As we have discussed earlier, hormonal-type acne happens when hormones stimulate the skin cells to grow too quickly and to produce too much oil, which leads to blocked pores and acne.
So your main focus should be on reducing hormones that over stimulate the skin. These include:
- Androgens (male sex hormones)
- Insulin
- Insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF-1)
In practice, this comes down to reducing insulin levels. For two reasons:
- High insulin levels cause a cascading hormonal reaction that increases the levels of the other hormones.
- High insulin levels make the skin more sensitive to androgen hormones and thus boosts their effect on the skin.
Research also shows that oxidative stress (inflammation) plays a role in adult acne and hormonal disturbances, and supporting the antioxidant system could be helpful in more severe cases of hormonal-type acne.
In this section, we’ll go through practical dietary, lifestyle and supplement recommendations aimed at reducing insulin levels and minimizing the effect hormones have on your skin.
