Many of us hope that pimples and breakouts will stop after our teen years. Unfortunately, hormonal acne can persist into adulthood or reappear at different periods of life. While men do experience breakouts as adults, acne due to hormonal fluctuations occurs most commonly in women. According to a North American survey, 12%–22% of women [1] have had acne at some point in their adult lives.
There are medical treatments for hormonal acne, however, home methods also exist and can help relieve the problem considerably. In this article, we’ll explain how to treat hormonal acne naturally at home to help you maintain a clearer, healthier complexion free of pimples and blackheads.
Hormonal Acne: The Basics
Hormonal acne in adulthood usually appears in the bottom section of your face, including the lower cheeks and jawline, unlike during puberty where it targets your nose, chin, and forehead (the ‘T zone). It may appear in the form of blackheads, whiteheads, pimples, or cysts that delve deep under the skin and are highly sensitive to the touch, often accompanied by redness, inflammation, and an oily complexion.
Fluctuations in hormone levels due to menstruation, menopause, or certain medical conditions may lead to adult acne breakouts. As we’ll explore later in this article, you can learn how to treat hormonal acne naturally at home by following the suggestions we will outline.
Fungal Acne vs Hormonal Acne: How Do They Differ?
Fungal acne develops when excess yeast invades the hair follicles, causing inflammation, redness, whiteheads, blackheads, and pimples. While it is unrelated to hormonal balance, some people have trouble distinguishing the two types. Regarding fungal acne vs hormonal acne, the difference lies in the location and specific appearance of the flare-up.
While hormonal acne usually manifests in the lower portion of the face, fungal acne occurs most often around the hairline and on the chest and back. In addition, fungal pimples tend to be much smaller than adult acne.
Why Does Hormonal Acne Develop?
Hormones shift during different periods of our lives, including puberty, menopause, pregnancy, and menstruation. Changes in the levels of estrogen, progesterone, and particularly, androgens can make the skin more prone to inflammation, acne-causing bacteria, excess sebum production, and clogged pores. In addition, health conditions like polycystic ovarian syndrome or Cushing’s syndrome can lead to adult hormonal acne. While medical treatment is necessary for some cases, natural methods for adult acne can help manage the condition. Keep reading and we’ll give you great tips for how to treat hormonal acne naturally at home.
Hormonal Acne in Adulthood: What Makes It Worse?
Lifestyle plays an important role in potentially causing and worsening hormonal acne. Factors like poor sleep, high stress levels, inadequate nutrition, and using low-quality or excessive use of skin care products may also lead to outbreaks and slow healing. In addition, picking at the blemishes can significantly exacerbate the issue.
There are also factors you may have less control over that can make adult acne worse, including having a genetic predisposition, consuming certain medications, or hormonal therapy. Humid weather may also irritate and worsen adult acne, as can dust and pollution in the air.
In the next section, we’ll discuss some of the lifestyle factors in more detail as we explain how to treat hormonal acne naturally at home.
How to Treat Hormonal Acne Naturally at Home
While you may not be able to change your genetics or course of medication, there are lifestyle and other changes you can make to help reduce adult acne. If you want to know how to treat hormonal acne naturally at home, following these suggestions could make a significant difference.
Simplify Your Skincare Routine
Social media and advertisements abound with multiple skincare products that promise to give you a radiant, youthful, clear complexion. While you may be tempted to pack your daily routine with products, using too much may irritate the skin and exacerbate your acne.
If you are prone to adult acne, you are best off simplifying your twice-daily routine down to the basics: cleanser, toner, moisturizer, and sunscreen during the day, plus a targeted acne treatment if you choose. Picking the best face wash for hormonal acne can make a significant difference.
To begin your routine, we recommend Rejuvoderm Clarifying Cleanser to deeply cleanse the complexion. It gently exfoliates the skin and removes dead cells, excess oil, and dirt to unclog pores. The formula aims to reduce blemishes, balance skin tone, and promote a clear, healthy complexion.
Follow up with your favorite toner, then apply a hydrating moisturizer like Infusoderm to deeply rejuvenate and refresh the skin, prevent dryness, and promote a radiant, healthy complexion. During the day, apply a sunscreen product and reapply as needed when outside.
Use Targeted Products
You may also benefit from adding a targeted acne product to your routine before your moisturizer, either once or twice daily as directed. A quality formula like Zeroblem Blemish Treatment Serum aims to cleanse excess dirt and oil from your complexion with gentle, powerful ingredients including salicylic acid, zinc oxide, and camphor. The formula may speed up healing, reduce inflammation, and kill harmful bacteria to decrease and prevent acne.
Follow a Healthy Hormonal Acne Diet
What is a hormonal acne diet? Follow a balanced daily regimen rich in nutrients and antioxidants that help support skin health and repair the skin barrier. In particular, consume foods rich in anti-inflammatory agents like fatty fish, olive oil, berries, mushrooms, and green leafy vegetables.
Individuals with hormonal acne may want to limit red meat and dairy products, and avoid refined sugars, processed foods, and anything deep-fried. Studies [2] have found a link between following a low-glycemic diet and a reduction in acne breakouts and lesions.
Manage Your Stress Levels
A high-stress lifestyle can increase levels of the hormone cortisol, stimulating the sebaceous gland to produce excess oil and possibly worsening acne severity [3]. Take steps to lower your daily anxiety levels, such as signing up for a yoga class, meditating, taking needed time off work, and spending more time with loved ones.
Get Quality Sleep
Poor quality rest and getting too little sleep consistently can cause cortisol levels to increase, which can lead to excess oil production and worsen hormonal acne. Try to aim for 7-8 hours of solid rest every night, and minimize distractions like noise and technology so you sleep better. In addition, following a regular nightly routine may help regulate your sleep and enhance the quality of your rest.
Other Treatment Options For Hormonal Acne
If your condition is severe, you may want to combine our tips for how to treat hormonal acne naturally at home with additional treatment and medical care. We recommend making an appointment with a dermatologist to discuss options, which may include topical treatments like retinoid or medication like tetracycline or spironolactone.
While it may not be for everyone, some women find that taking oral contraceptives can make a difference in reducing hormonal acne. Not every birth control pill works well for this purpose, and this is a decision to make in consultation with a medical doctor.
The Bottom Line
Adult acne usually results from fluctuations in hormone levels that stimulate the release of excess oil, clogging the pores and causing inflammation, pimples, blackheads, whiteheads, and deep cysts. Hormonal acne can be exacerbated by factors that are hard to control like genetics, humid weather, and pollution, as well as by lifestyle factors you can change like low sleep quality, stress, inadequate diet, and a poor skincare routine. Following our recommendations for how to treat hormonal acne naturally at home should help considerably in reducing your breakouts and blemishes and keeping your skin clear, healthy, and radiant.
References
1] ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5798558/
2] ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7847434/
3] ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5722010/
Melissa Feldman
Melissa Feldman lives in Toronto, Canada and works as an independent research writer. She has undergraduate degrees in both Teaching and Psychology, and a Master’s degree in Immigration. Melissa is skilled at writing compelling articles and producing academic, marketing, and creative content. She writes about a range of lifestyle topics, including health, fitness, beauty and nutrition. She has more than two decades of experience reviewing and editing publications intended for both public and professional audiences.
