Is your acne due to a hormonal imbalance?
If you’re a girl, do you get pimples and acne right before your period, as well as other painful PMS symptoms? Do you get acne along your chin and jawline?
Are you a teenager with acne?
Are you just a person, in general, who has acne?
If you said yes to any of these, you should watch this video and find out six ways you can balance your hormones!
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1nioXA_JeI
Haha…. I’d like to note that the beer bottle in the background is not mine! I swear! That’ll teach me to check my backgrounds :p
Is your acne hormonal? If you’re a girl, does it get worse before your period?
36 Responses
what are your thoughts on birth control pills? I have been on them for about 6 years and worry about the negative affects they might have on my body. I know a lot of people take them to help with acne so i wonder what will happen if i decide to stop taking them
I will do a video on this soon! 🙂
Hi Tracy,
I couldn’t help but notice the beer bottle in the background. I know that alcoholic drinks dehydrate and have other negative effects on the body, however I am a really big fan of imported beers and enjoying them is one of my favorite hobbies. Is this something I will have to give up in order to become completely clear?
Thanks!
Addy
Hahah… It was my boyfriend’s, I swear! It actually was though…I only noticed after I made the video and I thought….. damnit. That doesn’t look very health conscious of me. That’ll teach me to check what’s going on in the background!
Anyway… you have a very good question there and I will do a video about it this week!
Ugh…..I HATE the acne that I get along my jawline and chin. That is by far where I get it the worst. I always think that if that would just go away, I can handle having some spots on my cheeks, just PLEASE not the chin!! 😉 So, I have an off-the-subject question. I know you don’t like to give specifics about what you eat or ate to clear your skin for fear people will go overboard with crazy diets or become too obsessed, n a negative way, with what they’re eating..etc. and I completely understand. I WAS hoping though, that you could touch on how you feel about raw vs. cooked foods. The reason I ask is I feel like every person I’ve seen or heard of who has totally cleared their skin has done so through a raw diet. They seem to act as though this is the only way to true health and detoxification of the body, and in turn, clear skin. This has led me to feel almost “guilty” for cooking my food. I do eat raw foods as well but am not ready to commit to a completely raw lifestyle and don’t know that this is the right diet for everyone to begin with! I was wondering if you found yourself eating a largely raw diet to clear your skin or if you think this is even neccesary? Thank you Tracey!!
Haha yeah, the chin has always been my most problematic area! So annoying!
Anyway, as for your raw vs cooked question, I have a secret – I’m in the process of writing another ebook – a really big comprehensive guide to nutrition and holistic eating for acne. That question is definitely covered…it’s going to very comprehensive!
But anyway, I know you want to know the answer right now, so I might shoot you a quick email!
Females have their periods. Males have more testosterone and more oil glands on their skin which leads to more acne. We all have stuff we have to deal with. 🙁
Tracy, I know you weren’t too keen on the whole drinking ACV thing and that’s fine. I found something you might be a little less apprehensive about. I heard about this plant a while back that’s used in Ayurvedic medicine called Gymnema Sylvestre that does more or less the same thing as ACV and lowers blood glucose and actually stops sugar from being absorbed in the body. So basically it does pretty much exactly what ACV minus the mineral content of the vinegar. Some diabetics even use it and according to their glucose reading, it definitely works. I remember reading about it YEARS ago but I thought it was just another one of those weird snake oil cures someone got from their great-great grandmother. Since acne and blood glucose are pretty closely linked in some cases, I think you should read up on it. When I get the rare breakout after a crappy food week, maybe I’ll try it out and see if I notice any reduction in breakouts or my blood glucose (I have a glucose testing kit, though I’m not diabetic.)
P. S. I noticed the beer bottle too. It’s ok, you don’t have to defend yourself! Now that it’s becoming more spring weather I wanna party too. Just kidding 😛
Thanks Sampson, I will read up on that… I haven’t heard of it!
Haha… as for the beer bottle… it really wasn’t mine! But, I actually don’t have much a problem with partying once in a while, if it’s fun and makes you happy!! I’m going to do a video about it tomorrow.
I was wondering what your thoughts are on the cleanliness of the bowl, in relation with acne. I’ve got a condition which causes me to have trouble in clearing it fully, and fairly recently, I’ve had extra trouble, and within this last month, my acne has flared up really bad.
