If you hear the words 'hormonal acne' and cringe in anticipation of your dot leading to, well, dots across your face, you're not alone. And if you thought that acne connected to fluctuations in your hormone levels was a thing of your teenage past, think again. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, an estimated 50 per cent of women aged 20-29 struggle with this form of acne, which is concentrated around the bottom half of your face (think cheeks and jawline area). And although there can be other contributing factors to adult acne (25 per cent of women aged 40-49 deal with their own brand of hormonal-imbalance spots), for today's purposes I'm going to focus on the kind I know all too well— the menstruation-related sort.
Now in my experience, maintaining clean, hydrated Skin is a good first line of defence against monthly breakouts. This form of spotting is inevitable for me, but I'll be damned if I'll let clogged pores be the source of additional spots— uh uh honey. I've shared lots of detailed tips over the years for dealing with acne (like 5 Tips for Clearer Skin and 5 Ways to Keep Your Skin Clear), but for today's post I wanted to focus on three products in particular that have helped keep my hormonal breakouts to a minimum. We all know the importance of a good cleanser, regular exfoliation and proper nutrition/water-intake at this point, so let's just dive into the products instead, including a new discovery that's been a total game-changer for me. Here goes.
ORIGINS ACTIVATED CHARCOAL EXFOLIATING CLEANSING POWDER
This cleansing powder from Origins' Clear Improvement range is like no other; whenever I feel a breakout coming on, I lather this water-activated product all over my face and leave it on as a mask, which usually contains the problem. I also use it periodically throughout the month as a cleanser to help improve the look and texture of my skin, as well as to minimize the appearance of pores (yeah, it can do that). That's because its formulated with super-absorbing bamboo charcoal to deep clean pores and remove any trace of dirt, debris and toxins. And as an added bonus, it makes your skin feel unbelievably soft and smooth to the touch. If you can get your hands on a bottle, I would definitely recommend it.
IMAGE CLEAR CELL MEDICATED ACNE LOTION
And now for my aforementioned game-changing discovery, this acne treatment from Image is hands down the best I've ever tried (and believe me when I say I've tried my fair share of spot treatments). I was only recently introduced to this medical-grade skincare range (more on that later), but so far I'm head over heels for the entire range. I love this product in particular for zapping blemishes as they arise, and because it's formulated with 5% benzoyl peroxide, my spots are usually gone within a day or two. If you're dealing with more than just the odd hormonal breakout, this product can also be applied daily as an all-over lotion to kill acne-causing bacteria & reduce the overproduction of sebum, so it's a great one for anyone to keep in their beauty stash.
LUSH GORGEOUS FACIAL MOISTURIZER
I love Lush for their gentle, organic products, and this moisturizer is no different. I find it really important to hydrate and nourish my skin after treating it for acne, so I like to finish things off with a gentle moisturizer that won't clog my pores. Gorgeous is packed with orange blossom honey, extra virgin olive and wheatgerm oils, this one leaves my skin soft, hydrated and just plain happy. But be warned— a little goes a long way with this one, so don't be too heavy handed with its application or you'll end up wasting product... and considering how truly lovely this one is, that would be a real shame.
