Not only is this something I get asked about quite frequently but it is something I experience too and so does the majority of women. Breakouts around that time of the month can be annoying and frustrating especially once the spot goes away and we are left a stubborn mark to fade. Today I am talking through why we get breakouts around that time of the month or even ovulation and how you can prevent them.
So why do we get breakouts on our period?
Lets start from the beginning. Day 1 of our period to ovulation Oestrogen is the dominant hormone. From ovulation to the first day out of period Progesterone is the dominant hormone. Throughout our period Testosterone remains consistent however does have a surge which we will get into in just a moment.
Around ovulation Progesterone starts to rise as it becomes the dominant hormone and this particular hormone can increase the production of sebum. This can cause our skin to start to develop clogged pores and a build up of oil if we are not practicing a good skincare routine. If you have acne prone skin in the first place this is why you may find you breakout this time of the month as you are more effected by the sebum progesterone stimulates.
However as we get closer to mensturation and bleeding begins Testosterone surges which further stimulates our sebaceous glands which produce more sebum. So we have a double whammy! This is why we get breakouts as this process actually started around 14days before your period.
Now the problem we have here is we are in a cycle as once the breakouts from your recent period clear we are still left with some clogged pores from that process waiting to erupt on your next period.
So how can we prevent breakouts?
1) Proper cleansing
Especially from ovulation to your period I recommend you make sure you are cleansing morning and night. You don't have to use strong ingredients you can keep it gentle but make sure you are cleansing in the morning to get rid of any built up oil or dirt you may have accumulated throughout the night and removing your makeup or the day in general in the evening.
2) Exfoliate
1- 2 times a week. 2 times would be ideal but do what your skin can handle. This is such an important step to prevent breakouts. You need to make sure you are removing dead skin cells and anything which can get trapped and clog your pores. Think of it as a deep cleanse maintenance step. You can choose a physical exfoliator or a chemical exfoliator or do one of each once per week. I recommend you do this step in the evening as exfoliation can make our skin more sensitive especially to sunlight.
If you suffer with clogged pores you may experience a few breakouts at first as you release what is trapped but this should not last more than 3- 4weeks. If you start to breakout in places you do not usually have problems your are either exfoliating too much or the product is the wrong product for you.
3) Diet
Diet has a very important role with the performance of hormones. I recommend especially around your period to choose foods which don't have a negative impact on testosterone.
Foods which can increase testosterone include:
- Processed foods + junk foods
- Sugar! All kinds. I am not saying don't eat fruit but just choose fruits which have a lower sugar content such as berries.
- Grains
- Omega 6's - cooking oils
4) Balance Hormones
Lastly the most important factor to help with your breakouts is balancing your hormones. If you suffer with hormonal acne that is a indicator you have imbalances with your hormones. I have lots of video on my channel helping you in this area in fact this week MON - FRI at 8PM I am post a video series all related to periods! If you want to come over and watch the videos my channel is Ebony Jane Hensler
Todays video was in line with this post so if you want to hear more tips on how to prevent acne on your period/ ovulation check out the video at the top of this post!
Ebony x
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