Acne is a common inflammatory skin condition that many of us are familiar with from our teen years. For women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), acne is a frequent and unwanted companion to what is an already frustrating health condition.
Your breakouts are often resistant to mainstream treatments due to their underlying hormonal cause. In this post, I’ll explain how to treat PCOS acne naturally and holistically, in a way that targets the root cause: PCOS.
What Causes PCOS Acne?
PCOS leads to acne because of a combination of factors. The first and most significant cause is the underlying hormonal imbalance. PCOS is strongly correlated with higher levels of hormones that induce oil production – especially androgens (the male sex hormones).
Second, there’s inflammation. PCOS correlates with low-grade chronic inflammation, which increases the chances that your body will respond to clogged pores with inflammation. The result is deep, red, and painful breakouts that usually show up in the lower half of the face.
Holistic Acne Treatment Guide
Here’s how to treat PCOS acne naturally and holistically, in a way that’ll make you healthier on a base level.
Understand Your Unique Situation
No two PCOS patients are alike. I often find different underlying causes in different patients. That means that finding balance and reducing PCOS symptoms requires slightly different treatment!
That’s why, as a standard part of my care, I send every PCOS patient to undergo functional medicine testing. We look not just at your sex hormones, but also at other hormones, nutritional biomarkers, and other relevant health factors.
Start With a PCOS Acne Diet
What we eat has a very significant impact on our hormonal balance. A change in diet alone can be the best PCOS acne treatment.
As a rule, women with PCOS benefit from diets high in protein, with some healthy fats, complex carbs, fiber, probiotics, and nutrient-rich plants. These diets help them stay full and reduce insulin resistance.
However, in many cases, we find that nutritional deficiencies and food sensitivities can also play a role in your breakouts. Even in this instance, individual testing is worthwhile because it’ll help us direct you toward the ideal nutritional plan for your body.
Improve Your Lifestyle
There are many other lifestyle factors that can also impact your PCOS symptoms, especially acne. The main ones are stress levels, sleep, and exercise. Lack of sleep and high stress often come together, leading to excess cortisol which in turn stimulates androgen production. That means more oil production, more inflammation, and therefore more acne.
That’s why it’s so important to find ways to balance your lifestyle. Add room in your schedule for sleep, moderate exercise, and overall fewer stressful commitments.
Skincare Is Complementary (But It’s Not the Cure)
Skincare is not the cure when it comes to hormonal acne caused by PCOS. That said, it can still be extremely helpful. It can prevent some of the factors that contribute to acne while helping to soothe active breakouts.
Here are my key natural skincare tips for acne:
- Cleanse Gently: You need to cleanse your skin every night to remove excess oils, makeup, and debris from the day. Choose a gentle face wash that’ll clean your skin without totally stripping it of moisture, since that can exacerbate the inflammation.
- Use Anti-Acne Ingredients: Anti-acne lotions or spot treatments with salicylic acid or tea tree oil can help fade breakouts faster and prevent new ones from recurring.
- Stay Moisturized: By hydrating the skin, moisturizers help strengthen its barrier and keep its pH balanced. This fortifies the skin against acne infections and inflammation.
- Consistency: Skincare usually takes a few months to start showing results, and often longer with PCOS. Take your time because, ultimately, the consistency will pay off.
- Avoid Bad Ingredients: Stay away from harsh or drying ingredients like sulfates or denatured alcohol, as they can make your skin more susceptible to inflammation. Additionally, avoid comedogenic ingredients like rich oils and plant butters.
Supplement Carefully
Even for those with PCOS, supplementation is never one-size-fits-all. Certain supplements like zinc, myo-inositol, and vitamin A can often help with acne, but not if you take more than you need. It’s always better to first know for a fact if you’re deficient in any essential nutrients.
Address PCOS Acne From the Inside Out
As a naturopath, I believe in treating the root causes of a condition rather than just its symptoms.
When you have PCOS, acne is just one of multiple symptoms that can disrupt your life and well-being. My goal is to help you feel much better overall – it just so happens that this approach will not just help fade your acne, but will also keep it from returning.
Book your consultation and we’ll set you on the path to happier skin and a healthier you.