Healing Hormonal Acne from Home
My struggles with acne used to rule my life. When I woke up, the first thing I would do was reach for my face and touch my cheeks hoping that overnight my acne magically disappeared. In a modern world so tainted by photoshop and filters, I think we forget how normal having acne is. I’m extremely thankful for women like @isofiagrahn who embrace their acne and spread positivity around it. She’s doing the work to shatter the stigma around having acne. I wish I followed her when my acne started. I was 15 when it first came, it was easily my biggest insecurity, but around 19 it finally went away. I thought I was in the clear. As soon as I turned 21 to my surprise, it started again. Which had me thinking… What exactly was it that happened to me in my 21st year of life? About every 7 years we ultimately have a body reset, and all of our cells have been replaced by new cells. In my research I noticed it wasn’t only me who turned 21 and immediately had acne, this was a recurring theme.
In your early 20s hormones your hormones are going crazy, and for me, the particular problem I was having was on the lower part of my face which was associated with hormonal acne. I was willing to do anything to clear my skin. I went vegan, cut out all dairy and refined sugar. I upped my greens and drank lots of water, and although it helped something was still wrong. I went to a dermatologist and she immediately recommended Accutane. Although I was willing to do it I really wanted to heal myself as naturally as possible, so I went to HEYDAY spa in NYC and met Cali. The knowledge she gave me changed my skin forever, and I’m so happy that I can share her wisdom. When I was leaving my facial she gave me a list of a few things that I should start taking to clear my skin. These things were Spearmint Tea, Zinc Picolinate, and DIM Supplement.
Spearmint Tea
This has been a miracle worker for me. It has anti-androgen (male hormone) properties so it’s amazing for people with PCOS or hormone-related acne. Spearmint tea is actually the most potent of the different mints in killing skin disease-causing bacteria and yeasts. In addition, spearmint has the most anti-inflammatory activity of the mint varieties. I started drinking 2 cups a day and within a few months noticed huge changes in my skin. Spearmint tea is also delicious and once you start drinking it daily it truly becomes a ritual.
Zinc Picolinate
The holy grail for me. This supplement is definitely not an overnight fix but if taken properly for long enough results will show, take it from me. Zinc is essential for skin health and odds are if you’re eating a healthy diet you’re getting some zinc, but to thrive adding in a supplement can help a lot. Zinc is a natural DHT-blocker that lowers the amount of sebum that the skin produces. Sebum is the oil your skin produces, which causes acne if overproduced.
DIM Supplement
This might be my favorite of all. This particular supplement has not only helped my acne but has helped even out my hormones and regulate my period. DIM assists in the conversion of estrogen to good estrogen metabolites to protect stressed muscle cells and allow more efficient repair and growth. I personally take 2 DIM supplements a day and make sure I don’t miss them because these are long-term supplements and if you just stop taking them you can cause major hormone imbalances. Just like the zinc, this is not an overnight fix, it takes a couple of months of consistency to see results.
Healing acne is a journey in and of itself but luckily a lot of the healing can start at home. Healing acne and hormone imbalances is something that I am extremely passionate about after seeing how much I was able to do from home. But always remember, you are beautiful and you shouldn’t be ashamed of your acne. It’s only temporary.
