Is Your Acne Seasonal?
Have you ever felt that your acne is seasonal? That during certain times of the year, your skin ends up in worsened flares? While other times of the year, your acne seems more calm? You're not alone.
A lot of my clients mention to me that they feel their acne is seasonal, noticing flares in the winter or summer. Having had acne for years, they feel like they are noticing a cyclical pattern with their breakouts. They often wonder if it's the weather or a change in the air quality. Yet when we look back into human history and into current indigenous living tribes, acne doesn't occur. This points at acne not being weather or seasonally dependent. So what then is going on?
If you feel like you are noticing your acne worsen around certain times of the year, it's a good idea to notice what else changes around those times of year as well. As new seasons emerge, so too our behaviors and social situations shift and change with them.
During winter for instance, we have the holidays. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. - which all commonly bring with them an increase indulging in sweet treats, overeating, and drinking more alcohol for most people. Sometimes people start using a thicker moisturizer during the dry season (which more likely than not will contain comedogenic ingredients). I always see a noticeable increase in breakouts around this time of year. Not due to weather, but the increase in holiday eating and sugary things lying around the house.
For those seeing new breakouts in summer, what else might be changing in your life around then? Are you going out and socializing more? Taking vacations? Or perhaps you see a decrease in acne, possibly from more sun exposure which can kill off some excess skin bacteria? Just taking notice. Listening, watching, and observing, purely and without judgment.
There is always a reason why acne is happening. We may not immediately know what it is or we may not like the answer, but there is always a reason. Our job as acne healers is to be open to exploring and listening to what our acne is trying to tell us.
Let us open consider leaving behind the story of things that are naturally occurring triggering our acne. Letting go of the weather, seasons, our cycles, being a woman, being a teenager, being menopausal, etc - being the reasons why we have acne. These are all natural cycles of life. If we do see acne seasonally, let us be open to seeing what unnatural things are being affected during this time. And to trying something new and living a different way when those seasonal behavior opportunities arise.
In love, health, and community,
Elise May, CN + LE, is a holistic esthetician, acne nutritionist, and founder of Skin Nutritious. Since 2009, she has helped over 1,500 clients finally overcome acne with a unique blend of coaching, treatments, and holistic skincare.
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The entire contents of this website are intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Elise May, Skin Nutritious, and her community. Skin Nutritious encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional. The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
