Today’s post is super personal to me. I’ve talked about my story with hormonal acne before, but today, I’m hoping to provide additional insight on how you can live with it.
It’s frustrating when I see articles that say “do this and you’ll cure your hormonal acne” or “how to get rid of hormonal acne for good”. It’s such false advertising and selling pipe dreams. Those articles are not compassionate to people who truly suffer from hormonal acne – who know that one lifestyle change is not going to be the magical fix.
there is no easy fix to hormonal acne. not at all. in fact, there may not even be a fix at all.
In my life, I have come to accept hormonal acne instead of fighting it. For most of us, hormonal acne is determined by our genetics, so it’s very hard to “prevent”. As such, I’ve learned to live with it. Trust me, I have days when a new breakout could make me cry (especially when I’m PMSy), but generally, I have come to accept it and not let it impact my day-to-day activities. I have no idea if my acne will ever stop, and it’s ok if it doesn’t. I’ve come a long way in realizing that having acne does not define me. Today, my skin is the healthiest it’s ever been despite still having breakouts. Mentally, I’ve also never been healthier about the way I view my skin.
I’ve also built a treasure chest of nourishing tools to use when I break out and after I break out. This includes cocokind and various eating / lifestyle decisions.
before I get started on my routine and tips, I want to make a few disclaimers.
1) Everyone’s skin is different. As I mentioned in my post about “non-comedogenic“, there is no guarantee that what works for me will work for you. My skincare routine changes, too! If I’m traveling, or if I’m sleeping less, or eating worse, or in a dry location, I change it up! So while I can definitely give you strong tools to use…..you have to figure out when to use them!
2) No skincare product can prevent ALL hormonal acne. Knowing that, my goal is to provide real nutrients to your skin to soothe it and help you feel comfortable (physically and mentally)!
3) No skincare product can make up for poor lifestyle habits like smoking, lack of sleep, eating poorly, etc.
4) Patience is key. Don’t expect your skin type to go away after using a new product or making a new lifestyle change. Going gluten-free or dairy-free isn’t going to "fix" your skin in a week. Nothing happens overnight!
OK. LET’S GET STARTED ON SOME TIPS!
A little about me: I only use cocokind skincare products – nothing else except for a sunscreen. I drink water and green tea all day long, and I also try to be 90% dairy-free, gluten-free, and soy-free. I sleep around 6-8 hours per night (trying to get this to be 7-8). I also take daily probiotics, and I regularly intake chlorophyll, magnesium, and turmeric. I'm not a doctor, so make sure to consult with your doctor about what supplements may work for you.
I know you’ve heard these things before, but I want to reiterate things you absolutely should NOT do if you have hormonal acne.
DO NOT:
1) Smoke. Believe it or not, I used to smoke in college (crazy, right??) This is the dumbest thing I’ve ever done…So damaging to my mind, body, and skin. Part of me needing to create my own skincare products was to combat premature aging caused from smoking! Smoking is also horrible for hormonal acne.
2) Pick at your skin. I’m not perfect about this, but it’s also one of the most damaging things you could do to your skin. I know how hard it can be. If you struggle with this, try saying to yourself, “I will not pick at my skin for this entire week” and build from there. Or, try not even leaning into the mirror…don’t even give yourself the opportunity!
3) NOT moisturize because you think you need to dry out your zits. It kills me that people still associate oils with acne. “Drying out” your acne/skin is NOT a good solution. You NEED to moisturize, especially when you breakout.
4) Tan or have a lot of sun exposure. In my early 20s, I used to think tanning was good for hiding my acne scars. It’s not, and it actually makes your scars even deeper.
here’s my general skincare routine day-to-day:
Morning:
- Cleanse using our sea moss exfoliator, cleansing oil, or oil to milk cleanser
- Apply rosewater toner on cotton pad
- Use our glow essence
- Use one pump of facial repair serum, golden elixir, or a couple drops of chia facial oil
- Apply sunscreen
Night:
- Remove makeup using cleansing oil (on a cotton pad)
- Remove eye makeup using eye firming oil
- Wipe rosewater toner (on a cotton pad) over face or mist directly onto face
- Use chlorophyll mask (2x weekly)
- Apply matcha face moisturizer or chia facial oil (a little goes a long way)
additional skincare tips:
-Chlorophyll mask as much as you want. Day and night, every day, as many times as possible! I’ll do it at work sometimes (one of the perks of having a skincare company). Our mask will help soothe your skin while brightening your complexion.
-Exfoliate more than normal. Our sea moss exfoliator is so gentle that you could use it every day if you wanted. This will help remove dry and dead skin build up.
-Clean your face…and I mean EXTRA clean! If I’m wearing makeup, at night, I’ll put our cleansing oil on a cotton pad and remove all the makeup. Then, I’ll spray our rosewater toner on a new cotton pad and wipe my face even more. Almost always, the toner will remove even more dirt. Keep on wiping your face until nothing at all comes off. Your face needs to be removed of dry skin and super clean during breakouts.
-Moisturize a lot. Use our Golden Elixir, Chia Seed Oil, or Facial Repair Serum as your day AND night moisturizer. These oils will quickly absorb into your skin so are best during breakouts.
-Try our Turmeric Spot Treatment for reducing the appearance of dark spots. Our turmeric spot treatment helps tackle signs of inflammation and the look of dark spots. Packed with turmeric, ginger, and tea tree oil, this organic treatment wards off clogged pores and helps to visibly brighten complexion by diffusing excess melanin. Use alone or wear under the chlorophyll mask for extra spot-fighting power.
-Sleep a TON, drink a lot of water, and eat clean!
making conscious lifestyle decisions has reduced my hormonal acne an incredible amount.
What used to be severe acne all over my cheeks, under my chin, chest, and back, is now limited to a couple zits (potentially huge zits though) every month. Hey, I’ll take it! Half of the battle is coming to terms with your breakouts mentally.
I hope this helps and feel free to continue messaging me with any more questions specific to YOU.
-Priscilla
Founder/CEO at cocokind
Priscilla@cocokind.com or message me @cocokindskincare on my instagram!
