Raise your hands if you’ve been personally victimised by your hormones? *raises hand*
Now…keep them raised if that resulted in longer term skin changes?
If your hand is still up, then keep reading because the start of summer brought me a full social calendar and the worst skin of my life.
But before I talk about how I helped my skin bounce back, let me re-introduce myself in case we haven’t met before.
Hi, my name’s Alisha and I’m a beauty content creator who hasn’t missed doing her skincare routine in six years.
Yep, that means I’ve taken off my makeup for SIX YEARS STRAIGHT.
Even when I’m drunk, tired and travelling.
Honestly, I’m quite proud of that stat, so you can imagine my surprise when I woke up one day and my skin was inflamed.
Usually, I’d put it down to it being pre-menstrual, but the timing and placement of the breakouts didn’t make sense.
So, I took myself to the doctors and some blood tests later, I realised an imbalance of hormones was the culprit of my skin changing.
Overnight I’d gone from a fairly normal skin type to tight, dry, itchy skin and scalp that had erupted in little cheek and forehead pustules.
Needless to say, I wasn’t happy, but as a skincare girlie, I knew I could fix it.
Here’s how I did it...
Step 1: Say Goodbye to Your Actives.
As much as I love my retinols, AHA’s and vit C, I had to pack them up for the sake of my skin.
Because putting actives on sensitive skin can further exacerbate any irritation and lead to further inflammation.
Not to mention, since actives are formulated to penetrate the skin deeply, you’re risking disrupting your skin barrier which can lead to further water loss, and damage to the skin structure.
Which will inevitably delay any healing – so for the sake of your skin, walk into the bathroom and take them off the shelf so you won’t be tempted to use them.
Step 2: Swap in Skincare That’s Gentle.
I know what you’re thinking, ‘but that’s so boringgggggg’ and ‘how will gentle skincare help me solve my acneeeeeeeeeeeeeee,’ but the truth is, prioritising hydration, and protecting the skin’s barrier function is pretty essential to regulating the skin’s oil production.
As for specifics, here’s the routine that I used for two months until my skin got back on track:
Cleanse with CeraVe’s Hydrating cleanser: Any time my skin start’s to act up, I immediately add this cleanser back into my rotation because it takes off the buildup of dirt and toxins but still leaves my skin feeling extremely hydrated. And I put that down to ceramides, hyaluronic acid and glycerin in the formula which is known for keeping your skin moisturised for up to 48 hours post use. Not to mention is non-comedogenic, dermatologist approved and has a 4.5 rating. Plus, at $23 for almost 500mL, it’s an absolute bargain.
