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Tackling Hormonal Acne: Best Skincare Practices for Clear-Looking Skin
If your body has been experiencing hormonal fluctuations and you’ve also noticed an increase in breakouts, as well as in how oily your skin is, then there’s a good chance that hormonal acne is to blame. The good news is that clear-looking skin is easier to achieve than many people realize. Read on as Vine Vera shares the best skincare practices for overcoming the appearance of hormonal acne and bringing about a bright and blemish-free complexion.
What Causes Hormonal Acne?
As the name depicts, hormonal acne is caused by hormones. Hormonal changes, to be specific. These changes can occur for a number of reasons, such as:
- Puberty
- Pregnancy
- Menopause
- Menstrual cycle
- Certain medications
Whatever the cause may be, those hormonal fluctuations significantly increase how much oil the skin naturally produces. This then means that your pores are more likely to end up clogged since all of that extra oil will need to go somewhere. Once clogged pores start to occur, inflammation usually isn’t far behind, which then means that breakouts will quickly follow.
With hormonal fluctuations usually being out of our control, hormonal acne can often leave people feeling pretty helpless. However, with the right skincare practices, you’ll be able to stay in control of your breakouts, preventing their appearance while also quickly soothing the look of any pimples that do happen to arise.
Keeping Your Skin Clean
A good cleansing regimen is one of your most important tools when dealing with hormonal acne. As we mentioned, your breakouts are due to your pores getting clogged with all of the extra oil that your skin is producing. Cleansing your skin twice a day will help to prevent this by removing some of that excess oil before it has the chance to sink into your pores.
During a hormonal acne flare-up, you may even want to consider double cleansing in the evenings. This involves cleansing your skin twice. The first cleanse should be done with an oil-based cleanser, with the purpose of this being to remove oil-based impurities. Oil attracts oil, making oil-based cleansers very effective at lifting excess oil from the skin. This should then be followed up with a water-based cleanser, like the Vine Vera Resveratrol Vitamin C Cleanser. This formula contains lactic acid too, which intensifies its cleansing action, along with licorice root extract to help lighten the look of any acne marks that may have developed on your face.
In the mornings, the water-based cleanser alone should be enough to set your skin up for success for the day!
Balancing Exfoliation: Under-Exfoliating vs Over-Exfoliating
While cleansing will remove excess oil from the surface of your skin to prevent it from diving deep into your pores, it won’t be able to remove every single trace of sebum. This is why regular exfoliation is also crucial for anyone dealing with hormonal acne. An exfoliator will work on a slightly deeper level than a cleanser, removing sebum from your pores.
The issue is finding the right balance when it comes to how often to exfoliate. Not exfoliating enough will mean that you’ll still frequently end up with clogged pores and breakouts. On the other hand, exfoliating too often will damage your skin’s natural protective barrier. This will only increase both oil production and inflammation.
Everyone’s skin is different, making it important to pay attention to how yours reacts to exfoliation. With that said, when working with hormonal acne, experts usually recommend exfoliating up to three times a week.
Using the right exfoliator for your skin is vital too. Ideally, you want a formula that makes use of hydroxy acids, just like the Vine Vera Resveratrol Vitamin C Peeling. It’s not overly harsh in the way that many acid-infused exfoliators are. This is important when dealing with hormonal acne as you don’t want to risk further irritating your skin.
Understanding Ingredients
There are so many skincare ingredients out there that it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by all of the options. However, with some ingredients being superstars at dealing with hormonal acne and others having the opposite effect, it can really pay off to spend some time familiarizing yourself with which ingredients you should and shouldn’t be using.
Here are a few ingredients worth paying attention to if you want to combat the appearance of hormonal acne as quickly as possible:
- Niacinamide – research shows that vitamin B3, also known as niacinamide, can significantly reduce the appearance of mild to moderate acne. It also has a soothing effect on the complexion. You’ll find this ingredient in the Vine Vera Facial Anti-Aging Firming System.
- Green tea extract – this botanical is revered for soothing the feeling of inflammation. It’s also packed with a number of other skin-loving antioxidants. This is why it’s included in several Vine Vera skincare products, including the Resveratrol Chianti Revival Serum.
- Aloe vera – another ingredient that quickly calms the feeling of inflammation. Aloe vera is incredibly hydrating too, which can help to make the skin feel less greasy. Give it a try with the Vine Vera Resveratrol Cabernet Toner.
