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My Adventures of Quitting Estroblock & Thorne SAT … Turns Out, They Really Do Work!

by 59 Comments

Acne Supplements

My graveyard of supplementation experimentation. There have been a few winners…

So… I have a confession:

I’m breaking out!!! AGH!! Suddenly, my chin is dotted with small pimples, and a couple of larger under the skin pimples that I haven’t had in years.

It’s not like the days of the severe acne, that’s for sure. But my chin hasn’t looked this bad since then.

The one thing I’ve changed? Well, I decided to quit using Estroblock & the Thorne SAT liver support supplement.

I found that these two supplements made a really big difference in that last bit of mild stubborn acne that I get on my chin. As in nearly eliminating it altogether, even when a “perfect” diet and lifestyle didn’t seem to.

However, since I discovered them a couple years ago, I’ve never really completely gone off of them. Estroblock, I have been through phases of using more of it, and right down to using very little of it. But never completely off it.

Thorne I never stopped because I only take one per day.

One day I decided, you know what? Let’s see what will happen if I just stop using them. I’m curious.

And well, here’s another secret: we are thinking of maybe having a baby sooner rather than later (okay like maybe next year… maybe. Don’t hold me to that), and I don’t want to use these while pregnant.

So, you know. I would have to be off them at some point.

So why not give it a whirl now?

So anyway, I stopped using them altogether about two months ago.

And for two months, my skin looked pretty dang good! A couple small pimples but nothing too bothersome.

I thought HA! Yes! I don’t need them. I win!

Or So I Thought…

But then a few days ago, suddenly my chin looks pretty bad :/

Again, not severe acne bad, but none too pretty. Thank goodness for concealer.

In years past, this would have put me into an emotional tailspin. I hadn’t really healed the emotional trauma from the severe acne and the appearance of any acne at all reminded me of that pain so acutely that I could barely handle it.

Now, it’s different.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t like it. At all. I don’t want to be breaking out, and if I let it, I could allow the doom to infiltrate me and ruin my days.

All the plans I have for the summer have begun running through my mind… I have a camping, or kayaking, or climbing, or festival trip planned nearly every other weekend, and I’m like “AGGH I can’t be breaking out! I am the fucking acne guru! What will people thiiiiink”

Yes, most of my anxiety about it seems to stem from the fact that I run an acne website, less so about the pimples themselves anymore.

I mean, I’m going to my 10 year school reunion next month, where everyone will want to know what “I do”. Oh the potential JUDGMENT! *starts planning to say I invented Post-It Notes, Romy & Michele style*

And then I just have to remind myself that… like.. whatever. I’m still fabulous. If people think things, then the only thing I can do is take “the spiritual path of not giving a shit” and have a great time. Because the alternative only hurts me.

All the personal work I’ve done on self love has really helped here, and also mastering the completely outstandingly useful skill of not letting a glimmer of nervous fear spiral into a pit of fearful death.

This Isn’t Something I Can’t Control

But you know what else certainly helps? Is that I’ve done so much experimentation and figured out so well what works for me, that I know exactly how to get rid of it.

And that certainly feels a lot better than not knowing how or what to do.

And for that, I am very thankful. The journey to figuring your own body out can be frustrating, but is definitely rewarding in the peace of mind it affords.

So while this breakout definitely sucks, at least I know it’s not a random thing I can’t control. I know this is going to pass quick enough.

I just need to follow my own advice.

I need to look at where my weakest links are in my health and address them. For me right now it would be this:

  • It’s probably time to maybe tighten up my diet a little (I think maybe the use of these supplements have allowed me to be a little bit too lenient in that arena…)
  • Maybe do a candida cleanse to help me reset my body and gut (although I probably won’t do that until the fall)
  • Get back into a regular exercise schedule (yes, after my triumphant last post, I immediately fell off the wagon for the last month since we have moved house … although I have been gardening up a storm instead!)

And yes, I’m probably going to take the easy way out at least initially and just get back on the supplements.

Although I don’t want to be dependent on them and I know they are not the entire answer (these certainly will not work as well if you pair them with a totally unhealthy lifestyle), I am certainly thankful they are there to give me a helping hand when I need it.

