You survived your turbulent teens and yet here you are: an adult woman still battling the supposedly adolescent issue of acne. What gives?I’ve been there: In my twenties, I suffered from super painful cystic acne that spread all over my face, chest, and back. I tried everything — and I mean literally everything — to combat the chaos erupting across my skin: antibiotics, Retinol-A cream, benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid. Not only did these typical treatments fail to deliver results, but they actually made the problem worse. It was frustrating and mind-boggling. Why was I still dealing with zits in my twenties and why were doctor-approved solutions failing me?
The Real Deal Behind Hormonal Acne
If you’re a grown-up combatting skin issues, you have to know what you’re actually up against: an endocrine imbalance. If you’re like most women who get hormonal acne, then you probably notice pimples crop up around ovulation (mid-cycle) and/or right before your period. This isn’t a coincidence; these are the two points in your hormonal cycle when estrogen and testosterone are peaking, and if your body isn’t processing these hormones correctly, eliminating the excess, and detoxifying your system. That extra estrogen and testosterone accumulates and results in acne. This happens in two ways: the excess estrogen causes estrogen dominance and skin inflammation, and the extra testosterone play on your sebaceous glands to produce more oil.
Elimination is Key
We often forget that our skin is our biggest organ of elimination; it works within a system that includes your liver, lymphatic system, and large intestine, and because these organs all act as one unit, they can’t be separated when it comes to treating the root cause of acne. Everything you put into your body from the food you eat to the products you use on your hair and skin to the substances you use to clean your house must be eliminated properly. If they’re not, then these chemicals that mimic estrogen will stay in your body and circulate. And if all of your elimination organs aren’t working optimally, then the leftover, circulating toxins will show up on your face as acne (and result in other unpleasant symptoms like PMS) — it’s as simple as that.
5 Reasons You Have Adult Acne (And 5 Ways to Fight It)
Now that you understand the basics, let’s get down to business — here are the five reasons your skin is suffering and the solutions to implement right now:
1)You have a micronutrient deficiency.
The problem with all the standard acne treatments is that they do nothing to target the root cause of your problem. Two major health problems underpin the issue: 1) A damaged and depleted gut microbiome, and 2) A deficiency in key micronutrients for skin health.
The solution: Coffee, excessive exercise, chemicals in your environment, sleep deprivation, the Pill, and stress all strip your body of key micronutrients that keep your hormones healthy and your skin clear. The five formulations provided in the Balance By FLO Living supplement line include essential micronutrients to act as your “insurance policy” against endocrine disruptive things that you’re doing (knowingly or unknowingly) that are throwing you off balance.
2) Your liver is congested.
Your liver needs enough micronutrients in order properly detoxify your body. A well-functioning liver boosts your absorption of all vitamins and minerals and prevent deficiencies developing in the first place. You might be surprised to learn zinc deficiency is a very common issue for many women; when we’re deficient in zinc, our pores become easily irritated by bacteria and show redness. A large-scale scientific study actually concluded that zinc supplementation is very effective even when compared to commonly prescribed antibiotics.
The Solution: In addition to the supplements mentioned above, I recommend incorporating a little bit of grass-fed liver into your FLO Living diet every week as part of a meal or as a snack. It’s full of copper and vitamin A to balance out zinc and aid in detoxification of excess hormones.
3) You’re eating pro-inflammatory foods.
Inflammatory foods cause leaky gut syndrome — that means microscopic holes develop in the wall of your intestines, allowing molecules to pass through and create an inflammatory response in your body. When your liver and large intestine are working at a subpar level, your skin steps up and tries to eliminate the toxins, resulting in skin inflammation and acne.
The Solution: To speed up your healing, reduce or eliminate the following foods from your diet as best you can:
- Dairy
- Peanuts
- Soy
- Canola, sunflower, safflower, and vegetable oil
- Caffeine
- Gluten
4) Your cycle is out of whack.
If your period is all over the place, it’s a sure sign something is off with your hormones and your skin may be suffering as a result.
The Solution: Download the MyFLO® app and start tracking your symptoms STAT! Getting into the groove of cycle synching will help you troubleshoot your issues by modifying your diet and lifestyle to work for you, not against you.
5) You’re not getting enough exercise (or sex!).
Circulation and the flushing of cortisol are essential to glowing, gorgeous skin. If you’re not moving enough or clocking enough amazing orgasms, the evidence could show on your face.
The Solution: A good clean stress hormone detox in the way of a burst of sweaty exercise (I like jumping on a mini trampoline in my living room!) or even a really good orgasm will give you a dewy glow and help to banish stress related and hormonal acne.Love,Alisa
