5 Natural Remedies for Hormonal Acne

Odds are if you are currently or have previously struggled with hormonal acne, you've most likely been told by a doctor once or twice to go on birth control to "fix it". While birth control may in fact clear up your acne, it's like putting a bandaid on the problem instead of treating the underlying cause. Once you go off of BC, your hormonal acne is sure to return but this time most likely worse due to the disruption the pill has done to your body. 

We get it, we aren't trying to be vain but acne isn't the look we are going for. It can make us self conscious and take away some of our confidence. You may have even felt like someone was just staring at your pimples, even if they weren't. It can make us avoid going out and catching up with friends. 

The good news is, there are natural remedies to help. 

Before we dive into the list of hormone helpers, let’s figure out what’s out of whack. Here is a breakdown of how to test for what imbalance.

Testing:

1. Saliva test: to pinpoint hormone imbalances in testosterone, DHEA. progesterone, estrogen and cortisol
2. Blood test: to check iron, zinc, and vitamin d levels

** based on your test results, you can create a natural hormonal balancing program made up of herbs, vitamins, and minerals.

The main culprit in hormonal acne is an overproduction of testosterone that triggers acne by overstimulating oil glands and overproducing sebum (an oily secretion of the glands in our skin) which makes skin cells more sticky and is more likely to clog your hair follicles. 

Therefore many of the supplements listed below will aid in regulating your testosterone levels and production. 

5 Natural Supplemental Remedies:

1. Magnesium

A crucial mineral to help keep insulin levels down which prevents your ovaries from making excess testosterone.

2. Omega-3s 

Taking fish oil supplements helps your body produce hormones called prostaglandins which can regulate your body’s production of testosterone. 

3. Zinc

Aids in ovary function and is a strong anti-androgen (androgen is a male sex hormone, like testosterone) that helps your cells become eliminate and be less sensitive to androgens. Zinc also has anti-inflammatory properties which can help relieve some of the redness and irritation of acne.