Is there anything more cruel than adult acne? You’ve suffered through the skin 
issues of adolescence only to discover that adulthood comes with its own host of blemishes. So unfair, right?
Trust me, I’ve been there. Before I created and then lived, the FLO Living protocol, it took me an hour and a half just to leave the house. My face and back were covered in cystic hormonal acne that I had to cover with heavy makeup just to feel confident enough to carry on with my life. If that painful scenario sounds even remotely familiar, then you’ll really want to pay attention. Your skin shouldn’t rule your life and hurt your self-esteem. By learning to heal your endocrine system (the system responsible for hormone production) naturally, you can regain control of your beautiful face and body and learn to love your skin again. I certainly did!
Why Hormonal Acne Happens
Hormonal acne can accompany natural shifts in the menstrual cycle—for example, when you’re moving from your ovulation phase into your pre-menstruation phase.. It can also be triggered by high levels of androgens (male hormones) and stress. Research suggests that the oil-producing glands in the skin can act as their own independent endocrine organs, responding to messages from hormones like testosterone and the stress hormone cortisol.
Women need androgens for optimal health (they just need less of them than men), some stress in life is inevitable, and hormonal fluctuations during the month are not just normal but important. You want them to happen! But here’s what’s NOT a sure thing: acne.
Acne isn’t an inevitable side effect of normal hormonal fluctuations and life stressors. It’s a sign of endocrine dysfunction and a big SOS: your hormones are in trouble!. And this can happen any time in adulthood: During your 20s and 30s, during pregnancy, after baby, and even during perimenopause.
The good news is that sending help to your hormones, including using supplements to help heal and balance them, is easy.
Why the Conventional Acne Treatments You’re Using Aren’t Working
When I had acne, I tried everything my doctor would give me. I was desperate to improve the way my skin looked and the way I felt about myself. I imagine you’ve also gone through a list of potions and pills, hoping each would work for you. I personally tried a long course of antibiotics to stop the acne, which permanently stained my teeth slightly yellow (to this day!) and destroyed my gut microbiome so badly that I spent my entire freshman year of college with viruses, yeast infections, and flu-like symptoms. I tried Retinol-A cream and Salicylic Acid and Benzoyl Peroxide thinking I could heal my skin from the outside and just fix the surface of the issue. Needless to say, none of those things worked.
There’s a reason these commonly prescribed medications don’t work — and most even come with dangerous side effects:
The birth control pill: The pill disrupts your microbiome, endocrine system, and micronutrient levels – all systems essential for keeping your skin clear. You may have clear skin while you’re taking it, but not without added side effects that can worsen issues like PCOS, plus increase your risk of some reproductive cancers. Once you decide to stop using hormonal birth control, a common symptom of the withdrawal period is acne, often worse than you’ve had before because of the internal disruption that has occurred as a result of the medication.
Antibiotics:Antibiotics do incredible damage to the microbiome because they don’t distiguish between good bacteria and bad bacteria—they just kill all of them—and robust gut health is important for clear skin. As with hormonal birth control, when you come off the antibiotics, the acne may not only return, it can be much worse than it was before because of the microbiome damage.
Spironolactone/Aldactone: Just as I don’t recommend synthetic hormonal birth control or meat and dairy that contain synthetic hormones, I don’t recommend the steroid medication spironolactone. This steroid is nothing like the hormones your body produces on its own. . It disrupts your body’s production of testosteroneby confusing your body with a synthetically similar steroid. Plus, spironolactone use can trigger one of the most common hormone imbalance issues (and a cause of acne)—estrogen dominance—as well as depression, blood clots, and increased risk of some cancers. Spironolactone is not safe to take long term and is not going to prevent acne beyond the point that you are using it.
Isotretinoin (originally Accutane): If you’re prescribed Isotretinoin, then you are also prescribed hormonal birth control, because Isotretinoin causes birth defects. That in itself should be enough to dissuade you from using this medication. There are other side effects—including an initial worsening of acne—and severe depression. The original patented drug, Accutane, was removed from the market after many users developed inflammatory bowel disease and use of the drug was associated with increased risk of suicide. Usually this medication is offered as a last resort, but rarely have diet and lifestyle changes been part of prior acne-treatment protocols.
The problem with all of the treatments for acne that you’ve probably been offered, or tried already, is that they don’t address the root cause of an adult woman’s acne issues: hormone imbalance. In fact, antibiotics and the birth control pills only worsen the hormonal imbalance that triggers acne.
A cascade of (seemingly unrelated) health problems fuels the development of hormonal acne: A damaged and depleted gut microbiome leads to estrogen dominance, testosterone sensitivity, and a deficiency in key micronutrients necessary for skin health. Or you could say: hormonal acne starts in the gut.
But there’s great news here, I promise: the microbiome is super responsive to treatment—and prevention and healing are both attainable by shifting the way you eat and embracing specific natural supplements. With the right use of natural supplements, you can see your acne disappear in just a couple of months.
Once I figured out how to eat and live to support my hormones, my skin cleared up (and a lot of other great stuff happened too). My skin’s been clear ever since and I’ve helped many other women achieve the same lasting success.