Related posts:

The Love Vitamin breakoutsI’m Quitting Estroblock, Doing a Candida Cleanse, and Trying Some New Supplements Estroblock Q & A – Estroblock Triple Strength vs Regular, Do You Take it Forever, and Can Men and Teenagers Take It For Acne The Love Vitamin old picture of Tracy's skinWhich Strategies Work Best for The Acne on Different Areas of My Face Antiperspirant Causing AcneAntiperspirant Was Ruining My Skin & Quitting It Cleared My Acne Up For Good

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Comments

  1. I also noticed the same 🙁 I’ve been taking Estro adapt (AOR) and milk thistle (Flora) on and off since 2 years…

    Reply

  2. You know, as someone who’s done the “perfect” diet, exercise, oil cleansing etc. for over a decade and never *quite* gotten rid of the acne, it kind of makes me feel better to know that even a guru like you occasionally has a breakout.
    Thanks for sharing your tune-up strategy and congrats on the new place!

    Reply

  3. Hi,
    I’m Violina and I come from Poland.
    I’ve just found out about your blog and yours history.
    I think about diet Paleo. No I started this diet yesterday.
    I used to this diet 2 years ago but my skin was still bad (I think that nuts were a reason. I can’t eat nuts even though I love them. Kai ate too much because I’m very skinny).
    Later I tried raw food and my skin was perfect but I had underweight, bloatedness, my period missed.
    I have a lot of stress now, I move to UK and I realized that our mind is also a big reason for acne. When I don’t think about diet and eat what do you want to for example 2 days – it’s OK. But when I try to maintain a healthy diet and for example eat something wrong, I have guilty conscience and next day big pimples on my chin. I hate it! I’m break down. I don’t want to meet to people. My chin is horrible!
    I hope that this Paleo diet without nuts, chicken (I’m type of blood B) helps me. I drink also nettle tea and tulsi tea. I avoided coffee which I love it.
    If you find a little time, please tell me do you still continue Paleo diet? Do you drink coffee?
    Kind regards,
    Violina

    Reply

    • Hi Violina, stress is definitely problematic for the skin, and our bodies work in this crazy orchestra… so if you get the stress under control, it’s much easier to not eat quite as perfectly and not break out from it, which may be why you break out when you stress about doing something wrong, but it’s fine if not. As for diet, I don’t really follow any particular diet anymore, except try to eat mostly real foods. I tried vegan, paleo and this and that, and for me at least there was never one particular diet that made much of a difference over another. Paleo does help a lot of people with their skin, but overall it is a journey to figure out what works for you! I don’t drink coffee personally, but it’s something that affects some people’s skin and not others.

      Reply

  4. I spoke to a customer service rep with Delgado (the makers of EstroBlock) and they say it is perfectly fine to take while pregnant!

    Reply

    • Hey Tara, did they say how many per day was okay during pregnancy when you spoke to them? Initially I heard that they said 1 regular strength was okay during pregnancy, then I heard two regular was okay, for some reason…. but overall, my understanding was that there just haven’t been studies done on using DIM during pregnancy (same with milk thistle), which means it’s not recommended since it’s ambiguous… all in all, the chances are it’s totally fine, but you never know

      Reply

      • Hi Tracy!

        We had two midwives during our pregnancy, and both of them said milk thistle is fine–it’s a galactagogue(what a word!), so it actually helps increase your breastmilk supply as well as helping out your liver. Talking with a midwife or alternative practitioner about herbs during pregnancy would be a good idea. There’s also this awesome book called “Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year” by Susun Weed. Herbs have been around far longer than pharmaceuticals, plus there’s no monetary incentive for researchers to study herbs. 🙂

        Tabatha

        Reply

  5. Oh Tracy, this post gives me positive and negative emotions. Positive, because I also experience the same phenomenon and I am happy that it is not just me. Or that my body isn’t “broken”. Basically, you reassure me that I am pretty normal and that it is OK to not have perfectly clear skin while you are off your supplement. But negative emotions because now I have no idea how to get off the this stuff…I might have a baby one day myself…But at least we know we are not wasting our money on Estroblock:D
    And no one will notice your problems on your trips or at the reunion!

    Reply

  6. I’m sorry to hear you’re breaking out again. I’m sure it’s not noticeable to anyone but yourself, but I know it’s super frustrating.

    It seems your experience is pretty common. It seems to go against what Fran from High on Health claims – that once you’ve cleared the toxic estrogens from your system, your skin should stay clear, even after stopping the supplement. I suspect it works by lowering androgens, and this is just a temporary solution while taking the supplement – much like taking the birth control pill.

