One of the most prominent symptoms of a hormonal imbalance is acne. Do you struggle with this? It seems like no matter how many times we wash our face or put on special creams the dreadful acne never goes away. In the past, I have bought countless products that are both expensive and affordable to help my acne situation with little luck. Can you relate to this?
After going through numerous different skincare products, I feel like I have found the perfect skincare routine that helps reserve my bad acne and also prevents aging (I’m 29 going on 30!) I wanted to share my skincare products and routine in case any of you are looking to try out something new.
Remember, consistency is key. Try to stick with a skincare routine without changing products/brands for at least 1-3 months to give your skin time to adjust and notice how it truly reacts to the products. Also, wash your face every morning and every night before bed if you do not already do so. It is such an important step to prevent imperfections! Wash your hands often throughout the day and wipe down your phone with an alcohol wipe often to prevent excess bacteria coming from your hands to your face. Now, let’s get on to the products!
Here are a few of my favorite skincare products that I use daily:
Cerave Foaming Facial Soap:
This has been a product I have been using for over 10 years. It gives you that clean feeling but does not dry out your face. It protects your skin barrier which is essential to clear skin. If your skin barrier is not balanced, your skin could react with acne. I highly suggest this product for greasy to normal skin types. If you have really dry skin, check out their hydrating face wash. I’ll them link below this:
Foreo Skin Tool:
This facial scrubbing tool is wonderful! It vibrates while it scrubs your face to give your face that deep clean. It is made of silicone so the bristles do not scratch the top surface of your skin and cleanses it gently. Silicone is also antibacterial so the brush will not harbor bacteria easily like regular facial scrubbers would. The less bacteria exposure, the better for our faces! The battery life on mine lasts forever and I barely charge it throughout the year. You can find the Foreo product I use below:
Light Therapy Mask:
I believe light therapy is a great addition to your skincare routine. This mask, which does blue and red light therapy in one session, will light your face for about 3 minutes and will penetrate underneath your skin layers to help promote skin rejuvenation, promote collagen, and also help kill bacteria. This is the perfect light therapy combination (red and blue light) to fight aging and acne. I will use it right after I wash my face for bedtime and I love how calming it is. I noticed after a month of usage my acne flare ups were minimal and my skin had a nice glow to it. You can get the light therapy mask I use here and you can find it at other makeup stores:
The Ordinary Products:
I love the Ordinary products because they are pure ingredients for your face, they are affordable, and you can mix and match them to create the perfect skincare routine for your unique skin type!
After washing my face, I like to use The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution. You should only use this 1-2 times a week and make sure to do a skin test on your wrist before trying it because it is powerful! This is a great peeling mask for uneven skin tone, texture, and congested pores. I like to use this at night after washing my face. you must let your face dry completely before applying and let it sit for no more than 10 minutes. If you have never used acids on your face in the past, I highly recommend leaving it on for a shorter amount of time and work your way up to 10 minutes. This will tingle your face but it works really well. Be sure to read the directions fully before use and do not apply any retinoids, vitamin c, or peptides afterwards.
After washing my face, if I am not using the peel solution, I will apply the Ordinary’s 10% lactic acid + HA treatment all over my acne and texture trouble areas (chin, forehead, cheeks). I have used a lot of acids and lactic acid has shown me the most success against my hormonal acne so far. It also helps fight against uneven texture and aging. The Ordinary has a 5% solution for those skin types that are sensitive and are starting out on it. Give this a try I think you will love it. I apply it at night after washing face and before serums and creams.
I use The Ordinary’s Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 and “Buffet“. The hyaluronic acid is great for skin hydration and the “Buffet” is great for anti-wrinkles and aging. I apply these both day and night after acids/light therapy/masks and before skin creams.
I also love the Ordinary’s 100% Organic Cold Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil. I like to apply this at night before bed. This is the last skincare product I will apply before laying down. You can also use it to give your skin a dewy hydrated glow during the day but my skin tends to be greasy normally and it is unnecessary for me to use it during the day. I like the added hydration for my skin at night to prevent skin dryness while sleeping.
Retinol
Retinol has many benefits: fights aging, promotes skin rejuvenation, treats acne, diminishes fine lines and wrinkles, evens skin tone, reduces skin texture, increases collagen production. You can buy retinol products at makeup stores or you can get a high strength prescription at your dermatologist. Retinol is the holy grail for acne and aging. The only problem is that your skin may react to it, there is an acne skin purge process that your skin will go through, it also reacts to a lot of other skin care products so you have to do your research on what other products you can apply with it. You also cannot use it if you’re pregnant or breast feeding. I am currently off of it because I am currently pregnant but I sure do miss it! Talk to your doctor about retinoI and see if it is for you! I would apply my retinol product at night time. I will link a few low dose retinol products you can find at makeup stores below:
Tatcha’s The Dewy Skin Cream
I love this cream! It is one of the best hydrating creams out there for dry/mature skin. My face will stay hydrated all day and look dewy and youthful using this cream. I apply it morning and night after serums and before face oils. If you normally have oily skin, I recommend Tatcha’s Water Cream. Here’s the link to it:
Silk Pillow Case
Did you know that cotton pillow cases absorb a lot of our hair and face products as we sleep? Basically all of those products you put on at night could be useless if 80% of them are going to your pillow! Plus, cotton harbors a lot more bacteria which could be a big reason for your acne flare ups! I suggest switching to silk pillow cases. Silk does not absorb products and it provides less friction on your skin and hair than cotton. It basically gives a healthier, more clean environment for your skin as you sleep than cotton pillow cases. This is something your face touches for 8 hours of the day, you should invest in a good pillow case that won’t make your acne situation worse. Silk also does not dry your skin out which will prevent aging! Be sure to wash your pillows with natural detergent (no fabric softener) every 2-3 days to keep your skin happy and clear! 🙂 Here are a few silk pillow case options below:
What skincare products have worked for you? Leave a comment below! Be sure to add me on twitter and subscribe to my email list for more blog posts on hormonal balance!