But over these past 2 1/2 months, i’ve been eating a healthy diet as much as i can, and i’m getting in quite a few organic products, but A LOT of what i eat isn’t too healthy…
Last summer i used an acne cream called Duac, i got it from my doctor. It DID clear up my acne, but as the doctor warned, it wasn’t a permanent solution and it would return- and sure enough, it has. I’ve tried this whole exfoliation and moisturizing (not too harshly, obviously) and i only use honey to cleanse my skin. this week i’ve not been wearing mascara (i use sweet almond oil to take it off) and i never wear foundation or concealer…
In July, i’ve got my prom and I REALLY would like to have clear skin by then. I mean i’ve been battling acne for a year and a 1/2, and i’m getting desperate…
I know you’ve talked about stress causing acne, but i’m unable to lower it really, because i’ve got exams coming up..it’s cold outside at the moment (i live in england) so i really don’t want to exercise in the chilly weather….
since christmas i’ve been drinking up to 1 and a 1/2 litres of water per day, because obviously that’s good.
Chocolate, i have to admit i eat it everyday, but it’s dark, and organic and it’s supposed to have antioxidants? Would you recommend limiting it severely to once a week or cutting it completely? I don’t drink coffee and i don’t drink earl grey tea anymore, and only herbal (echinecha, lemon and honey, white tea with vanilla, and occasionally green tea)
As long as it’s natural, i’m willing to try anything (and easy to get in England and fairly cheap because i don’t have a job..)
Sorry this is LOADS of writing, but i’d be absolutely grateful if you could give me some tips (by the way, i’ve downloaded your e-book 😉
Thanks, and i love you blog and videos!
oh- just to give more of a picture, i’ve got acne and scarring on my cheeks, on the sides of my face (severely on my right), nothing on my chin except blackheads and blocked pores, nothing on my nose, ears and 1-2 spots on my forehead.
I’ve not had my period since october, so do you think its a hormone imbalance?
Hi Catherine!
Thanks for your question. There’s a lot you can do to improve your digestion… stop eating dairy and gluten grains, anything you’re allergic to, drink lots of water, take probiotics, chew your food, etc. It’s really such a HUGE topic, I can’t cover everything. I just mentioned to Bridget in the comments there that I’m in the process of writing a big, huge comprehensive ebook guide to eating for acne, and it has a lot to do with healing the digestive system 🙂 Even if you think some things are not possible for you (lowering exam stress, exercising as much as you’d like), there are always little things you can do to improve your health. Excuses just keep us down! If you want it, you can find a way! All acne is hormonal, but if you haven’t had a period in 6 months, that is quite concerning :s Do you have any idea why? have you just come off birth control pills? Lost a lot of weight? Have you always had eratic periods? Or did this just start? As for chocolate, are you eating like… an entire chocolate bar per day? Or one or two small squares of it? A very small amount per day shouldn’t be a big deal!
Hi, Tracy. I just want to THANK YOU so much for your website. It has truly been exactly what I needed! I have found your advice to be very straightforward, simple, and very much do-able. I came across your site when I was researching NATURAL solutions to acne– my husband and I plan to become pregnant very soon, and a few months ago I quite benzoyl peroxide cold turkey! I had been dependent on benzoyl peroxide for most of my life since puberty–that makes about 16 years, I believe! But I was determined to have a natural, chemical-free pregnancy, so I got off the bp, and a few weeks later, got the stupid idea to put olive oil on my face, and the next day I broke out badly. Now, after trying various natural remedies and, more recently, following much of your advice very closely, I am almost completely healed (90-95% better, I’d say). I am gluten and dairy free, I eat lots of raw vegetables (though not organic b/c of the expense), I go outside for a walk everyday, and I try to stay positive. It has probably been somewhere around a month-and-a-half since my bad breakout, and I found your website probably just a month ago or less.
Now my question is…I have been very successful in balancing my oil production by following your face-washing tips and advice (I have always had SUPER oily skin in the past). But right now I have a lot of roughness on my skin due to a dry layer of dead skin on my face. I am trying to leave it alone for now because my skin has a lot of healing to do underneath, but what I want to know is whether you think I should do a bit of manual exfoliation and how often, etc. I do have a bit of wavy scarring on one cheek, but it’s very superficial (it kind of scares me, though). I do apply aloe vera to my face in the morning and at night. If I leave the dead skin alone, will it eventually clog my pores? I do like baking soda for exfoliation, but I don’t like that the pH is alkaline so I haven’t used it in a long time. Thanks for any tips or advice!
Hi Hope!!