    Estroblock has worked for me, but I don’t want to be on it forever. It’s a strong drug, and not enough is known about it for me to be comfortable being on it long term. I’ve reduced my dosage to once every other day, and did break out a tiny bit more, but it’s not a big deal. I’ve recently cut out milk, and my skin has really cleared up. I’m hoping it will stay clear even after stopping Estroblock.

    Tracy, I really would not trust the people from Estroblock to give you good advice about whether or not the supplement is safe during pregnancy. They make a bunch of claims on their website that are unreferenced, and I simply don’t trust them. For example, I phoned them with questions about the colour of my urine. I understand this is a common side effect, but I was looking for a real reason behind it. The woman told me it was my body “detoxifying”. I know that word is thrown around a lot, but it’s actually quite meaningless and explains nothing. Do your own research, and if you can’t find anything to support its safety during pregnancy, then don’t take it. Just my two cents, anyways. 🙂

    Reply

    • Hey Colleen, yes there seems to be a new study on prostate cancer suggesting DIM does work as a direct anti-androgen (like it inhabits DHT receptors so that androgens can’t access them and create acne) – http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12665522, which may be the secret to why it works and not so much the estrogen thing, although maybe it all works together. But yeah, would seem that if that was the case, it’s unlikely to have as much of a carry over effect to when you stop. Too bad. Although I don’t think it’s on the same level as birth control pills – BC pills completely erase all of your natural hormones and overrides everything.

      Anyway – yeah I am not going to take it while pregnant or trying to conceive. There’s nothing I’ve seen that says it’s okay, which is why I’m curious as to what the Delgado Protocol told her was an okay amount while pregnant. Because I know they used to say one regular strength was okay (which I could see as maybe being akin to just eating a lot of cruciferous vegetables)… but suddenly just giving the green light on all of it? Hmm..

      Reply

      • Hi Tracy,

        Yeah, I didn’t mean that it’s harmful in the same way the pill is. Just that some pills (like Diane 35) also prevent acne through an anti-androgen effect, and the effect only lasts while you’re taking them. Too bad if this is also the case with dim. It would definitely be nice to have a product that actually “cured” acne.

        I think you should ask the estroblock company why they’re saying it’s okay to take during pregnancy. I’d be really interested to know if there’s a study that backs this claim up.

        On a positive note, I found my acne almost completely cleared up both times I was pregnant (once I was past the first trimester). Not everyone has that experience, of course, but lots seem to.

        Reply

      • Great post Tracy! While trying to conceive, you can take supplements you’re concerned about for the first two weeks of your cycle (or until ovulation if you’re not on the typical 28 day cycle) and then stop until you get your period again (or get pregnant. :)).

        Reply

        • Hey Meagan, interesting! Did you get that info from a naturopath or herbalist?

          When I start getting on the baby making for real, I expect I will probably go off Estroblock, at least, a couple months before and spend that time making sure that my diet & lifestyle is really up to scratch… for the clear skin, but also healthy baby and fertility. I feel lots of blog posts coming on around that time hahah

          Reply

          • Yes, my naturopath told me that I could take berberine for the first two weeks of my cycle, and then take a two week break. I’ve been doing that for the last few months, but this cycle I haven’t started up the berberine again and it’s been fine! Phew. 🙂 I’ve starting drinking a daily pot of Red Raspberry Leaf Tea that’s great for fertility and balancing hormones and it seems to be working really well for my skin too.

            Reply

  7. Hi Tracy! Are those the only two supplements you take?? I read your post about supplements but there were sooo many different ones I wasn’t even sure where to start, and I know you mentioned trying different ones at different times.

    Also, do you still wash your face w/ the manuka mask followed by the jojoba oil rinse morning and night?? The video was from awhile ago, so I wasn’t sure if you started following a new routine or doing the caveman style still now.

    Please let me know!!! And thank you for all your helpful posts, hope to someday soon be clear, teenage years are hard with acne!

    Reply

  8. Maybe I should start Estroblock as my chin is fine for a while then breaks out in zits, but I want to cure my acne 100% naturally with no supplements, what foods do you eat and/or what exercises do you do to keep your chin clear. Is the breakouts on my chin stress??

