Hormonal acne is more common than many realize, with 95% of the population experiencing it at some point in their lives. With hormonal changes occurring during everything from puberty and menopause to pregnancy and stress, hormonal acne can hit you at any age.
The big question is…when hormonal acne attacks, what can you do about it? Is there any way to prevent those pimples from popping up on your skin? In many cases, yes. There are a few steps that you can take to prevent the appearance of hormonal acne, plus plenty of others that will help you banish the look of breakouts quickly and efficiently. Keep reading as Lavelier shares some top tips that actually work.
Cleanse Your Skin Twice a Day
Acne in general is caused when the skin produces too much sebum, causing clogged pores, inflammation, and breakouts. Hormonal acne is down to hormones triggering an increase in sebum production, hence the subsequent clogged pores and breakouts.
When it comes to dealing with acne – any type of acne – one of the most important things that you can do for your skin is to cleanse it twice a day. This will help to remove some of the excess sebum that your skin is producing before it has the chance to delve into your pores and contribute to blockages.
When cleansing acne-prone skin, foaming cleansers tend to be the best way to go. The foamy lather that they produce is very effective at lifting away excess oil. However, if possible, go for a sulfate-free formula. Sulfates are notorious for damaging skin barrier function, which would only make your acne worse. There are plenty of foaming cleansers out there that make use of other cleansing agents, just like the Lavelier Oceana Pore Perfection Polish. This cleanser is also infused with hydrating ingredients and complexion-balancing plant extracts to provide a rejuvenated finish.
Exfoliate Two or Three Times a Week
While twice-daily cleansing is essential if you want to stay on top of your skin’s excess oil production, it won’t be able to prevent all of that oil from entering your pores. This is where exfoliation comes in. It clears out blockages from within the pores, which, as you can imagine, goes a long way in preventing the appearance of hormonal acne.
Choosing the right exfoliator, however, is essential. Most dermatologists recommend chemical exfoliants when dealing with any type of acne, including hormonal. These can often be more effective at clearing out the pores and leaving the skin feeling less greasy for a while.
There are a number of different chemical exfoliants out there. If you’re new to this type of exfoliation or are only dealing with mild breakouts, go with a gentler formula, like the Lavelier Oceana Refining Coral Peel. On the other hand, if you’ve used chemical exfoliants before or are suffering from severe hormonal acne breakouts, you may need a formula with a higher concentration of acids. Try not to use anything stronger than what your skin actually needs as over-exfoliating will only worsen acne.
Use the Right Active Ingredients
While there are numerous ingredients out there that can help to soothe the appearance of hormonal acne, some are undeniably better than others. Add the right ingredients to your skincare routine and you could very quickly see an improvement in your complexion.
Niacinamide is one ingredient that can work wonders when you’re struggling with breakouts. It lowers the feeling of inflammation while also regulating how oily the skin feels. You’ll find the ingredient in a few different Lavelier skincare products, including the Blue Algae Beauty Skincare Duo.
Green tea is another ingredient that can be a superstar at helping with the look of acne. Research shows that the topical use of this antioxidant-filled botanical can reduce the appearance of both the inflammation and the lesions associated with all types of acne. This, combined with how green tea efficiently tackles the visible signs of aging, is why you’ll find it in several Lavelier skincare products, including the Nano Gold Serum. This serum also contains aloe vera, sodium hyaluronate, and peptides, all of which acne-prone skin will love!
Make Sure That Your Skincare Won’t Clog Your Pores
As you continue on your search for skincare that can help with hormonal acne, you’ll likely come across many products that make big promises but don’t actually deliver. How can you tell whether or not a product would be good for your skin without having to actually spend money on it? That answer lies in its ingredient list…
The main thing to you need to be aware of is how comedogenic its ingredients are. This refers to how likely they are to clog your pores. With your skin’s increased oil production meaning that your skin already has plenty of oil to clog your pores, you don’t need to be adding to this with pore-clogging skincare products!