I’m super glad to hear you’re doing so well and that your breakout cleared so nicely! That’s fantastic. If you want to exfoliate, you can do it with something very mild, maybe once or twice a week. If you watched this video https://thelovevitamin.com/521/how-to-get-rid-of-acne-scars-and-hyperpigmentation-naturally/ , I showed you the honey/lemon/cinnamon mask… the cinnamon in it is a really nice, fine, non irritating exfoliant. If you don’t have lemon, you can just use the honey and cinnamon. Just be very gentle!
Okay good luck, I hope to hear from you again 🙂
It’s interesting you bring this up, Tracy.. and I have a lot to say about it. This past four or five months my acne has been completely out of control. To the point where I believe I’ve gotten a few (though small) permanent scars along with tons of hyperpigmentation scarring. It’s depressing but it isn’t anything I can’t deal with, and most of it will fade in time. But what’s interesting is that I finally snapped and went to see a doctor about it, because I’ve had many other symptoms that go far beyond regular PMS. Severe, debilitating moods swings, skipping periods, excess hair growth, thinning hair on the scalp, weight loss, digestive issues, and breast reduction. My doctor told me this is just a serious hormonal imbalance (WAY too must testosterone) that was likely induced by recent traumas in my life. The depression from the imbalance made my resort to sugars and alcohol to “cope” with everything that was happening, which in turn, has made the hormonal issue even worse. It’s gotten so severe I’m likely going to start on some birth control to correct the imbalance, and I go back to the doctor in a week to get my test results. I’m going to see what she recommends. I’m worried though, I have no idea what natural course to take in correcting an imbalance this serious.. and I worry about the side-effects of correcting it with birth control.. At this point though, I’m just desperate, Tracy! 🙁 This has really altered my life.. The acne is only a side effect now, not the issue.. I sort of wish I hadn’t wasted all that time trying to treat the acne itself, when it was just a sign of something much more serious inside!
Taylor, it sounds like your problem might not be too much testosterone, but too much progesterone. When progesterone in a female goes up, estrogen goes down. The reverse is also true that when estrogen goes up, progesterone goes down. Ironically progesterone also helps produce estrogen in the body, as contradictory as that sounds. Are you eating a lot of dairy or sweet potatoes or potatoes in general? Those foods contain progesterone in various amounts.
You should try eating foods like walnuts or foods with a lot of B-vitamins or zinc to balance your progesterone-estrogen. Maybe also try a Saw Palmetto supplement, along with a multivitamin with zinc. It’ll screw with a guys hormones, but since you’re a female it might help you.
Not a whole lot of dairy, no. I could try taking zinc and Saw Palmetto for a while and see if it helps balance things out. I’m already taking B6 and B12 though. Thank you for the advice!
Hi Taylor… I’m so sorry to hear what you’re going through 🙁
I’m not exactly sure what to offer for such a serious hormonal situation. I appreciate Sampson’s input. You can also read up on Maca root, another natural remedy that is quite popular for balancing hormonal problems. I don’t have any personal experience with maca or saw palmetto though.
Whether you want to use the birth control pill is up to you. It might help to give you some relieve, which it sounds like you need. But many women end up with hormonal balances when they go off them, so it is still a temporary patch. Are you able to possibly see a naturopath in your area instead of a medical doctor? Naturopaths will have an arsenal of natural medicines – actually working to address the root of the problem, unlike medical doctors. And I believe they deal with hormonal issues quite often.
Tracy,
Great website. I am so glad I found it. I am suffering from hormonal acne I hate the acne that I get on my chin it’s like it never goes away. I am currently on birth control for birth control reasons not acne but I am interested to hear what you have to say about it in your upcoming video. Even though my birth control is one that is supposed to help acne I don’t think it made a difference in my acne.
After coming to your website I have taken all my “products” and thrown them in a bag under my counter so I don’t feel tempted to use them and use the honey to wash my face which I am loving. I should probably throw them away because after a few weeks although I am not completely clear my skin looks so much better because it is not being irritated. I have really weird combination skin. It’s always dry but oily at the same time. I tried the jojoba oil and actually loved the way it felt but shortly after I started using it I broke out. I don’t know for sure that it was the jojoba but I stopped using it for the time being. Once I get everything else under control I might go back.
I am working on reducing my stress and eating better and I am noticing I feel better overall and I am getting less acne. I am super stressed right now with work and life and I would have expected a huge break out because of it and with it being that time of the month but because I am making better eating choices and dealing with my stress through some yoga and meditation I think it has really helped so thank you for all the advice you give. I am proof that it works in just a short amount of time. Now if only I could get rid of the scarring.. Will have to try that cinnamon mask.
