How I Healed My Hormonal Acne Naturally | 5 Secrets Revealed

Beauty
Written By Arynetta

Despite what we've been told as teenagers about outgrowing acne,

I found myself, at 34, breaking out worse than ever. It wasn't just the occasional spot; it was cystic acne that seemed to overtake my skin, from my face, to my neck, to my back.

The conventional wisdom—and prescriptions—had failed me. So, I embarked on a journey that not only transformed my skin but my entire approach to health and beauty. 

The secrets I discovered about healing hormonal acne weren't hidden in a tube of cream or a bottle of pills but in understanding and nurturing my body's natural processes. 

Here, I share the five secrets that freed me from the cycle of hormonal acne and allowed me to find my glow naturally.

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How I Healed My Hormonal Acne Naturally: 5 Secrets Revealed

 
 

The Wake-Up Call

I still remember that evening in the tiny London flat I shared with my sister.  I was standing over a makeshift medicine cabinet filled with dermatologist-prescribed solutions meant to carry me through my year long master's program.  And I needed them.  My face was an eruption of angry painful cystic mounds I couldn’t keep my hands off of.  These lotions and potions guaranteed to smooth them all away.

But I couldn’t help thinking… was this it?  Was I meant to be chained to chemical intervention forever to successfully manage my skin?  

See, this wasn’t the first time my face was in worse condition than my 16 year-old self.  Since I’d entered my thirties, teenage skincare woes seemed to roar back with a vengeance.  

I’d tried the topicals, the pills, and they worked!  

They did exactly what the doctor said they would.  But I didn’t want to be beholden to prescriptions to manage my skin.  I felt like there must be a way to naturally balance whatever was going on in my body that was taking out its frustrations on my face.     

And so, with a profound sense of determination, I grabbed all the items in that “medicine cabinet” and threw them all away, thus marking the beginning of a committed quest to address the root cause of my hormonal acne.

Discovering a Natural Path

I knew that healing my skin was possible. Years before that “medicine cabinet” night, in my mid-twenties, I’d watched an episode of Oprah featuring Dr. Nicholas Perricone, who was promoting his book, The Perricone Promise.  The Perricone Promise emphasized the benefits of the Mediterranean diet and supplements like Omega-3 fish oil to get amazing skin.  

I’d never heard of such a thing, but the underlying message felt right to me––by taking care of your body through your diet, you could take care of your skin.  

I did everything that book said, and began to see a noticeable improvement.  My skin began to clear and adopted a glow I’d never experienced before (well, at least since I hit puberty). 

This experience laid the groundwork for a deeper understanding of how diet and lifestyle could influence my skin’s health.  

Eventually, I let go of the plan from the Perricone Promise.  

But, later, when serious health problems meant it was time to make major changes, I remembered this success and jumped head in to natural, holistic beauty.

Finding Alyssa Vitti

Back to my thirties.  Alisa Vitti became my guiding light on my health journey. I stumbled upon her work when I started having difficulty with my periods that landed me in the hospital for surgery. Vitti, a pioneer in the field of women's hormonal health, came to the practice after healing her own PCOS naturally.  Her insights struck a chord with me.  I read her book and devoured her website.  I watched ALL of her interviews.  

 
 

Alisa’s approach wasn't about quick fixes but rather understanding the root cause of hormonal imbalances. Her philosophy centers around syncing one's lifestyle with their hormonal cycle to achieve balance and well-being. 

She was the first person I heard talk about a holistic approach that included detoxing your body and environment, managing your stress and energy, paying attention to your desires, and incorporating balanced, organic healthy eating.  

This was a game changer for me.  

I realized my problematic periods and acne were related.  Guided by Alisa Vitti's wisdom, I saw that conventional approaches to healing acne lacked knowledge of five key facts––five key secrets. 

It was by knowing these secrets that I healed my acne by healing my hormones.  

Let’s dig in.

Secret Number One:  Your Make-up, Skincare, and Household Cleaning Items are Poisoning You

The Fix:  Embrace Clean Beauty and Household Products

Conventional make-up, skincare, laundry and household cleaning products are ladened with estrogen mimicking chemicals that have a significant impact on our hormonal balance (especially those with heavy conventional fragrances).  Basically, they toss your hormones into a tailspin. 

Reducing my exposure to these xenoestrogens was crucial, and that meant a complete overhaul of my makeup and skincare, laundry products, and the cleaning products I used around my house. Everything switched to toxic-free or clean alternatives. 

Credo Beauty became a sanctuary for this transition, offering a wide range of clean beauty products that didn't compromise on quality. 

Thrive Market delivers organic, toxin-free skincare and hair care products and free and clear, toxin-free house hold cleaning items. Get $60 in free groceries when you join.

This article lays out my complete clean beauty skincare routine complete with product links.

Pro Tip:  It’s a daunting, and often expensive task to throw out your existing products, but replacing them as they run out with clean options is a manageable strategy.  Just be sure to use gloves with those household products until you run out. 

Secret Number Two:  Pesticides and Farming Chemicals are Ruining Your Skin

The Fix:  Choose Organic Foods to Limit Exposure to Pesticides

My diet saw a major shift towards organic foods wherever possible. Stanford University's findings that the nutritional value of organic and non-organic foods might be the same missed the point—the real danger lies in the pesticides and chemicals used in conventional farming. 

These substances can disrupt our endocrine systems, acting as xenoestrogens (there’s that word again), and contribute to hormonal imbalance. 

Adopting an organic diet was about cutting out those hidden toxins that could be exacerbating my acne.