Unfortunately, this information isn’t usually listed on product packaging. This means that you’ll need to do your own research into the comedogenic rating of the product’s ingredients. While this may seem tedious, it will save you from wasting time and money on products that may only make your acne even worse.
Moisturize Twice a Day
When people first experience hormonal acne, they often panic at all of that excess grease and, as a result, stop moisturizing. This reaction is easy to understand. After all, with your skin already feeling so oily, won’t a moisturizer make things worse?
That all depends on the moisturizer that you use. As we discussed above, anything containing comedogenic ingredients will very likely make your acne worse.
However, skipping the moisturizer can have the same effect. A moisturizer plays a crucial role in keeping the skin hydrated and the skin barrier feeling supported. Without this, dehydration, which further increases oil production, can occur. The skin will also be more susceptible to external irritants, exacerbating inflammation.
One lightweight moisturizer that will help rather than hinder your complexion is the Lavelier Moisture Allure Cream. It doesn’t contain any heavy ingredients or oils. Instead, it hydrates with a blend of aloe vera and coral seaweed. It contains green tea extract too, along with oat protein to soothe the feeling of inflammation and vitamin A to help with how oily your skin feels.
Keep Your Skin Protected From the Sun
While you may think that some time in the sun will help to dry up some of the extra oil that your skin is producing, the opposite usually happens instead. Sure, the sun has a dehydrating effect on your skin in terms of sapping away moisture but UV rays also temporarily increase how much sebum the skin produces. As you can imagine, this then leaves your skin even greasier and more prone to clogged pores.
The best way to prevent this would be to simply stay out of the sun when experiencing a hormonal acne flare-up. If this can’t be avoided, make sure that your skin is always protected with SPF. If regular sunscreens cause you to break out even more, opt for a lighter-textured, SPF moisturizer instead.
Apply a Clay Mask Once or Twice a Week
Another way to give your skin a helping hand when it comes to preventing and reducing the appearance of hormonal acne is with the use of clay. It’s an ingredient that has been used on the skin for centuries. It’s still popular today, with science now backing up the various ways in which it can benefit the skin.
One of these is in how clay absorbs sebum. Apply it to your skin and it will attract any excess oil that’s lingering around, binding itself to it. Then, once you wash the clay off, you’ll also be rinsing that excess oil away.
The Lavelier HydroTherm Intense Masque amplifies these effects. Being a thermal mask, its clay-based formula gently heats up when it’s applied to the skin. This leaves the pores feeling dilated, allowing the clay to extract excess oil in a much more efficient manner. This also makes it easier for the other ingredients in the mask to sink into your skin and work their magic. With those ingredients consisting of powerful vitamins and antioxidants, they’re all compounds that can really improve the appearance of skin affected by hormonal acne.
Start Sleeping Better
Did you know that sleep disturbances can lead to hormonal imbalances and fluctuations in the body? This, in turn, can trigger hormonal acne.
Quality sleep is already crucial if you want healthy-looking skin. However, it becomes even more so if you’re hoping to banish the appearance of any type of acne. Your hormones are already fluctuating so the last thing you want to do is exacerbate things.
This means making a concerted effort to get your eight hours of sleep each night. Develop a good bedtime/sleeping routine that you can consistently adhere to, seven days of the week, and both your quantity and quality of sleep should soon start to improve.
Take Control of Your Stress Levels
Stress is something else that can play havoc with your hormone levels. If you want to keep your hormonal acne under control, keeping your stress levels down is essential.
This is something that skincare can help with. After all, a skincare routine can feel very relaxing. Research shows that the act of applying skincare products can have a calming effect on the mind, improving mental health.
To play into this, remain mindful when carrying out your skincare routine. Pay attention to how each product feels on your skin, sinking into those soothing sensations. Choose products with luscious textures that enhance this, making your skincare routine feel even more indulgent.
Dealing With Hormonal Acne
Although it can be frustrating to experience a hormonal acne breakout, there’s plenty that you can do to quickly clear up your complexion. The tips above will set you on the right path – follow them consistently and your skin should soon start to look and feel much healthier and happier.
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