Have you ever heard that you need to “balance your hormones” to clear your skin?
While it’s true, it’s not the whole picture.
Yes, you do need healthy levels of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone that fluctuate in a regular rhythm in alignment with your menstrual cycle.
And yes, you want these hormones to be balanced in relationship to one another.
But there are two hormones that form the foundation of hormone balance.
If these hormones are dysregulated, then your sex hormones like estrogen and progesterone will be off too.
I’m talking about the hormones cortisol and insulin.
Let’s take a moment to break down what these hormones are!
1. Cortisol
Cortisol is your body’s primary stress hormone. It also regulates your metabolism, your immune system, and your sleep-wake cycle, keeping you alert during the day.
If you’re experiencing prolonged stress or aren’t responding well to the stress in your life, your cortisol levels could be off.
Imbalanced cortisol levels point to a burnt-out nervous system and tired adrenals, and this contributes directly to chronic inflammation (like acne) and other hormone imbalances.
Then there’s insulin…
2. Insulin
Insulin is a hormone produced by your pancreas. It helps get glucose (sugar) into your cells and regulates your blood sugar levels.
If your blood sugar levels get too high, insulin levels spike to help keep your blood sugar in a normal range. If this keeps happening, eventually you’ll get insulin resistance, where your cells stop responding well to insulin.
And insulin resistance, even mild, can really throw off your hormone balance and lead to acne.
Here’s your big takeaway:
Before you go taking supplements for estrogen metabolism or to reduce testosterone levels, work on optimizing your blood sugar levels and stress response first!
Looking for support along your skin healing journey? Get my FREE guide to naturally clear skin: “7 Days to Clearer Skin”!
