A woman might be more troubled with breakouts because they go through so many hormonal changes throughout their life. These hormonal changes could result in frequent acne flare ups on their skin.
It is a major skin concern for women who have irregular menstrual cycles or are dealing with some other hormonal problems. Imbalance in certain hormones particularly androgen could result in painful cystic bumps called pimples on the skin. They are different from ordinary pimples as they can be more painful and deep rooted bumps.
Using a regular ordinary cleanser won’t help at all in dealing with hormonal acne in women because they have a harsh cleansing action which strips the barrier of the skin and lacks actual active ingredients for dealing with acne flare ups.
You require a targeted cleansing bar meant for dealing with hormonal acne topically without causing any skin irritation. The best soap would help in reducing acne appearance but along with this you need to maintain a proper healthy routine which could help internally.
Reason behind hormonal acne
Hormonal acne breakouts could happen due to surge in different hormones.
- During puberty the androgens- testosterone and DHEA are increased. These hormones bind to receptors in the sebaceous glands and stimulate the synthesis of sebum in the skin. Excess sebum present on the skin mixes up with dirt and dead skin cells which clogs the pores of the skin. This makes a suitable environment for acne causing bacteria to thrive and lead to breakouts on the skin.
- Just before your menstrual cycle begins the estrogen levels in the body fall which leads to acne breakouts as androgens dominate at that moment.
- Insulin resistance and growth hormones could also cause development of acne. Foods which are high in glycemic index (GI) can spike blood sugar levels which could trigger a release of insulin and show hormonal effects like acne.
- Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) could also result in spike in androgen levels which give rise to painful pimples on the skin.
- Extreme changes in hormonal levels during the first trimester or right after giving birth can increase the sebum production and lead to formation of acne.
- During the perimenopause or menopause stage the estrogen levels lower and androgens take control which causes excess oil production and acne in women.
- High levels of emotional or physical stress could cause the adrenal glands to release cortisol. This stress hormone directly expands the size and oil output of your skin’s sebaceous glands .
Hormonal acne usually occurs around the chin, jawline, neck, chest, back and shoulders. They are different from regular acne breakouts as they are more painful and persistent to deal with.
Opt for best cleansing soap
Selecting the right cleansing agent is the most important step to help reduce breakouts from the skin because the wrong soap could compromise your skin barrier and it could worsen the inflammation caused by internal hormonal imbalance. They might also contain fragrant ingredients which could irritate the skin and it is not suitable at all for women with hormonal breakouts.
While dealing with deep, cystic hormonal breakouts an ordinary soap bar won’t help because they are too harsh and strip the moisture barrier of the skin which could cause skin dryness and irritation. Regular cleansing soaps might not contain active ingredients which have the power to clear deep pore blockages and reduce acne breakouts.
The best soap for women dealing with acne breakouts due to their hormonal imbalance would only help in clearing acne from skin and not affect skin in any wrong way.
Ingredients to look up for acne control
- Salicylic acid: It is the most powerful pore cleanser agent which is oil soluble in nature. It is a beta hydroxy acid which has the ability to dive deep into the pores of the skin by crossing the lipid barrier layers of the skin. It works by dissolving the glue bonds of impurities and dead skin cells from the pores. This clears out the pores and it also wipes off excess sebum from the skin, reducing signs of acne.
- Benzoyl peroxide: It is the most effective and promoted ingredient for reducing active breakouts from the skin. It kills bacteria directly and works by introducing oxygen into the pores of the skin. The acne causing bacteria can not survive in an oxygenated environment so this kills them.
- Neem: It is an herbal ingredient being used for a long time to deal with acne breakouts. It works by killing the bacteria by disrupting the cell walls of the bacteria and damaging the cellular content. It also provides a relief from inflammation and skin irritation due to acne.
Tips for maintaining holistic wellness
Final thoughts
Women are more fed up with acne breakouts as their hormonal fluctuations also contribute majorly to breakouts. They can’t control hormonal cycles of the body but they can control the appearance of acne. Using a soap that has targeted active ingredients would help in reducing acne from the skin. Along with that they need to follow clean health habits for better wellness.