Hi Stephanie!
That’s soooo great to hear that your skin has gotten better already! I love hearing success stories… super awesome! Keep it up Steph!
your blog is so helpful and I feel when I read it I can do it changing up to live a healthy lifestyle; but when it comes to actually facing the problems in the real world I give up; I procrastinate and tell myself I’ll start doing everything tomorrow and I’ll change my diet later but it never happens and I’ve just about hit rock bottom; sometimes it gets me emotional to the point where I’ll tear up because I have no support from anyone and they don’t think a holistic approach works. And its hard as well because of unhealthy foods laying around my house I can’t just tell my family to stop buying them. I guess where I’m trying to go with this is, I need a place to start but I don’t know how to start up a new healthy lifestyle and I figured you do an amazing job at it, that you could lead me into a direction.
Hi Jessica,
I understand how difficult it is to make changes in your life, especially when you aren’t getting a lot of support. Start working on your emotional wellness first and foremost because I can sense you are having a really tough time believing in yourself. Make the healthiest food choices you can within your current limitation, but food isn’t the only thing that makes you a healthier person. Start meditating, exercising, getting sunshine and fresh air, sleeping better… just put extra energy into those areas of health to make up for the things you can’t control with your family. As for the procrastination, that isn’t something I can fix. I can only show you how to live a healthier lifestyle, but I can’t do it for you! Find the power inside you to follow through with your intentions, because I know it’s in there 🙂
Hi Tracy,
I have taken 2 steps back from my progress, which is so damn frustrating. After doing all the right things for a good month and seeing the results, I ovulated & “BANG”, my clearer skin has been jam packed with cystic acne. I am so confused! Seppo has told me the same as your you tube article, that I will get a regular cycle & normal ovulation with a healthy lifestyle, but after this reaction, I’m just wondering if I’m the exception, I’m the one that it doesn’t work for….do you know what I mean? I’m 40 now & I’m starting to feel scared that these principles dont work for me b/c I have a really stuffed up body. Tracy, do you really believe a 28 day menstrual cycle & normal ovulation, can be achieved by a healthy lifestyle & of course come out with clear skin? God, I need hope.
Thanks love.
Andrea.
Hi Andrea… it might take longer than a month! A month is a very short time. I believe the older you are, the longer it may take to become healthy.. you’ve had forty years to accumulate unhealth, your body may need longer than one short little month! You need to be patient.
But if you’re not patient, I’d probably recommend getting a saliva hormone test. It’s an accurate way to determine exactly what is going on with your hormones, and you may be able to find supplements to specifically help what whatever your imbalance is. It may help you get things on track quicker, as your body heals from your new lifestyle 🙂
I have very oily skin. I need to get rid of acne on my chin and moustache. Almost all spots are there. So ok, I’m eating a lot of vegetables, yesterday I started using omega-3 pills, I drink a lot of spearmint, I have it in my garden a lot. What about healthy fats? Where it is? 🙂 What about gluten? Do I need to avoid all of the products that contain gluten? Also, what about coconut products, I don’t know what can I find in a grocery store with it, except whole coconut, but I don’t think I like it very much, also hard to open it.. haha 🙂 And the last question, I found your topic about sweet potatoes, and it looks very delicious, but I used to eat what I call ordinary ones 🙂 What’s the difference?
Thank you very much. I’m from Eastern Europe, so it’s a little bit difficult to find out those products. For example Kale :).
P.S. im a male.
Hi Kest… well that is a lot of questions about food! I’ve actually just released an ebook that answers all of these questions about food, because as my site grows, it’s hard to answer everyone’s questions in detail.
If you’d like to buy it, you can here: https://thelovevitamin.com/books
I have had bad acne on my chin since I was about 15, I’m now 18, and havent found anything (other than expensive prescriptions) that would clear the break outs and keep them away. I then read about using the Lady Soma Antioxidant Masque and have been using it for about 3 days now and am amazed. The stuff totally dried up my pimples and they are now scabbed over and healing.
I would not, however, recommend using the masque all over your face as it does dry out skin. Only use it as a spot
hi tracy! may i know the difference between roadmap to clear skin VS acne freedom ebook? thanks 🙂 very informative blog!
