Hormone cycles and Skin

Menstrual cycles make for pretty dynamic skin changes and it can help to the regenerative cycle of your skin.

For those who experience a dramatic fluctuation of estrogen or have a menstrual cycle, skin can be maddeningly reactive. Even if you’ve stepped away from a predictable menstrual cycle or never had one in the first place, your skin indicates where your hormones are hovering.

Working with skin’s regenerative cycle allows you to know when extra balm is a good idea and when and when to lay off the exfoliation habit.

Days 1-8: Release | Dry phase

Menstruation.

Hormones have left the building. Oh, but prostaglandins are on hand to help. Prostaglandins are compounds that control inflammation and are hormone-ish. However, an abundance of prostaglandins will cause over-sensitivity, inflammation, and regret in the form of little red pinpricks after waxing and plucking.

Exfoliating during this time is so, so tempting. Try holding off here because it really is not time to scratch that itch. Note what happens if you stay clear of retinoids. Skip the vitamin C.

Add a little more massage to your routine if you’re feeling slack, but since massage will stimulate cell growth, it’s also okay to give every layer of your skin a minute of rest.

This is the “dry” side of your cycle. If it feels like you want extra balm, go for it.

Days 8-15: The Ramp Up

Follicular | Dry to semi dry phase

Estrogen is back on the production line to stimulate collagen, hyaluronic acid, and elastin in your skin. Estrogen thickens the skin, making lines less visible and picking up extra slack. 

Sweat glands are more active in this phase but skin blood flow is at its lowest. Exfoliate to stimulate cellular turnover. Give your face a massage daily to increase blood flow.

Days 12-25: Cue the Glow

Ovulation | Wet Phase

When Estrogen is at its peak, skin looks and feels moisturized. Collagen produced by fibroblast cells and elastin make skin glow.

To keep the party going, avoid preservatives like Germall that contain formaldehyde releasers (often found in water-based formulas). Formaldehyde has been known to explode fibroblast cells.

Ease up on Face or mix in more distilled water. Avoid harsh soaps, over exfoliating, and retinols. Give yourself cleansing mask. See what happens if you avoid the salyzcidic acid in this phase. What if you wait to exfoliate until late luteal?

Days 20-28: The Carnival is over… but the rides are still plugged in!

Luteal | Semi Wet to dry

Bye estrogen. Heeeyy, progesterone. 

The blood flow in your skin has increased. You might be sweating a bit more than usual too.

Progesterone and testosterone both cause sebum levels to rise. Skin swells and pores get squeezed from all sides. The good news is that pores look delightfully small. The bad news is sebum doesn’t have much of an escape hatch.

This is that time when cysts, breakouts, and general malaise makes an appearance on the face. Pores are slack, bacteria is mixing with that once-trapped, now exposed sebum. Hormonal breakouts are observable.

Prep ahead with a honey wash (all the better if it’s infused with calendula or wild cherry.)

If you have exfoliated earlier in the cycle, yay. Go ahead and give yourself a scrub with a fine clay like Kaolin to create a mask for around the hairline.