HOW TO DEAL WITH HORMONAL ACNE

Hormonal acne is exactly what it sounds like — acne tied to fluctuations in your hormones.

Although it’s typically associated with hormone fluctuations during puberty, hormonal acne can affect adults of any age. It’s especially common in women. A number of factors may contribute to this, including menstruation and menopause.

It’s estimated that 50 percent of women ages 20 to 29 have acne. It affects about 25 percent of women ages 40 to 49.

Expert opinions are mixed when it comes to hormonal acne. Although the Mayo Clinic says hormones generally aren’t a factor in adult acne, hormonal imbalances may contribute to acne in adults with underlying medical conditions.

In other cases, adults with acne may not have any “measurable” hormone issues. This can make diagnosis and treatment challenging.

Keep reading to learn what hormonal acne looks like, what causes it, and how to clear up breakouts.

What are the characteristics of hormonal acne?

During puberty, hormonal acne often appears in the T-zone. This includes your forehead, nose, and chin.

Hormonal adult acne typically forms on the lower part of your face. This includes the bottom of your cheeks and around your jawline.

For some people, hormonal acne takes the form of blackheads, whiteheads, and small pimples that come to a head, or cysts.

Cysts form deep under the skin and don’t come to a head on the surface. These bumps are often tender to the touch.

Hormonal acne may be caused by influxes of hormones from:

• menstruation
• polycystic ovarian syndrome
• menopause
• increased androgen levels

Specifically, these hormone fluctuations may aggravate acne issues by increasing:

• overall skin inflammation
• oil (sebum) production in the pores
• clogged skin cells in hair follicles
• production of acne-causing bacteria called Propionibacterium acnes

Instead, here are some of the natural home-based alternatives that can provide you with the chemical solutions required to deal with hormonal acne.

1. Yoghurt and Pineapples
Yoghurt is widely known for having active probiotic bacteria. Pineapple, on the other hand, is acidic in nature and is often used as an ingredient in beauty face masks. You can either mash or grate a pineapple and add it to a bowl of yoghurt. Mix the ingredients well to make a fine, even and thick paste. Apply this paste as a mask onto your face and leave it to dry. Once the mask has dried completely, rinse it off with some ice cold water. The probiotic bacteria present in yoghurt takes care of all the dead skin cells on the upper layer of the dermis. It also prevents the invasion of other foreign particles and viruses into your skin’s pores by providing it with an acidic protective shield.

2. Pomegranates and Tomatoes
This mask can be a tricky one to make but works wonders for your skin, especially sensitive skin. First of all, you will need to remove all the grains from the pomegranate carp and then grind them in a mixer. To separate the fibrous waste from the juice, you can use a sieve or a muslin cloth. Repeat the same procedure with the tomatoes in order to extract the tomato juice. Mix these two juices together and apply the concoction onto your face using a cotton ball. Let it dry completely and then, wash it off with hot water.

Tomatoes help in combating the bacterial growth on your skin while simultaneously improving your skin's texture as well. Pomegranate, being acidic in nature, helps to maintain the pH levels of your skin and controls sebum production.

3. Lemons and Oranges
Lemons and oranges are both citric fruits having a significantly high acidic pH value. The citric acid from both of these fruits, when combined together in one mask, can help reduce skin irritation, bacterial growth, and cease the formation of pustules. Peel an orange and squeeze out all the juice from it. Do the same with a lemon. Mix both the orange and the lemon juices together in one bowl and mix well. Apply this concoction onto the acne prone region and let it stay on for about 10 minutes. Repeat this multiple times throughout the day to get better results. Being acidic in nature, this concoction is able to reduce the excess production of oil that causes blackheads and whiteheads. It also reduces the fungal growth inside your facial skin pores and shrinks them, giving you tighter and suppler skin.

4. Green tea
Green tea is known for decreasing inflammation in the body. For a more holistic approach, consider drinking a few cups per day besides practicing your topical skin care regimen. You can find a great selection of green teas here. Lotions and gels containing at least 2 percent green tea extract may be beneficial.

5. Tea tree oil
Tea tree oil works by decreasing inflammation that can contribute to acne. One studyTrusted Source found that 5 percent topical tea tree oil relieved symptoms in participants with mild to moderate acne.

Tea tree oil is available in many of skin care products, such as cleansers and toners. You can also use tea tree essential oil as a spot treatment.

You should always dilute tea tree essential oil with a carrier oil before use. Popular carrier oils include coconut, jojoba, and olive. The general rule is to add about 12 drops of carrier oil to every one to two drops of essential oil.

It’s also important to do a skin patch test before using diluted tea tree essential oil. To do this, apply the diluted oil to the inside of your forearm. If you don’t experience any irritation or inflammation within 24 hours, it should be safe to apply elsewhere.

6. Alpha hydroxy acid
Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) are plant acids derived mostly from citrus fruits. AHAs can help remove excess dead skin cells clogging pores. As a bonus, AHAs can help minimize the appearance of acne scars.

AHA can be found in many OTC masks and creams. As with retinoids, AHAs can increase your skin’s sun sensitivity. You should always wear sunscreen when using products with AHA.