Pro Tip:  If going full organic is currently cost prohibitive for you, check out the EWGs “Clean 15” and “Dirty Dozen.”  The “Clean 15” are a list of conventional produce with the least amount of pesticide residue.  The “Dirty Dozen” has the most amount of pesticide residue.  So if you’re on a budget, it’s safer to purchase items conventional from the Clean 15 list, just be sure to wash thoroughly.  But get Dirty Dozen fruits and vegetables organic at all cost. 

Thrive Market, Whole Foods, and Instacart all deliver organic food products. 

Secret Number Three:  Inflammatory Foods are Wreaking Havoc on Your Intestines and Liver

The Fix: Eliminate Inflammatory Foods

Guided by Alisa’s wisdom, I made significant changes to my diet. Dairy, soy, certain oils, caffeine, gluten, sugar, and alcohol—all known to cause inflammation—were eliminated. 

Instead, my diet focused on foods that would support my liver and intestines, the unsung heroes in the fight against acne. When these organs function optimally, they help eliminate toxins effectively, reducing the need for my skin to take over the detox process—a key contributor to acne.

These cookbooks have been a staple in my clean beauty journey:

Pro Tip:  Eliminating all these foods at once may feel overwhelming, but if you do, you will experience the fastest change.  If you want to go a bit slower, I’d start with eliminating soy, dairy, sugar and alcohol in week one.  In week two add eliminating caffeine and gluten.  To begin with, I wouldn’t worry too much about the “certain oils.”  You can, and will, learn about oils later.  Stay off these items for 28 days to see truly noticeable change. 

Secret Number Four: Endocrine-disrupting chemicals are leaching into your water

The Fix:  Increase Hydration with High-Quality Water

Hydration took on a new importance in my routine, but it wasn't just about drinking more water—it was about the quality of water and how I consumed it. 

Plastic bottles, with their potential to leach endocrine-disrupting chemicals into the water, were out. 

Glass and stainless steel became my go-tos, ensuring that I wasn’t inadvertently adding to my body’s toxic load. 

Aiming for two liters of high-quality water a day helped improve my overall well-being and balance my hormones.

365 Italian Spring Water, Aquapanna Still Spring Water, and Spring Valley Still Water are my favorite glass bottled still water brands.  Just make sure you get the glass!  Some of them have plastic options.

Pro Tip:  Save money by refilling a 32-64 ounce glass water bottle with time markers to make sure you’re hydrating throughout the day.

Secret Number Five: Poor sleep is interfering with your skins ability to heal

The Fix:  Improve Sleep Hygiene

Lastly, but perhaps most transformationally, I focused on optimizing my sleep. 

Improved sleep meant my body had the chance to repair and rejuvenate itself, crucial steps in balancing hormones and, by extension, managing acne. 

Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, creating a pre-sleep routine that allowed me to relax, and ensuring my diet supported my sleep patterns—all contributed to better sleep hygiene. 

Additional tips:

I read fiction before bed instead of non-fiction to give my mind a rest.

I used blackout blinds to insure the darkest room possible.  Now I use a high quality silk sleep mask that works wonders and earplugs to ensure silence.

Once in bed, if so moved, I journal about what I’m proud of from my day.

This podcast is a lovely way to drift off to sleep.  Just be sure to set your sleep timer.

Pro Tip:  I learned everything I know about sleep hygiene from sleep pro Shawn Stevenson’s podcast “The Model Health Show.”  Start your research with the best! 

 
 

The Transformation : How Long it Took to See Results

The impact of these changes was palpable. Within weeks, even days, my skin started to clear, and the severe breakouts that had plagued me became a memory. 

Beyond the visible improvements, the journey towards healing my hormonal acne naturally was a profound lesson in patience, resilience, and the importance of listening to my body.  

The deep cystic breakouts never returned.  Every once in a while I’ll get a single breakout, and I’ll know exactly what to do.  If I review the secrets, I can tell which one needs to be addressed––usually, it’s hydration or diet.  

I am confident in my control over my skin.  Follow these tips to heal hormonal acne naturally and you will be too.

Bonus Tip:  Self doubt will make you give up.

The Fix: Love yourself through this transition. 

Be proud of yourself now.  Don’t wait until your skin as healed.  I’m proud of you.  I’m proud that you are seeking alternative, holistic methods of healing your body.  

Please know that you are worthy of the change you seek.  You are worthy of optimal health.  You are worthy of treating yourself well and doing your best.  And your best is enough, no matter what it is that day.  

So enter this healing journey with grace, an open mind, and an open heart.  You’re absolutely worth it.

In Conclusion

Healing hormonal acne naturally is a journey that goes beyond the skin's surface. It requires a holistic approach, addressing everything from the products we use, to the food we eat, to how well we sleep. 

When you’re in your thirties and forties, grappling with hormonal acne can feel devastating, a betrayal by your own body. But through my journey, I discovered that our bodies are incredibly resilient, capable of healing and finding balance when given the right support.

The secrets I've shared aren't quick fixes. They require patience, persistence, and a commitment to listening to and caring for your body in ways you might not have considered before. But the outcome—a clear, glowing complexion and a deeper understanding of your own health—is well worth the effort. 

Whether you're battling hormonal acne or simply striving for healthier, more vibrant skin, remember: healing starts from within.

If you’re beginning your journey to heal your hormonal acne naturally and you want more help building your clean beauty skincare routine, grab my Clean Beauty Skincare Guide.

Need help finding clean beauty products and resources? Check out my resource page. 

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Arynetta
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