Hi Ann,
The Roadmap to Clear Skin explains why and how a healthy lifestyle will help you clear your skin, and let you know what steps and factors are involved in doing that. Ultimate Secrets is kind of same except it elabroates on those steps and goes into way more detailed instructions 🙂 Check out the Roadmap, it’s free!
Hi Tracy! So I’m going into see my gyn today because I recently got off birth control after using it for about 3 months and I have gotten worse acne as a result. I began birth control because of 2 years of a restrictive diet that caused my period to stop all together. I know that my doctor is going to prescribe me to get on birth control or some kind of synthetic hormone but I’m nervous to do that again. Do you think that gaining weight in a healthy way would help regulate my hormones and clear up my acne?
Hi Becky,
Yes if the reason you lost your period was due to weight loss, then I definitely think gaining healthy weight would help. You want to eat tons of healthy food (high calorie) while doing regular but not super duper strenuous exercise, including strength exercise. You might also want to peruse the comments of this thread and see what the ladies are doing to help their bodies deal with post-birth control acne: https://thelovevitamin.com/769/can-you-wean-off-the-birth-control-pill/
Hi there,
I was just on your website reading about hormonal balance related with acne round the chin I get this not all the time but usually a week before my period is due my chin goes very red and a couple of big angry red spots appear along with a lot of filled red ones they are also very itchy I take 1000mg starflower oiland keep my diet healthy and take care of my skin Im at my wits end with this as its horrible looking please help
Hi Sharon,
Believe me, I know how it feels to have to deal with cyclic acne and nothing seems to help ;(
Have you tried any other lifestyle improvement stuff apart from diet? It‘s important to move your body regularly, to get enough sleep, fresh air and a little bit of sunshine (almost) every day in order to balance out your hormones and help your body to fight off toxins.
In addition, you could also try to work on your stress levels. Stress is hugely toxic to our bodies and our skin:
https://thelovevitamin.com/8382/skin-trying-to-tell-you-something/
The psycho-dermatologist Ted Grossbart shares an amazingly awesome free ebook on his website. You should definitely check it out. However, you have to sit down, dedicate some time to it and actually DO the things suggested. Please try it. It’s truly helpful!
http://grossbart.com/
Oatmeal as a cleanser helps a lot with inflammation and redness. Just let it soak in lukewarm water for 5-10 minutes and then apply it to your face. If you find this too messy: I like to splash my face with the oatmeal water only for cleansing (I just let the bigger particles sink to the bottom of the bowl, but you can also fill some oatmeal into tea bags).
And please don‘t give up. Ever. Continuity is key. Healing goes in waves and takes a long time (which sucks 😉 ), but I‘m sure that your skin will heal and that it will stay clear in the end. YOU CAN DO IT!!! Please believe in it. 😉
Hi everyone!
Just wondering if anyone here has tried and had any success with dry skin rubbing for the body (not face!) with a sea sponge to to reduce acne and help detox. Tracy, do you know anything about this?
Thanks!
Hi Laura! I wrote about it a bit in this article about the lymphatic system… I’ve tried it but I never kept up with it for very long so I don’t have much personal experience with it: https://thelovevitamin.com/4403/lymphatic-system-acne/
Hello, I’ve been suffering from acne for maybe a year now but I also suffer from a.. well lets just say self conscious OCD problem, I can’t see past my imperfections and so acne constantly brings me to tears and suicidal thoughts. I knew about the milk products and most the stuff you talked about, except soy, which I was drinking instead of milk and I started getting a lot of small acne because of it I’m pretty sure.
I thought I had tried everything till I found out hormones being imbalanced can cause a lot of acne, and I felt I hit the jack pot, however I was eating right before and it appeared to do really nothing to improve my acne. I suppose I’m just lost and could use someone’s help or even just someone to talk to that understands. Oh and by the way I have just started grade 10 so I’m 15 years old and would like to stop this problem ASAP because I’m sick of stress and missing school..I missed half my grade 9 year everytime I even got a small amount of acne. If anyone could just talk to me about this that would be great
What advice would you have for someone who has an extremely healthy lifestyle and still has consistent acne, regardless of the menstrual cycle. I don’t eat dairy, drink alcohol or eat meat and my skin still sucks. Even when I was completely raw and ate only alkaline forming food for three months straight I was still left with only the annoying and deep cystic pimples. I do know for a fact that I have Extremely low progesterone and have tried to balance these all the natural ways. What do you do when all of this fails?
my age is 25 years, I have lot of harmonal acnes during the chin and jaws and nose area,,, what can I do for tremendous acne?