Hormonal Imbalance in the Skin & How to Restore Balance
Written by Lauren Arent (Lo Clark)
Owner of Bewitched Esthetics & Licensed Esthetician since 2013
May 15th, 2023
Hello my darlings,
Hormones are incredible, tiny rulers in our bodies. Little overlords we don’t have a lot of control over unless we understand them. Most people are aware of the havoc hormonal imbalance has on our skin during puberty, acne being a well known right of passage. But what about through the rest of life? Adult acne has become just as common and tolerated. I myself once thought “It’s just the way I am, I’ll never be able to get control over my acne.” As a holistic esthetician and someone who has worked to heal acne issues not just in myself but with numerous clients, I will tell you right now, adult acne is not something you have to “just live with.” It begins with understanding & balancing your hormones.
Starling's original definition of a hormone from 1905 was "a hormone is a substance produced by glands with internal secretion, which serve to carry signals through the blood to target organs
Hormone 101
First lets learn what the most frequent culprits are for causing hormonal imbalances within the skin. The big three: Estrogen, Progesterone, and Testosterone. (1, 2, 3)
ESTROGEN
When in balance: responsible for keeping the skin hydrated, affects collagen production, maintains skin thickness, and aids in wound healing.
When out of balance: Issues such as fine lines, wrinkles, acne, dryness, and rosacea.
PROGESTERONE
When in balance: responsible for skin elasticity, sebaceous gland secretion & therefore the relative appearance of pore size and amount of sebum (oils).
When out of balance: lesions due to increased progesterone as well as swollen sebaceous glands which can lead to acne
TESTOSTERONE
When in balance: responsible for oil secretion, hydration, and has an anti-inflammatory effect which can influence mast cell formation
When out of balance: increased testosterone can lead to increased sebum production which can clog pores and lead to acne, imbalances can also lead to inflammatory disorders in the skin particularly in women. Testosterone rising is typically the main culprit for adult acne, this happens when estrogen is low.
Sources & Triggers of Hormonal Imbalances
*Please read this section with caution. I know there is a lot here and it can feel overwhelming but knowing is half the battle – the second half is putting a stop to these sources and triggers.
Hormonal Imbalance has to begin somewhere right? Most of us have heard of these problems in our societies called hormone disruptors or endocrine disruptors. Many of us do not recognize these as serious issues. (1)
Endocrine disruptors are essentially chemicals that mimic hormone functions in our bodies and can trigger hormone imbalances that lead to serious diseases like obesity, diabetes, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and testicular cancer, even disrupting the development of organs in children.
I advise caution because it can be scary becoming aware of the dangers that are ever present in this modern world. However instead of becoming overwhelmed by fear, I advise you to view with optimisim! Now that you are aware of the snakes in your grass, you can take measures to avoid and eliminate.
Examples of Hormone Disruptors
Pesticides in our food like dioxins
Parabens in beauty products like hair care products, makeup, deodorant, shaving cream, lube, toothpaste, suntan products, etc.
Phthalates in fragrances like nail polish, perfume, and hair spray.
PFAS in non stick pans and certain papers
Ultraviolet filters in sun protective chemical based products like sunscreen, lip balms and certain nail care products.
Triclosan in anti-bacterial soaps, toothpaste, hand sanitizer, and other germ killing products.
Flame retardant chemicals escape from couches and electronics and collect in the dust in your home, which you and your family inhale throughout the day.
PLASTIC anything with BPA or PVC, even small exposures can cause significant damage
Some canned foods are lined with BPA to protect from corrosion
Tap water contains a variety of endocrine disrupting chemicals including BPA
Birth Control although effective in some ways for regulating hormones, this is not done in a natural way. For example, when I was on birth control I suffered from headaches nearly every day and this just became normal for me. It wasn’t until I got off the pill that I realized how unnatural the headaches were and found these headaches could be contributed to excessive estrogen. Just one of the many side effects birth control had on my body and disrupting my hormone balance.
This is not a complete list. You can check out THIS site to see a list of the names of endocrine disruptors.
Typically the first sign I look for with hormonal imbalances in the skin is acne along the jaw line, specifically large, cystic type acne. If I notice this, I will begin asking my client about the most common hormone disruptors: birth control, stress, and hormonal changes. Then I’ll ask about the sneakier hormone disruptors.
