alcohol is a huge trigger for red skin and acne. If you want to look and feel your best, lowering your alcoholic beverages is a good idea. If you do drink, try to chase with water after each drink to help your body detoxify quickly.

4. Get quality sleep. If you want your skin to heal fast, quality sleep is your new best friend. Rest is the body’s time to heal and regenerate, lowering redness and pimple intensity fast. Aim for around 7-9 hours of sleep every night.

5. Make stress reduction a priority. None of us actually wants to live with stress, right? Well, there is a way out. It takes time, patience, and regular practice. Stress reduction is all about how we react to situations we perceive as stressful. Learning how to be with and give space to your emotions is the first step to stress reduction. Meditation is one of the best ways to do just that. Download the Headspace or Insight Timer app for guided meditations to use throughout the day.

Try this as a 28 day challenge! Take a before/after picture for yourself. Stay the course. When you are doing all of the above things, you should see your period skin calm down until it is naturally clear in about 3-4 cycles. You want to see less breakouts than the period before. For an added boost, use my Clear Skin Kit for accelerated results. Time tested by hundreds of clients who are now also free from "period skin" ;)