- Retinoids – vitamin A-derived ingredients are great for a number of purposes, including reducing the look of acne. Start with a gentle retinoid, like the retinyl palmitate found in the Resveratrol Vitamin C Serum.
The Importance of Hydration
When trying to fight the appearance of acne, people often underestimate the power of hydration. It may seem simple but keeping your skin hydrated can go a long way in keeping your complexion clear and blemish-free.
It all comes down to how the skin responds to dehydration. When the skin lacks moisture, it tries to compensate for this by producing more oil. This then exacerbates clogged pores, making any type of acne worse. Ensuring that your skincare routine is geared toward hydrating your skin as much as possible will help to prevent this.
How can you do this? Start by incorporating a super-hydrating serum into your skincare routine, such as the Vine Vera Resveratrol Pinot Noir Longevity Serum. This formula brings together a few different humectants, which are ingredients that have moisture-binding properties. It also contains some powerful antioxidants, including resveratrol and vitamin C. These two antioxidants combined are an unstoppable force when it comes to restoring the look of healthy skin.
Your skincare routine should also contain a hydrating face cream. Avoid heavy formulas that are filled with comedogenic, meaning pore-clogging, ingredients. Instead, reach for lightweight face creams that are capable of hydrating the skin without weighing it down. The Vine Vera Resveratrol Pinot Noir Phyto-Silk would be a great one to try. Again, it makes use of humectants to hydrate the skin, with a few other ingredients in place to lock that moisture in and ensure that the skin feels quenched for hours.
Preventing UV Exposure
If you want to clear up your complexion, sun exposure is the last thing that you need. Sure, when you’re in the moment, it may feel as though the sun is helping to dry up some of that excess oil on your skin. However, in reality, it’s actually dehydrating your skin. As we discussed earlier, this will quickly ramp up sebum production. Studies back this up, showing that solar radiation can make acne worse. This is why hormonal acne breakouts tend to be even more severe during the summer months.
What’s the solution? For starters, staying out of the sun during its hottest hours. You should also ensure that you’re consistently wearing an SPF product that offers sufficient protection. After all, UV rays are capable of penetrating through glass, meaning that you won’t be completely safe indoors if you’re near a window.
Since many sunscreens can aggravate breakouts, many with acne-prone skin have started favoring SPF moisturizers. These formulas are much lighter and don’t leave behind the greasy finish that many sunscreens are notorious for creating. An SPF moisturizer like the Vine Vera Resveratrol Cabernet Replenishing Moisture Cream SPF 30 will not only keep your skin hydrated and protected but will also give it a bright and matte finish.
Making the Most of Masks
We’ve already talked about how useful serums can be when it comes to hydrating the skin and providing beneficial ingredients. Well, face masks can do exactly the same! In fact, with face masks available in a variety of formats, this gives you even more of an opportunity to tailor your skincare routine to perfectly suit your skin’s needs.
Take the Vine Vera Pinot Noir Anti-Aging Luminating Face & Eye Mask, for example. It feels deeply hydrating, which is important for acne-prone skin. This is intensified by how the sheet-form of this mask physically helps to push those hydrating ingredients in. At the same time, this mask will also tackle the appearance of aging, leaving the skin looking firmer and smoother.
The Vine Vera Resveratrol Chianti Thermic Mask is also worth a look if you’re struggling with hormonal acne. It’s a clay-based mask, with clay being an ingredient that has been used for centuries to tackle the visibility of acne. It absorbs excess oil from the skin, making it a great way to eliminate the appearance of clogged pores and breakouts. This is enhanced by the heating effect of the mask. As you massage it onto your skin, it gently warms up. Your pores then feel more relaxed, allowing the clay to perform its sebum-absorbing abilities to a greater extent.
Caring for Hormonal Acne With Vine Vera
With the right skincare practices, as well as healthy lifestyle choices, it’s usually possible to keep the appearance of hormonal acne under control. With that said, if you’ve already tried all of the above and are dealing with persistently severe breakouts, it may be time to speak to a professional. If over-the-counter skincare isn’t working for you, prescription topicals or even oral medication may be required to clear up your skin. Give skincare a try first but don’t be afraid to seek more help if needed!
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