Female Hormonal Acne Almost Ruined My Life & How I Cure It Naturally

I wanted to use this opportunity to share with you my candid skin story and how the journey has inspired me to launch this venture.

My skin story and how I cure hormonal acne naturally.

Ever since I can remember, I have suffered from one skin blemish or the other. From the ages of 13-19, I was hit hard by severe, cystic acne that completely hindered my social life, affected my self esteem, my self confidence and forced me into an isolated shell that is far far from who I am naturally. To make matter worse, I also had an extreme case of hirsutism.

I still feel today that if I hadn’t been plagued with the debilitating skin disease, there are so many opportunities I would have gone after, and my life would be a different tale for the better. I remember being extremely self conscious of my skin to the point of always wanting to crawl into bed and just sleep my life away. Every time I stared in the mirror, I would just cringe, cry and wish I was never born.

It was very difficult for me to maintain conversations with people without being paranoid about what thoughts ran through their head. I also hated going out during the daytime or being outside during bright and sunny days which I felt was very unforgiving to every flaw and crevice on my face. This deeply affected me because naturally I am an outdoorsy person. I was teased in school, always known as the girl with the really bad skin and usually stayed to myself covering my journals with thoughts of depression. I have to admit, although I have come along way from the pubescent days, it created a lot of emotional complexes that I still fight today.

When I finally went away to college and had the opportunity to wear makeup, since my parents were very adamant that young girls didn’t need makeup, I would not want to leave my apartment without piling on the cover up. I felt abnormal, my skin and my appearance constantly ran through my mind.

I envied those with clear skin who I felt could just exist without having to think about their face, have normal conversations without the anxiety that the other person or persons were judging their appearance or could just walk outside their house barefaced.

Even as I write this it pains me so much to reflect on those experiences because so many of youthful years were spent being extremely depressed and lonely. I was miserable and I tried everything I could to remedy the situation but the more I tried, the worse it seemed to become.

I went as far as enrolling in Esthetician classes while a high school student to gain deeper knowledge about my skin and why it acted the way it did. I saw several dermatologists and doctors and their course of action was to put me on some commercial drug.

I was placed on different medications: birth control for female hormonal regulation, antibiotics, benzoyl peroxide and a slew of other drugs. I visited a plethora of med spas and plastic surgeons for peels, microdermabrasion and you name it. I have spent thousands on all kinds of skin care creams and procedures and none of those things were successful in the long term treating my female hormonal acne.

In my late teens, I picked up a book by Paula Begoun, “Don’t go to the Cosmetic Counter Without Me” and I credit the author with educating me on cosmetic ingredients and how the products we are using to treat our skin could be the very culprit or accelerator of our skin condition.

I began studying cosmetic ingredients extensively and the more I learned the more frustrated I became. I realized that the beauty industry is full of unethical companies selling products filled with disgusting pore-clogging gunk to unaware consumers and even incorrectly labeling products as non-comedogenic, non-acnegenic or hypoallergenic when in fact their products are filled with nasty ingredients that worsen the condition.

These products varied from low priced drugstore items to high end, expensive skin care lines. Worse off, the problem goes beyond skin problems, a lot of the commercial cosmetic items are filled with controversial toxins that are suspected to penetrate into the bloodstream and possibly create health problems after prolonged use.

I was 21 when I finally decided to get off birth control and take charge of my skin and health. I started reading books relating to female hormonal health, PCOS and natural remedies for hormonal balance and cystic acne. I began to see skin care and beauty from a holistic perspective. From the books I read, I realized that my symptoms of hormonal acne and hirsutism was a result of excess androgen, male hormones. The overproduction of androgens in women is among the top causes of female hormonal acne, excess hair production along with a slew of other health problems.

