Hormonal skin, argh!
Hormonal outbreaks, every woman’s dreaded two words! Most of us have them and most of us have had a massive flare up at some point. Time of the month can be a total nightmare, tiredness, stress and feeling like utter crap really doesn't help the situation. Maybe you are pregnant and the “pregnancy glow” is yet to reach you! Or you have had a baby and you have been left with skin that has totally been through the wars. We have all been there! But what can we do to help? I have put together my little hormonal skin survival pack once pregnancy, birth and breast feeding is out of the way to give you a little helping hand.
So, you know that it is that time of the month when you get
a big ugly and angry friend appear on your chin area. It usually happens when
you really don't want it to and you have a big event a few days later. Day
22-day 4 of your monthly cycle leaves your skin more greasy and spot prone.
There are a few things that can help at this time of the month and to keep your
self-esteem intact.
Avoid greasy food
I know, I know that this is what you instantly want to reach
for when you feel like you’ve been hit by a bus but it really isn’t going to
help. A diet with plenty of essential fatty acids and omega 3 will instead help
to lower inflammation and improve breakouts. Eat more oily fish, walnuts and
flaxseeds for example.
Sugar
Sugar and spice and all things nice. Obviously, everything
in moderation! However, we all know refunded sugar is not great for us. Too
much causes insulin levels to spike which can lead to extra inflammation in the
body, hormones and inflammation are not a great skin combination! Hormones make
skin glands go into overdrive making excessive oil production and skin growth.
A combination that leads to blocked pores and spots.
Drink lots of water
I really don’t want to sound like your mum here but
hydration and water is key when it comes to skin health. It flushes out toxins, it allows the bodies
systems to function efficiently and it plumps up the skin. Also, as a bonus it
will make you feel more alert. Reaching for caffeine unfortunately won’t help.
It instead places pressure on your endocrine system and is a toxin. One to
power you through in the morning is fine. Green tea on the other hand is
fabulous for hormonal skin as it is filled with antioxidants that protect from
environmental stressors. It may also be a good idea to reduce alcohol, argh! I
hear you cry! Or at least stick to clear longer drinks and spirits with fewer
toxins in and with added fruit to make you feel more virtuous.
I love drinking vitamin water or detox waters. These taste
yummy and are great for getting added vitamins and skin friendly nutrients into
you. I always have a jug to hand and fill a glass up through the day. You could
make a simple lemon and mint water or watermelon and strawberry. I love adding
grapefruit and rosemary to mine. Whatever you have to hand. I am always posting
ideas to my Instagram page.
Juicing
A diet rich in fruit and veg is amazing for hormonal skin. Lots
of vitamin c and green leafy veg will help to detox the systems and help to
clear up any outbreaks. Beta carotene, usually fruits and veg with an orange or
red skin, naturally helps to reduce skin oils and are anti-inflammatory. Dark leafy greens and dark coloured berries
contain phytonutrients good for the skin.
I love this skin friendly smoothie to get my glow back:
½ cup mango
1 kiwi minus skin
1 mug frozen berries
¾ mug cold coconut water or almond milk
½ juice of lime
Place in blender and blitz.
I play around with the recipe and other skin friendly
ingredients such as ginger, mint or spinach.
Also, Watermelon is an amazing food to eat to help your skin
and at 92% water and packed with lycopene, antioxidants, amino acids and
vitamins A,B6 and C what's not to love?! We all love big juicy melons.
Sleep
Sleep is mother natures way of repairing the body. Being sleep
deprived due to a new born, breast feeding, or a baby kicking and keeping you
awake in your belly, a toddler climbing out of its cot, a sick child or simply
wanting to stay up and to have an adult conversation with your husband. Unfortunately,
it’s not called beauty sleep for nothing. Sleep is when toxins are removed,
damage to tissue is repaired and new hormones are created. If I had an answer
to how as a mum we could get more sleep or better quality sleep I would totally
give it out like sweets to all the mums in the world! I unfortunately don’t
have a secret, I just tend to hibernate and take extra care of me for a few
nights!
Skincare wardrobe
As you have a wardrobe full of outfits for all occasions
it’s a good idea to have the same for your skin. Different products for
different times of the month as your skin changes with different levels of
hormones. My hormonal skin needs a good cleanser during this time sometimes
needing to double cleans to make sure all excess oil, make up and impurities
are removed. I also exfoliate to stimulate cell turnover, remove dead skin
cells and impurities. I have many homemade skincare masks I love to make but my
favourite at the moment is a probiotic, turmeric and yogurt face mask. This
mask is totally amazing for many reasons! Turmeric is an amazing ingredient for
glowing skin, anti-inflammatory and anti-aging. Yogurt contains lactic acid
which helps to dissolve the dead skin cells and is very gentle and nourishing.
Probiotics are amazing and I love them in skincare. They help to stabilise the
skin's defence system and help the skin to regain its natural balance like they
do in your gut. For this reason they are great for acne or hormonal skin. I
also make sure I use noncomedogenic products to reduce the risk of clogged
pores.
To make you need:
1 tbsp plain organic yogurt
1 capsule probiotics
1/2 tsp of turmeric
I hope you find the points helpful. They certainly get me
through! Oh, my final point, smile. A bright, genuine and happy smile will give
you a glow everyone will be jealous off!
Until next time x
Written by Katie from @katiescreativekitchen
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