“Aren’t I too OLD to be getting zits anyway?” I can't tell you how many times I've heard a fellow adult woman utter this question in frustration around their 'time of the month'. And while I would tell you these women are by no means old, they are definitely past the point of awkward facial outbreaks. From bloating and cramps to mood swings and food cravings, our monthly cycle is sure full of fun (sarcasm) surprises, and our skin is no different. So what can a modern woman do to avoid reliving this teenage angst on a monthly basis?  

First, it is important to understand the phases your skin goes through each month. By the time Flo comes visiting, it's actually already too late to make skincare routine changes to avoid the potential outbreak. Just like the rest of your body, your skin has specific cycles and managing them according to your skin type can help to prevent that breakout.

Phase 1: The Facial Tundra—In days 1-7 of the cycle, your estrogen and progesterone (AKA Happy Hormones) plummet. This can leave your face feeling instantly more barren, dry and hard to manage. For some with oiler skin, it's a good time to put effort into prepping the skin before the next phases. This is the time for a good exfoliating enzyme mask that disolves and clears away dead skin cells. The goal is balancing oil production with hydration so you need to first remove the impurities to get the skin ready to accept moisture. Our Renewed Radiance Facial Serum has a base of jojoba oil, which helps to reduce water loss to the skin, and is a great next step to moisturize and brighten. And don’t forget your nighttime routine!  At this time of the month, I use both the Facial Serum AND the Resurfacing Night Cream for some extra hydration—and don’t forget your neck!!

Phase 2: The Glow Zone—Between Days 8-16 we start to see production of estrogen increase. This is your golden phase of the month—a perfect time to schedule family pictures and keep up the skincare routine. However, this is also the time that, because your skin generally is better anyway, we tend to NOT wash the face after a long night out. Don’t take your goddess-like skin for granted. Make sure to use a good cleanser and also consider a good exfoliation, like our Lemon Rose Face Polish. Our Perfect Clarity Face Oil can enhance your glow and also balance your skin to get ready for the next phase. This is the time to ramp up roller use as well!

Phase 3: False Security—Because your skin was looking so great in days 8-16, you gain a false sense of security in days 17-24. This is, however, EXACTLY the time that you need to focus on your skin. Oil production on the skin is at the highest point of the month and it is the time that you are setting yourself up for blemishes. This is a perfect time for a Pumkin Enzyme Peel to pull out the impurities. Follow with a Charcoal-based cleanser—either the Activated Charcoal Soap for especially oily skin or the Charcoal + Citrus Face Cleanser for more normal skin.  

Phase 4: Breakout Zone—This is the time leading up to your period when breakouts happen in full force. If you have moved through your skincare routine during the month, you can likely avoid any serious outbreaks, however, breakouts happen. Doubling down on charcoal-based cleanser and reintroducing Renewed Raidance Face Oil can help clear things up. Unlike our other oils, this oil is more like a blend of oil and serum—and it is PACKED with therapeutic-grade essential oils that are anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory.  Too frequently during this time, we are tempted to load up on salic acid-based products to try to treat breakouts. But it's ultimately too late and will cause the skin to dry out as your estrogen and progesterone levels are decreasing again—therefore leading to drier skin.  

Bottom line—for most skin, using the same skincare routine all month long is not always the best solution. Get some core products to rotate based on your time in the cycle and give skin what it needs to glow all month long!!