I get hormonal acne outbreaks from time to time, and here’re the things I do to keep them in check and make them go away quickly!

This post was also inspired by Karen’s recent discussion of pimples, concealers, instagram and the need to look perfect every day in and out. I’m not quite brave enough to show my bare face in this post, but what really resonated with me was our friend Eleni’s (from Rouge ‘n’ Apples) comment in which she stressed that it’s not her job to look perfect every day. And how refreshing was that to be reminded of! No, my job isn’t to look perfect, either. My daily life doesn’t revolve around how I look. And how great and freeing is that! So, I’d like to encourage you too – outbreaks aren’t the end of the world. It happens.

Which directly leads to my first point…

Don’t stress it.

Honestly, my outbreaks tend to be worse when I’m super stressed out. So, don’t worry about your face and how you look, try to sleep well, and maybe throw in some meditation practice? I know it helps me.

how to deal with hormonal acne
Drinking a lot of water is every model’s and actress’s tip for everything, but bear with me…

Drink water, eat healthy

Um, yeah… I know that when I’m stressed, I tend to eat a lot of crap. And that shows. So, maybe pizza accompanied by beer three days in a row might not be the solution here. (As much as it pains me.)

 

Clean pillowcases and tools

Whenever I battle a case of outbreaks, I try to change my pillowcase as often as possible. Because, you know, germs. Also, brushes and tools like your beautyblender should be pristine every time you use them.

hormonal acne outbreaks
Benzoyl Peroxide is powerful stuff, so be careful with it (it also bleaches hair and clothes. Just so you know.)

Get that Benzoyl Peroxide (but be careful)

Benzoyl Peroxide is a great tool for acne outbreaks (have a look at this post – in German – and run it through a translator. Because it’s a great one.). In a nutshell, it unclogs pores and kills bacteria. The thing is, my skin can’t tolerate it. Whenever I use it on a cystic pimple (one of those that just. Don’t. Go. Away.) my skin gets horribly inflamed. For that reason I dab it on the spot that needs it, and wash it off after ten minutes. (I use it usually just once, in the evening, or maybe twice with a day of rest in between – that stuff is potent!) And yes, it works wonderfully, especially together with…

acne patches worth it
I really like the cosrx acne patches – easily available online, cheap, and good!

Acne patches/hydrocolloid wound dressings

After using Benzoyl Peroxide, I slap an Acne Patch (I wrote about the cosrx ones before) over the pimple in question and go to sleep. If you don’t have an acne patch at hand, you can also use a hydrocolloid wound dressing – like blister patches – and cut them into the size you need. That type of wound dressing absorbs pus and you’re your pimple will be much smaller and less angry than before in the morning.

 

Any other advice you found useful when dealing with outbreaks? Inquiring minds want to know!