Treating Hormonal Acne

Hormonal acne is not anything like the acne that you got back when you were in high school. The next question is, how do you determine if it is hormonal? There are 2 key differences, hormonal acne breakouts are around the chin and jaw line also they are felt underneath the skin's surface before they are visible, and almost always sore to the touch. Never ever attempt to "pop" these, it will make it worse than it was to start with. This type of acne is not caused by dirt or bacteria on the skin's surface.  It is caused by a fluctuation of hormones approximately a week before menses dues to an increased level of testosterone or progesterone.

The main obstacle that women with hormonal acne face is that the traditional acne treatments will not work. Hormonal acne needs to be treated by oral medications prescribed by your Dermatologist. 

For skincare however, a common rule to follow in any skincare regiment, especially when dealing with hormonal acne is do not over wash your face! Make a habit out of washing at bedtime with a gentle cleanser (Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash or Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser).

In the morning before applying any product, rinse face with just water and pat dry. Many of us have a facial moisturizer, sunscreen and foundation... however many products on the cosmetics market now are becoming more hybrid and fusing all three.... into one daily use product (Laura Mercier Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20). Using a product like Laura Mercier's Tinted Moisturizer will suffice as a moisturizer, an SPF and also will give you light coverage all in one application. If you still feel like you need additional moisture or your skin feels dry you can apply moisturizer at bedtime after cleansing try a night moisturizer that is oil free. (VICHY Nutrilogie 2 night cream).

Hormonal acne is tough to treat. Oral medications are the best way to clear it so see your Dermatologist for a program best fit for you. Remember that skincare is also important for your overall complexion, under-doing it is better than over-doing it. Stay simple!