Hormonal Breakouts and Cystic Acne: Facts and Tips

Some of my friends have been asking me how to deal with breakouts, especially hormonal breakouts and cystic acne.

Hormonal breakouts consist of cystic acne and other less severe types of acne. When hormones are changing, especially when testosterone level is relatively higher, the skin produce more oil/sebum and the oil can clog pores. The mixture of excess oil and dead skin cells and cause acne and if bacteria grows in the mixture it can cause inflammation.

Cystic acne is considered by dermatologists one of the most severe types of acne. It's larger and deeper than other types of acne, so it tends to leave scars. It's better ans safer to let dermatologists treat it than popping and picking it yourself.

I'm sure you've heard many people talk about treating acne with salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide. One of my friend described to me her situation and that happens to me really often, too. Benzoyl peroxide used to work really well for her but it became less effective over time.

The truth is that most of the skincare we use provides temporary fix. What works for now won't work forever. Your skin will adapt to the active ingredients in the skincare over time, which makes those ingredients less effective. Now you'll need to find different ingredients that work for your skin. But it doesn't mean you have to dump your favorite skincare products completely. It just means that you need to alternate among several choices.

So her skin got used to benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid does not work for her. I recommended her to use 100% pure Argan oil. The triterpenoids in the oil have anti-inflammatory properties to help calm down skin irritation including acne swelling, and also help the skin to heal. Argan oil is a dry oil so it doesn't clog pores. It also help the skin balance the oil/ moisture production.

I used to get cystic acne pretty often last year. I was under a lot of stress and wasn't really happy with what was happening in my life. From that experience I learned a few tips for cystic acne:

• Have a good skincare routine
• Wash your face 1-2 times a day
• Never over-wash your face. It'll ruin your moisture balance and you might get even more oily.
• Use gentle skincare products
• Sometimes acne products can contain ingredients that are really harsh on the skin (alcohol, fragrance, etc.). I've found that gentle and all natural products work better
• Find ingredients that work for you
• What works for other people may not work on your skin
• Some common ingredients: salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, Argan oil, tea tree oil, witch hazel

• Spot treating


• You don't need benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid all over the face. They can dry out the skin. Only use them on spots.
• Simplify your routine
• Too many products can make processing and working the ingredients difficult for your skin. Also some ingredients may interact with each other making the effects less effective or more intense. Only use products that are effective and necessary.
• Products you should have: makeup remover, cleanser, moisturizer, scrub, spot treatment (only when needed)
• Products you probably don't need: toner, serum, masks
• Alternate skincare products when your skin adapts to current products
• Be patient
• Cystic acne generally takes longer to treat.
• Stop picking, squeezing, or touching that pimple!
• You're just bringing more bacteria to it.
• Popping it can leave scars. By scars I don't mean hyperpigmentation (you can expect that in all types of acne), I mean a dent on your face.
• Hygiene
• It's okay to put makeup on acne as long as 
• Your makeup is gentle (no harsh ingredients, doesn't make you breakout)
• Your makeup is clean
• Your applicator (brushes, sponges) is clean
• You take it off before sleep
• I keep a spray bottle of rubbing alcohol on my makeup table to disinfect my makeup and brushes. It's okay to spray it on your makeup to disinfect. Just make sure it dries/evaporates before you use it.
• I almost prefer wearing makeup when I'm breaking out because it creates a barrier between my skin and all the dirt outside (especially in a campus full of construction!) and I touch my face much less.
• Protect your skin with SPF
• SPF in your makeup or skincare is not enough. Always wear sunscreen (oil-free and alcohol-free preferred) underneath your makeup.

These tips are also helpful for other types of acne.

Here are some extra tips for all the girls out there suffering menstrual cycle breakouts:

• Most breakouts occur during PMS week because there are more dead skin cell on our face and our skin is thicker. Now is a good time to exfoliate so that the extra oil we produce doesn't mix with dead skin cells and clog our pores.
• When the period starts, it is time to pamper your skin. Now the estrogen is at the lowest, which makes your skin a little dull. Treat your skin with some serum or mask to add hydration and glow.

Acne is sometimes inevitable no matter how hygienic we are or how healthy our lifestyle is. Knowing how to minimize its impact is just as important as knowing how to prevent it.