The 5 Natural Supplements You Need to Stop Hormonal Acne
Food is always the most powerful weapon in your arsenal to combat hormonal dysfunction, but natural supplements are essential for speeding up the process of healing and recovery.
Using the right natural supplements every day can get you to where you want to be much faster than using food alone.
Ready to recover your glowing complexion and regain your confidence? Here are my top five natural supplements for preventing and healing hormonal acne:
- Magnesium. Magnesium is an important nutrient for fighting inflammation (acne is inflammatory). Calcium is part of the body’s tissue matrix—comprising bones, cells, and skin—and is important for skin cell renewal. Taking magnesium with calcium combined in supplement form can reduce inflammation and acne.
- Omega-3s. Getting enough omega-3 fatty acids from fish or flax oil can improve skin significantly. . With fish oil, many women see clearer, softer, smoother skin (as well as stronger hair and nails)in just a few days.
- Zinc. Zinc deficiency is a common issue for many women. When we’re deficient in zinc, our pores become easily irritated by bacteria and show redness. Research has shown that zinc supplementation can be very effective in easing acne even when compared to commonly prescribed antibiotics.
- Probiotics. We need probiotics for a healthy gut. A common symptom of a damaged and depleted microbiome is acne and other skin issues like rosacea. It’s particularly important with hormonal acne as your microbiome assists your body in processing and eliminating excess estrogen. If you’ve been on the pill or antibiotics for any length of time, probiotics could be key to getting your skin back on track.
- B Vitamins. Your skin needs B-vitamins to regenerate and renew as they provide the energy all of your cells need for fuel. Taking a good B-complex every day that includes a high level of B6 will target hormonal or premenstrual acne. B6 prevents skin inflammation and overproduction of sebum (the oil your skin produces that can create acne issues).
FLO Balance Supplements contain all of these skin healing micronutrients and more to restore hormonal balance naturally and quickly. Emily struggled with painful acne for years and tried everything to tame it. Through FLO Living, she learned what was causing her acne, and decided to see for herself if dealing with the root causes would work. She decided to start the supplements, and in just 3 weeks, Emily saw her skin clear for the first time. She has been on them for 4 months and her skin is flawless. She shared with us that if she had only known what was really going on and what steps she could have taken to restore her skin, she would have started this sooner.
Before (on left) & 3 Weeks after taking the BALANCE Supplements (on right)
4 Months After Taking the BALANCE Supplements
Always remember, that once you have the right information about how your body really works, you can start making healthy choices that finally start to work for you! You can do this! The science of your body is on your side!
Check out my video below with even more tips on clearing hormonal acne.
The BALANCE Supplement Kit
I've been asked over and over again for hormone-friendly supplement recommendations, and I finally have created a solution that I am so thrilled to be able to offer to you on your hormonal balancing journey:
Balance by FLO Living Supplements are nutraceuticals curated and formulated by me, that work together to keep your hormone levels healthy.
When you take these 5 supplements daily, you’ll be giving your body excellent micronutrients to support healthier hormone levels. Which means that you’ll start to see your worst period symptoms get better… and even disappear after a while.
Click here to learn more about The Balance Supplment Kit!=
Good things come in threes:
I want to hear from you!
First, do you have hormonal acne?
Second, have you used the Pill or antibiotics to treat hormonal acne?
Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social ?
Need more Hormone Help?
If you’re needing some health upgrading, it’s time you started you looking into what’s going on with your hormones.
I’ve designed a 4-day hormone detox and evaluation to help you understand exactly what’s out of whack and how you can start getting back to balance so that your hormones no longer have to suffer.
Click here to get your FREE detox and evaluation.
1. Yes, I've had hormonal acne on my chest, back and shoulders since I was around 12 years old!
2. I never tried antibiotics but did try various types of birth control pills, and also Nuvaring and the Mirena IUD.
Great article! I've done both Accutane and Spironolactone and definitely noticed how it changed my body. I am off of everything now, but do you feel there is something I should do to make sure my 5 years on Spiro didn't completely mess up my hormones? I have been struggling with Estrogen Dominance since then, but I am just now (since following you guys for a year!) starting to see some improvement. Should I just keep going? Or is there something you recommend for people coming off those meds?
Thanks!
look into DIM supplement, assists with balancing estrogen dominance
The dr put me on the pill for acne about 7 years ago. It definitely cleared my skin however since coming off my skin has worsened since before going on it. What surprises me is that the dr never did any other tests to find the underlying issue. Had he of looked a little further instead of prescribing the pill before doing other tests he would have seen I had pcos, and then he still probably would have prescribed the pill. Being young I didn't question his decision.. I find doctors don't understand pcos and are too quick to prescribe medication. Now I'm a bit older and a better understanding of natural remedies I will not go back on the pill even though my skin is still not clear.
I am have been taking all the supplements mentioned above for 3 months now, as well ae eating a clean vegan diet. Still not a huge improvement so I'm hoping that sticking with it things will improve over time.
When will the Balance supplement kit be available in Canada?
Thanks!