    Reply

    • If the reason Estroblock works so well is because it has anti androgen properties, then the answer would be one with real food, no dairy, no refined sugar, and quite low in natural sugar… and makes sure you are exercising 3 or 4 times a week (preferably a 1/2 hour of strength training over hours of cardio). Working on stress is important too as stress affects everything in your body and can definitely throw off hormones a well.

      Reply

  9. It is strange that a lot of women experience the same thing. I also heard that some women gain a bit of weight and go up a cup in their bra size while on Estroblock. Which is not what I would expect from “bad estrogen” detox, more the opposite. But I did found one study (not on humans, but on yeast) where antiandrogenic (not just antiestrogenic) properties were found for DIM and I3C, what could explain this whole phenomenon.

    Reply

    • Is weight gain and increased bra size a side effect of anti-androgenic activity? I would have thought it was more to do with estrogen. Mind you, it’s not supposed to get rid of estrogen, but convert the excess bad estrogen into good forms of estrogen

      Reply

  10. Soooo it’s day 7 for me of many of your suggestions for clearer skin.
    I have had amazing skin my WHOLE life, completely velvet complexion with absolutely no acne throughout my entire teens/early 20s. I quit taking birth control 6 months ago… My body was so angry. I got very superficial whiteheads that when squeezed (when I was on a rampage), would come out with a hardened accumulation of sebum. Mainly located on my temples and upper cheeks.

    I have always been healthy- no store bought meats, veggies and fruit, tons of water, daily exercise, yoga, sleep, always striving for healthy balance. I was horrified when I started to get monthly outbreaks… YES, they were mild, but not for someone who has had perfect skin their entire life. What a blow to the confidence.

    In the last week I have been only washing with water, using a homemade toner made from wild rose petals, tea tree, and basil leaves. Daily masking with manuka honey, and then application of a small amount of jojoba (organic, of course), and a small amount of basil essential oil applied neat to areas of inflammation needing a little extra. Basil has amazing anti-inflammatory properties and actually has studies showing it is more effective than Benzoyl peroxide- check it out!

    My diet and hydration are spot-on. No sugar, minimal if any flour, no milk right now or dairy products, no deep fried foods. Salads, fish, fruit, hormone balance supplements, probiotics, zinc, nuts, and green smoothies for this girl!

    My skin has NOT worsened at all, and I have gained no more blemishes- which is great news. The current acne I have is going through the stages a lot quicker at this time in my regimen. I am not popping or squeezing or scratching or picking which is taking a lot of self-control!!! Each day I wake up I am very happy with the results, improvement is definitely there. I am being patient.. I know this can’t come overnight. My skin that is non-affected by acne right now is very fresh-looking and glowing.

    Any other suggestions or possibly improvements I should/could be making to my daily routine at this time? I will lessen the frequency of what I am doing as I see more results, but for now, I think my skin needs exactly what I am doing.

    Thanks!
    Jasmin

    Reply

    • Hey Jasmin, that’s awesome!! I’m so stoked for you that things are going forward so quickly. Sounds like you’re doing everything right! Keep going!

      Reply

  11. Thank you very much for your response.
    Could you tell me what do you eat now? It’s very important for me, because I really don’t know what should I eat. I started to Paleo low carb diet but I realize that it’s too difficult diet for me. I’m working outside almost all the time (as a nanny with children) and when I finished my dinner (for example lamb with vegetables) and I’m starving, I have no idea what can I eat except of kebab lamb doner. I can’t eat nuts which I love them (however I’ve been in Africa for 3 months and ate peanuts and peanut butter almost every day. My skin was good. However in Poland was awful).
    I’m wondering if I should follow to special diet or just change my attitude. Your skin is perfect now. Maybe low carb helped you before? I have dilemmas…

    Reply

  12. Hi Tracy! Just wanted to say that this website has been such a great help to me. A few months ago my face just exploded with acne all over at the age of 24, not fun! The Love Vitamin has kept me sane and already made a difference, definitely to my health anyway. I am eating much better and have ditched all the nasty chemicals. It’s a slow process, my skin isn’t clear yet but I feel much better in myself and as a bonus have lost a little bit of weight, not bad!

    Anyway I was reading up about hormonal stuff and came across quite a lot of evidence that drinking spearmint tea is a good natural way to lower androgen levels, I wondered if you had heard of this? I thought it was worth a try as I’m a bit tea obsessed anyway. Drinking my first cup right now, maybe it will make a difference, who knows?

