In my last post, I explained why it’s so common to get breakouts right before your period. So this article is all about how to stop those premenstrual pimples in their tracks!
Here are my top 8 tips for period acne:
1. Avoid alcohol the week before your period
Alcohol taxes your liver, which is responsible for metabolizing hormones like estrogen. If your liver function is sluggish, that extra alcohol will overburden your liver, contribute to imbalanced estrogen levels, and could create acne.
Alcohol also significantly affects blood sugar balance, which isn’t good for skin health.
In general, it’s good to limit alcohol, especially if you have acne.
2. Support your liver
If you’re experiencing breakouts or a worsening of acne right before your period, it’s likely that your liver needs a little extra TLC to keep your hormones balanced and your skin clear.
Eat more foods that help support liver function (like beets, artichokes, lemons, and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli). Consider drinking an herbal tea this week that can help with liver detox and hormone balance, like my delicious Clear Skin Tea.
3. Keep your blood sugar balanced
You’re likely craving more carbs and sugar the week before your period, and that makes sense with what’s going on hormonally! But eating too many sweets or high-glycemic foods can throw off your blood sugar balance and lead to acne.
Focus on eating complex carbohydrates (like squash, sweet potatoes, quinoa, and beets). Avoid sugary beverages and processed foods with added sugar, and make sure to balance out carbohydrate-rich foods with healthy fats and proteins.
Got a premenstrual sweet tooth that you just can’t please? Try these sweet treats that are kinder on your blood sugar:
- Apples with nut butter
- Coconut yogurt with berries and honey
- Fruit of any kind
- A couple pieces of dark chocolate (over 70% cacao)
- Sweet potato with butter/ghee and cinnamon
4. Optimize your progesterone levels with food
If your progesterone levels are low, androgens may have a free pass at your skin’s androgen receptors and trigger more sebum production, which can lead to acne.
Eat foods rich in zinc (pumpkin seeds), magnesium (nuts/seeds, leafy greens), vitamin C (bell peppers, citrus), and vitamins B6 and B12 (avocados, salmon) to support progesterone production. You can find other tips for supporting progesterone production here.
5. Improve your response to stress
Stress lowers your progesterone levels and impacts your body’s ability to metabolize other hormones and detoxify environmental toxins that can contribute to acne.
A poor response to stress also reflects a dysfunctional nervous system, and the nervous system is what ultimately needs to be healed whenever acne is present.
Embrace gentle forms of stress relief this week, like breathwork, yoga, walking out in Nature, or getting a massage. Mindset work to rewire your nervous system can also be incredibly therapeutic for your skin.
6. Improve circulation to your pelvis
Pelvic stagnation can impact progesterone production and the health of your menstrual cycle. Improve pelvic circulation and lymphatic flow with regular movement (hip circles are great!), standing more than sitting, having good posture, massaging your abdomen (unless you have an IUD), and addressing any constipation. When used appropriately, herbal medicine can be helpful as well.
7. Align to your inner rhythms
Take cues from your body’s natural rhythms and listen to what your body, and Nature, is asking of you. As your estrogen and progesterone levels naturally drop the week before your period, you may notice the desire to be more introverted, take on fewer tasks, and find more stillness in your everyday life. This is all in preparation for your menses, which births you back into a new cycle yet again.
How can you rest and nourish yourself this week? Your skin will thank you for listening.
8. Address any emotions that are coming up
Are you noticing any anger or irritability this week? Sadness or grief? Fear or anxiety?
The premenstrual phase often accentuates any emotional wounds that already exist. By bringing them to the surface this week, they’re asking to be healed. Consider journaling about your emotions to figure out where they are coming from and what your body is asking to be healed.
Check out my Wild Roots Alchemy shop for herbal teas and skincare designed for acne-prone skin!