Would this supplement kit be safe for a menstruating 12 year old who is now combatting acne?
since following you guys for a year!
HI Alisa,
I just ordered my first installment of the Supplemental Kit and I'm feeling positive. My biggest obstacle is persistent bacne. It fluctuates a little bit throughout my cycle but I can't say that it ever looks good and clear. I have also been on antibiotics and the pill. I consider myself the Exercise type on your micronutrient deficiency post, but I'm wondering if there's a certain reason why my back flares up and not my face. Acne on my face is relatively controlled--a few small breakouts here and there but nothing extreme. Any idea why it's my back!
You and your work is such a blessing! Thank you for all that Floliving is and does!
Isn't it important to know what your hormonal imbalances are, though? Not just treat them all the same? My daughter has very high testosterone and androgens, and very low estrogen and progesterone. We are trying to balance these naturally to help her skin and how she feels over all. Any suggestions for this? Which kind of hormonal imbalance is this supplement for specifically? Thanks!
Chanda I 100% agree with you. It is SO SO important before just taking vitamins to go in and get bloodwork done to see exactly what the problem is. I’ve researched so much and have read countless comments on people severely vitamin deficient in certain things and once they started taking their skin improved tremendously. I think before starting any vitamins to go see first what your body’s vitamin problems could be.
I've been taking niacinamide (1500mg) and it cleared my hormonal acne! I have been dealing with hormonal acne for nearly 20 years! I am 36. I just can't believe it was so simple.
Hi Nora,
Are you able to tell me how long you were taking the niacinamide for?
Definitely looking to give this a try.
Please remove the annoying banner at the bottom of your site which makes it very difficult to navigate your articles on mobile.
I've been having acne issues for as long as I remember (not severe). I'm 27, soon to be 28 and it's such self-confidence killer. Within last year or 2 I l've realized it must be due to hormonal imbalance because my chin and neck line are the areas affected the most. I have an appointment scheduled in a few days, and will soon check my reproductive hormones. I'm actually hoping to get the pill both as a cure to this AND as a contraceptive.
I might have some vitamin/mineral definiciencies, have no clue about that, BUT, I also have a huge problem with excess hair on my body - all over it, from face to toes. Facial hair (and other body parts) is even worse self-confidence killer. And after waxing, inevitable pimples pop up, so it's a vicious circle.
Not to mention igrown hairs in certain areas....but that has to be done by laser.
So, as much as I'd love a natural remedy for this, I'm really desperate and I'll trust doctors and try to cure it with whatever they prescribe. I'm afraid of stopping with the pill at some point (if I even get it), but for now I'll try not to worry about it. I just want these things to disappear from my skin. 🙁
I have been plagued by hormonal cystic acne since I started puberty. I was on Accutane for over two years and it was the only thing that worked for me but isn’t so great to be on for so long. I tried dermalmd blemish serum on my current cycle where I had four cysts developing and I can’t believe the results. Two of the cysts halted in getting bigger, which is great because they tend to leave scars on my face. The two that kept growing actually came to the surface, which I’ve never, ever had a cyst do. I was able to apply pressure on the sides of my cysts with clean finger pads and the light press was all I needed to relieve the painful pressure. Now that they’ve both essentially been popped, I continued to use the treatment and they are rapidly going down in size and haven’t “refilled” with that excruciating pressure I tend to get with deep cystic acne. I, of course, won’t advocate you pick at your acne, but for me, it is a sweet relief! Dermalmd is now going to be one of my staple products!
My research on spiralactone shows nothing about it being a steroid?
Spironolactone has shown great promise for acne and other symptoms with pcos. It is actually a diuretic used for blood pressure when it was discovered to have a great benefit for acne. It does not have the blood clotting issues as birth control so it is much safer to take. It is not a steroid.
It's cool that magnesium can help fight inflammation and acne. My daughter has been having problems with acne recently. I'll share this information with her so that she can look into her treatment options.
What kind of magnesium and dosage would help for treating hormonal acne caused by insulin resistance and high testosterone/androgens?
I'm thinking about starting this vitamin now but there are many different kinds of magnesium (supplements & salt) and dosages that I'm not familiar with and I'd like to be informed before making any purchases.
This is really helpful! Tnks a lot. Inositol is amazing
Thanks for this information but my question is What are the best treatments for acne?
Great post Alisa. I loved your blog as I am a big fan of natural products and I always use natural home remedies for my skin problems. I use face mask made of turmeric and sometimes aloe Vera mask. But earlier I never knew about natural supplements. Now, after reading your blog I'll start having these natural supplements too. Thanks for sharing.
What do you do when you have already tried all those supplements? I've been on a supplement regime for about 5 months now, since I quit my contraceptive pill. Acne is only getting worse.
I have low estrogen and my doctor has asked me to get on isotretinoin. I’m currently on a vitamin A supplement (25,000IU) and zinc, magnesium and glutathione supplements for the last 30 days and it’s gotten better but not to the point my derm was expecting. Any suggestions ?
Please remove the annoying banner at the bottom of your site which makes it very difficult to navigate your articles on mobile.