    Reply

    • That’s awesome Lauren 🙂 Yes, spearmint tea is supposed to be quite good for lowering androgens and helping with acne. I haven’t tried it myself so can’t speak from personal experience. I am more hesitant to try committing to drinking something several times a day, as I know I probably won’t stick with it haha.. to me, taking a supplement is so much easier. Wonder if it comes in supplement form or if it has to be the tea

      Reply

      • Hi Tracy! I take Young Living Spearmint essential oil dropped in an empty vege cap. Makes my tummy feel cool and yummy! I also do a sway test everyday to find out how many drops to put in. Just an alternative to drinking tea everyday. Best wishes!!

        Reply

  13. May I ask if you weaned off it or stopped cold turkey? I find that my body is constantly looking for a state of homeostasis (even with the bad stuff) and whatever changes I want to make, I have to make them slowly, otherwise my body freaks out.

    Reply

    • Hi Artem,
      Estroblock, I actually did wean off over several months. When I was close to done with that, I decided to just quit the Thorne too (cold turkey). And then, like I said, it took a couple months before anything really happened!

      Reply

  14. That sucks! I’m so sorry, Tracy. I love your spirit about the whole thing though, and you’re right…at least you know what you need to do! I’ve taken Estroblock on and off and I do notice more smoothness and glowiness to my complexion when I do. It’s magical stuff.

    I’m certain no one will think less of you for having a breakout. You’ve helped so many people and anyone who would be that ignorant can go take a swim in a very deep lake with a fast current. (Kidding…mostly.) I still say you’re the skin guru…and I’m sure I’m not alone in that! 🙂

    Reply

  15. Hi there Tracy.
    So i am a teen (just turned 16) and i have had acne on and off since 6th grade. Its slowly gotten worse but i have had periods of reprieve. I havent really noticed a big correlation with any certain group of foods and my skin. I even went vegan for a year and i think it was more the prolonged (a year) time eating lots of fruits and veggies and eating enough. Never had a ED but sometimes i forget to eat, even still. My acne is almost id say 90% hormonal, and not eating is a stressor. Along with noticeable outbreaks during both ovulation and a couple days before and during menstration. And i added back in animal foods this year. Farmed grassfed pastured meats and eggs grassfed yoghurt organic. Organic greens. Wild caught fish. Raw grassfed cheese for treats. ghee. etc. I started exercising again, after over working my body i took the end of last year off, and adding yoga into my daily routine. Along with a legit (natural and organic) skincare routine instead of a hodge podge of diy or random natural products (which still has a place but its not the main event). Plus i added estroblock and zinc. Going to get a probiotic (i eat fermented foods when i remember). Enough sleep, fairly regular.
    And i said all that to say its been almost three weeks since i started estroblock and the diet has been good for awhile. I have been a little loose just because i dont want to be too controling or a perfectionist.
    But i have noticed a difference its not completely clear. Still stuff around my chin and mouth. And back (but i whipped up this nice sugar scrub and my back is loving it).
    So maybe i just need to keep strong and relaxed. Not let my acne hold me back. But if there is anything noticeable that stands out at you/ reccomendations i should try. Let me know. And i also wanted to say your website has helped me so much with the more spiritual mind aspect of acne, which is so important, and thank you for staying honest with us about your experiences. Much love. Ally

    Reply

    • Hi Ally 🙂 You really sound like you’re on the right path, so keep it up and give it some time for it all to work it’s magic!! Sending love your way! x

      Reply

  16. Hi Tracy!

    I’ve been following your blog since you first started, and just came back to visit. I was suffering with acne back then, and it has just recently cleared over the past year. The thing that made a huge difference in my life is I became pregnant. I believe pregnancy cleared my skin for a few reasons. I unintentionally did the cavemen regimen, because I had a lot more to worry about. Since I had more to worry about, I didn’t think of my skin at all and I think not thinking of it was a huge factor. I’m sure the hormones helped clear it as well(a lot of women in my mom’s group actually got acne while pregnant), but I am three months postpartum and still have clear skin. It is wonderful knowing that I don’t have to concentrate on my skin anymore. It occupied so much of my time for several years. I almost forgot what acne felt like as I read some of the comments. I now truly believe in the philosophy of “whatever you focus on, expands.”
    Also, maybe pregnancy will help your skin as well and you won’t need the supplements anymore! Good luck and thanks for all of the advice that has helped so many people, including myself.

