It is common to see breakouts and acne on your face right before your period, but that does not mean it is normal or something you need to struggle with every month. Our skin is like a window as to what is going on internally. It’s important to understand the root cause of why is this presenting? Many women struggle with acne due to a diagnoses of PCOS. One of the three diagnostic traits of PCOS is high androgen hormone levels. These androgens include testosterone and DHEA which are linked to increased acne production. Here are some other factors for why you may have hormonal acne:

• Elevated estrogen or testosterone (or both)

• Poor liver detoxification, meaning your liver isn’t breaking down and clearing hormones as well as it could be

• Gut issues like bacterial overgrowth, dysbiosis (an imbalance of good and bad bacteria), gut inflammation, or constipation (you’re not eliminating hormones so they recirculate).

Many believe birth control to be a gold standard for managing hormones and reducing hormonal acne, but in fact this method is just a bandaid. Once you stop birth control, the acne will come back and so will your originally imbalanced hormones. Luckily there are many natural solutions to help prevent acne before your period that take into account each of the mentioned possible root causes.