For you see there are many ways for hormone disruptors we discussed to make their way into your body through contact, ingestion or inhalation. They will inevitably show up as unwanted side effects such as acne, rashes, inflammatory conditions and excessively oily/dry skin, not to mention other effects in the body like mood swings, hot flashes, gut issues, weight gain and more.
Having too much or too little of one hormone will throw your hormone dance into a completely different step, for example if we have too much estrogen this can lead to estrogen dominance. It then becomes an issue of restoring balance to the dance. Holistically speaking, if you want to fix your skin at the source of the trouble, you need to focus on balancing your hormones.
So how do we do this?
Step #1. Eliminate Hormone Disruptors
I highly encourage you to become your own superhero and take the initiative to learn more about eliminating the sources of hormonal imbalances in your life. I know the list of disruptors I gave you looks pretty intimidating but coming from someone who has managed to make significant strides in this area, I can tell you it gets easier with time. Here are a few starting points:
Eliminate plastics! Drink from reusable glass water bottles & ceramic travel mugs.
Get a water filter, start small if you need too!
Eliminate pesticides by always washing my produce with either baking soda & sea salt or produce washes.
Check your beauty products with the Think Dirty app. You can search your favorite products and see how they score.
Use Native Deodorant (aluminum free).
If you want you can even make your own laundry detergent, get the recipe I use here.
It might sound like I am a crazy hippie (honestly I am fine with this label) but I am not alone when I tell you this: the symptoms and side effects of hormone imbalance in my life were enough to convince me to make changes. And I am not the only one, I can promise you that. Just type endocrine disruptors into your search engine, see how many websites pop up who are dedicated to creating awareness. You will start to see how serious this health issue is.
Step #2. Detox
Focus on improving your detox functions like the health of your liver and stimulating lymphatic drainage. These functions will remove the chemicals that are disrupting the hormone balance in your body as well as eliminate any excessive hormones that could be triggering issues.
Step #3. Balance Your Hormones
The final step in this process is the most extensive although each step in the process will most likely need to be revisited multiple times. Balancing your hormones is a process that varies from person to person. Each of us is as unique as a snowflake and our situations are unique too. There are many natural ways to begin balancing your hormones.
The best in my opinion is Seed Cycling. If you are reading this now, please stay tuned, I have an upcoming blog discussing how to do this process. In the meantime, please feel free to dive into your own research on this topic or ask your doctor. My functional medicine doctor gave me a helpful seed cycling sheet that got me really going into this process.
You can explore intermittent fasting, I recommend starting with this podcast with Dr. Mindy Pelz on How to Fast Like a Girl. She also educates on how to live by your cycle: exercise, diet, stress and more!
And don’t ever underestimate the power of herbs! There are many herbs like maca root, ashwaganda, licorice root & wild peony, chaste berry, and red clover. If you want to get started with herbs check these references out: 2, 3, 4.
Speaking Specifically Hormonal Imbalances & Your Skin
Let’s get down to the best ways to control the signs of hormonal imbalances in your skin, the most common being acne. I’ve got two suggestions that I swear by from both my professional and personal experiences.
#1. Eight Greens Phyto Masque (preferably the hot version) – This product contains eight different phytoestrogens that will work to balance the hormonal reactions in the skin. The “hot” version is a stimulant, encouraging blood flow to the surface of the skin boosting your body’s healing response to break down acne and reduce inflammatory responses. Use as an overnight or spot treatment.
#2. Eight Greens Youth Serum – also contains phytoestrogens like Chaste berry to aid in restoring balance in the skin with the bonus that it can be used as a daily preventative treatment and worn under makeup without flushing the skin!
Finding Balance
As a holistic practitioner I must remind you, promising a cure is not within my job title. Honestly, I believe that anyone who promises you a cure is a charlatan. By now you should know that just as you are unique and your situation is unique, it makes sense your solution will be as well. I can use my expertise to guide you to the solution and help you find the answers. If you want to work directly with me, I can work more specifically with you to find a curated solution. In the meantime, I truly hope my guidance in this article can help set you down the right path – starting with the first step which is identifying where there are toxicity issues. The good news? Knowledge is half the battle. Congratulations for reading to the end and arming yourself with the knowledge to begin healing.
Healthy skin begins within my darlings.
Wishing you a life full of beauty and blessings!
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