    Reply

    • Hi Sarah! Yes it seems with pregnancy it goes either way – it either clears up acne or makes it worse! Hoping for the best haha.. and glad that it went your way 🙂 And congrats on your new baby

      Reply

  17. Hi Tracy!

    It’s like you read my mind, I watched and read your article on hormonal acne back in 2012 and wondered whether you were still taking the supplements. They sound intense but from the sounds of it do work! May I ask if you still drink homemade goat kefir? After 2 nights of drinking it, my skin looks less red and irritated, initially I began making it with whole pasteurized homogenized milk and I broke out like crazy (silly me I didnt realize i was drinking straight garbage until I read your article on kefir). Needless to say I’m not suffering with some chin acne that is sooo stubborn.. I may just crumble and take the Estroguard. Your blog is amazing btw, telling my friends about it!
    xo

    Reply

    • Hi Milly, no I don’t, but I have realized that because the Estroblock seems to work so well that I have allowed things to slide a lot… meaning I don’t do many of the little healthy things I used to do, such as drink kefir! So I guess it’s not that surprising that I ended up breaking out

      Reply

  18. Hi Tracy,

    I just discovered your site and I am very excited about what I am learning. I have had moderate to mild acne since I was ten (I’m now 37). It seems to be mostly hormonal now, but also diet related. I’ve been cleaning up my diet mostly for health and weight loss and overall a better life, it didn’t occur to me that it would improve my acne!
    But I am concerned about my possible hormonal issues, which go beyond acne (maybe pcos). I am, however, nursing and plan to continue nursing for at least another year. It seems your recommendation supplements for hormonal acne are not advisable for breastfeeding. Any other recommendations, or should I just wait until I am finally done bearing children and breastfeeding?

    Linda

    Reply

    • Hi Linda,

      I can offer some insight – I’ve had acne struggles off and on that got particularly awful during my third trimester and while breastfeeding. I started treating my acne holistically about 10 months postpartum and while still breastfeeding. I did candida cleanses and worked with a naturopath to figure out the supplements that I could take safely. (www.larabriden.com is also great resource for natural treatments of PCOS/hormonal imbalances.)

      I too was so worried that I would have to keep living with awful skin until I was done having children/nursing, but that hasn’t been the case! I would suggest working with a good naturopath – that’s your best bet and the most efficient and effective way to heal your body while nourishing your babies.

      All the best,
      Meagan

      Reply

  19. Hello.

    I ran out of my supply of Estroblock a couple months ago (after taking it for about a year). haven’t had any significant outbreaks- nothing crazier than usual. Though in the past 6-8 months a few discolored spots have popped up on my forehead, cheeks and upper lip. I thought it was sun damage at first but the dermatologist said it was Chloasma (aka pregnancy mask). I’m definitely not pregnant. Has anyone else experienced this??? Could it be due to the Estroblock? I have two new bottles of triple strength but I’m going to wait a little while before I start taking them again to see if these spots fade. Any suggestions/ideas would be super appreciated!

    Reply

    • Hi Jessica, that’s good to hear that you haven’t broken out any more 🙂 It did take a couple months of being off it completely before anything significant happened for me, but everyone’s different. Sorry, I’m not at all familiar with Chloasma and don’t have any idea if it’s related!