This is also one of the major indications of PCOS. I had a hormone level blood test conducted and the results showed that I had twice the levels of testosterone, also male hormones, than the normal range for women. Seeing the results was actually a huge sigh of relief for me, because it confirmed everything I believed and my unofficial diagnosis of PCOS. I had also noticed changes to my body and features that appeared somewhat masculine. For one, my chin and arms were covered in hair. Even things like the size of my hands and how pronounced my jaw bone had become. I immediately started researching natural ways to control androgen levels and get my system in balance

I changed my diet, changed my daily habits, changed the products I used on my face and started looking to use natural and organic products when I can. I spent the next several years conducting trial and error. I tried different diets, skin care regimen and fitness regimen while keeping a journal on my progress and lack their of it. I made sure to listen to my body very closely noting what worked and what did not. I was determined to fight the hormonal imbalance and get things working right.

Years later, now in my later twenties, my acne has cleared up about 95% and my PCOS under control. However I am still left with the aftermath of the trauma. I am left with acne scarring which I have managed to improve about 40% over the years and still on the quest to keep improving.

So what has worked for me to cure my female hormonal acne?

I am proud to say that I never went on accutane which is till today the only known cure for acne but not without its side effects. I was too scared of the long term effect on my health, and after hearing from others who had taken the drug, I just knew it wasn’t for me. Besides I was determined to find a way to cure hormonal acne naturally. I knew deep down inside of me that there had to be a way. I believed that once I resolved the cause of the imbalance, my skin problems will follow suit.

What has worked for me is basically a combination of maintaining a healthy diet, regular detox protocol, supplements, doing my best to stay active plus a stringent skin care regimen.

I do my best my limit intake of carbohydrates and especially refined carb, sugars, salts and junk foods. I am happy to say that at this point in time, I can count the number of times I have ordered fast food with one hand within the past couple years. I also avoid buying sweets and unhealthy foods because it only increases the temptation to eat them.

Every morning, I have a green smoothie along with vinegar and 100% lemon water to cleanse and detox my system. I am a firm believer that our skin problems start internally and a good detox or cleanse should be a precursor to any treatment.

For hormonal regulation, I also supplement my diet with Vitex extract, maca, chromium and foods high in Omega 3 fatty acids such as 100% organic ground flaxseed.

My skin care regimen for hormonal acne.

The first thing I did was scan through all my beauty products for those with multiple comedogenic or acnegenic ingredients. This is a must for those with acne prone skin, you have to be become an ingredient expert to know which products are bad for your skin and actually worsen your acne. I also developed healthy skin habits.

Currently my skin regimen is as simple as cleansing with Dove beauty bar (Note: make sure it is the non scented kind for sensitive skin, important!), toning with witch hazel and moisturizing with Derma-e Evenly Radiant Serum and Night Moisturizer.

In the evening prior to washing with soap, I do an oil cleanse to make sure I’ve really got all the makeup off. I apply 100% organic argan oil all over my face and follow with a hot towel over my face to get a deep pore cleanse. It makes scientific sense, after all, oil attracts oil. It also helps pull dirt to the surface. If you have problematic skin, be very careful about the type of oil you use on your face. You can find the list of oils that work best for oily, acne prone skin HERE. I also exfoliate daily by making a honey and sugar scrub.

I am going to write detailed posts on each of those factors so be sure to subscribe below for updates on when that posts.

Oftentimes when I complain about skin blemishes, I will get a comment that the issue is only cosmetic and there are worse problems in the world. I have to say I do agree to an extent, yes it is a cosmetic issue, however dealing with skin blemishes can be an emotionally crippling struggle and has a powerful impact on one’s self esteem and confidence.

If you are currently battling female hormonal acne, it is important to realize first that you are not alone. You also need to be candid with your friends and family about your what it is you are going through emotionally. One of the biggest mistakes I made earlier on was keeping all my feelings inside and not expressing it to those who could have motivated and supported me. Having a strong support system is crucial to your emotional health.

You also need to realize that it is not the end of the world. It is only acne and how silly it is to let something like acne hold you back from living and enjoying your life. What I’ve realized is that at the end of the day no matter what your skin looks like, if you are a caring, loving human being, the people that matter will come to appreciate and love you for who you are. So stop staring in the mirror or stressing and go enjoy your life. Not only does stress and worry worsen the situation but you only live once!