Here are five tips to improve hormonal acne, naturally, compiled by a functional medicine dietician and nutritionist:

1. Ensure You’re Ovulating: Regardless of when acne occurs, the first step is to ensure you’re ovulating, as that is when hormones are produced in the first place. This can be done with lab testing or temperature tracking, tracking cervical mucus, and cervix changes. Learn more about this here.

2. Test & Address High Androgens or Poor Metabolism: If androgens or 5a-DHT are confirmed to be high, consider dietary changes and additional nutrient support, which are covered in the following section. Dairy is known to increase IGF-1, which then increases testosterone. For additional DHT metabolism support, ask your doctor about:

• Saw Palmetto
• DIM
• Nettles
• Reishi Mushroom

3. Trial A Sugar, Cows Dairy, & Soy Elimination Diet: These are foods that can impact the various mechanisms that cause hormonal acne. Trial an elimination diet for 6-12 weeks to see if improvements occur.

4. Include Healthy Fats In Your Diet: Fat is essential to hormone production and is necessary in order to form the skin’s protective barrier, retain moisture, and aid in cellular repair.

Focus on anti-inflammatory fats:

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Avocados
• Nuts/Seeds
• Coconut Oil
• Butter or Ghee

Avoid inflammatory fats:

• No Canola Oil
• No Peanut Oil
• No Sunflower Oil
• No Vegetable Oil
• No Soybean Oil
• No Margarine
• No Corn Oil

5. Boost Your Antioxidant Intake: Studies comparing blood antioxidant levels between people with and without acne found individuals with acne had significantly less antioxidant loads. When compared, people with acne had lower levels of these four antioxidants:

1. Beta-carotene: 65% lower
2. Vitamin E: 45% lower
3. Vitamin C: 40% lower
4. Vitamin A: 33% lower

To compensate for the higher demand of antioxidants in the skin, individuals with acne use up the body’s antioxidant stores at a faster rate. Be sure to include a variety of fruits and vegetables to ensure you’re replenishing your antioxidant load. 

To read more posts about hormonal acne and nutrition, check out our dedicated section to the topic on our blog, Period Matters.  

We also offer free eBooks filled with expert tips on hormonal acne, PMS, dysmenorrhea (the medical term for painful periods...eek!), and a whole lot more. Our seed syncing can help you balance your hormones naturally: shop our organic moon seeds or moon bites.

This is an excerpt from a post written by Robyn Johnson, MS, RDN, LD, CLT, a Functional Medicine Dietitian + science nerd + chocolate enthusiast that takes a root cause approach to hormone & skin problems. She is also the founder of The Clear Skin Lab. Check her out on Instagram.  Abridged content curated and edited by Nayla Al-Mamlouk.