      Reply

  20. Tracy,
    Just wanted to say THANK YOU for being so honest in your posts and sharing your ups and downs with all of us going through something similar! I am also at a point of trying to conceive and have struggled with mild acne on and off for about 10 years (even while on BC pills). The only thing that truly cleared my skin was spirolactone – I am guessing due to the anti-androgen properties – which I was on for about 1 – 2 years. I think I also have mild PCOS but not all classic symptoms (I am not overweight, don’t really have hair growth issues, but definitely bad sometimes cystic breakouts around my chin, jaw and mouth – rest of my skin is beautiful!). Since going off of both that and the birth control pill 2 years ago with the same philosophy of wanting to stop everything I couldn’t take while pregnant, my skin has gotten worse and it’s been really hard. I have really appreciated all of your clear skin programs, and the mental / emotional support it has provided me has been incredibly important. I think I was experiencing success with a gluten free diet paired with Estroblock which I was only on for a few months, but stopped the Estroblock and it’s gotten pretty bad again. I have to admit as I have followed your blog, that I always wondered what you would do when / if you did decide you wanted to have a baby, as navigating the world of “trying to conceive” while also having clear skin and not letting the stress of both of those things overwhelm me is a real challenge. It has taken me longer to become pregnant than I had hoped, so I think I am going to go back on Estroblock for the time being to see if it truly clears up my skin which would at least alleviate one big stressor for me while still trying, and then I would plan to stop Estroblock as soon as I become pregnant! I have heard / read that both spearmint tea and saw palmetto are good supplements to take to lower androgens (or the DHT receptor issue) naturally. In addition, I’ve just started a supplement called Pregnitude (terrible name!) which is supposed to help women with PCOS regulate their cycles naturally and therefore hopefully conceive, and many women with similar acne (lower chin, jawline, etc) have found it helps clear their skin as well, so might be something to look into. Sorry for the long post, but thank you again!
    J

    Reply

    • Hi J! Yes it’s all such a journey isn’t it… I wish I had more to personally offer on the whole trying to conceive and acne thing but I figure that once we start trying to get pregnant, I will have lots to talk about!

      Reply

  21. Have you tried berberine? Dim was very effective for me and then it sort of stopped working .. Possibly because I started to eat more dairy than I normally allow.. But berberine worked great! Although it’s tricky to figure out how long to take it for. After about 2.5 months with a day off each week it stopped working, so I’m taking a month away from it and I’m going to use it again for two months. In the meantime I’ve introduced saw palmetto and back on dim. The mild acne is persisting but I’m hoping I’ll get it clear again with my experimenting.
    Also curious, have you ever tried using activated charcoal supplements? I tried them and for about a month it was extremely effective, maybe because of the combination of probiotic I used at the same time. But when I ran out of it and got another brand, a more expensive brand actually, i did not give me the same results. I gave up on it because I couldn’t get it to work again, but there’s potential there I think, just requires further experimentation. Hard to be patient when your face is all broken out though!!

    Reply

  22. hi tracy. I am experiencing the same thing as you- i was on estroblock for 3-4months (it healed my cystic acne on my forehead) and then once my skin was clear, i went off of it. 2 months has passed, and now I’m getting small pimples on my forehead again! I got scared so I started taking estroblock again..its been 2-3 weeks but hasn’t really improved yet. How is your skin doing? and thank you for posting this.

    Reply

    • Skin’s doing fine again… it can take a little while for Estroblock to start working (a month or so). Except I realized how dependent I am on it and I don’t really like that :/

      Reply

      • Great to hear you are doing well on estroblock! I have mixed feelings..I don’t want to be on it for rest of my life obviously but at the moment it seems to be slowly clearing up my second round of post-estroblock acne. My question is; have you checked out delgado protocol’s new supplement called DHT Block?

        Reply

  23. Hi Tracy,

    Thank you for all the info on the website and being so good to reply to comments!

    My question is, after an Estroblock detox, what did you consider a maintenance dose? Like, were you taking 1 regular strength Estroblock every day, or was it more than that.

    Also, when you were using Estroblock initially, what doses were you taking? I’m just starting Estroblock, and I am curious about what worked for other people as far as the initial dosing and duration. From what I hear, 3-4 months seems to be common for the initial detox, but the dosing seems to vary quite a bit. I’m small, about your size, and my acne is quite bad, like yours was, so I’m wondering what your doses were.

    And, let me tell you, when I was pregnant, my skin was great 🙂 Something to look forward to!

    Reply

  24. Hi Tracy, I saw your comment on the DHT blocker. So are you thinking of trying it out? I am wondering if the DHT blocker would the allow a lower Estroblock dose…Have you given it any thought?
    Thanks

    Reply

  25. Hello!

    I have recently started to make the switch to heal my acne and get off BCP & Spironolactone! Wohooo. I wanted to know – when do you take your dose of Thorne S.A.T? I am wondering if there is an optimal part of the day, morning / day / night? Any suggestions?!

    Thank you!!

    Reply

  26. Hi Tracy, I just want to encourage you as a fellow acne sufferer who went through 2 pregnancies. You may be just fine while pregnant and acne free without supplements. Your hormones change so much during pregnancy. That was my experience. After my pregnancies the acne did return.

    Reply

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