Your Skin and Your Cycle

Don't we all dream of perfect skin? Morgane, co-founder of Guud, suffered from hormonal acne for years and hated it. It made her so insecure! What she didn't know at the time is that your skin is your largest organ. If you suffer from (hormonal) acne, it's essentially your body's cry to tell you something's wrong. Your skin changes throughout your menstrual cycle. Depending on your cycle phase, your skin changes from dry to oily to inflamed. By better understanding your menstrual cycle, you can make better decisions about how to care for your skin and avoid troubled, inflamed skin.

🩸 Menstrual phase

In the days leading up to your period, estrogen and progesterone levels drop suddenly. Low estrogen levels during your period can make your skin feel dry. Use a moisturizing cream or hydrate from the inside out by drinking plenty of water.

Tip from Marion Maakt (Skin expert): During menstruation, your energy levels are often lower, and you'd much rather curl up under a blanket on the couch. Your skin also looks more tired during this time. Not only is it less hydrated, it also becomes irritated more easily. A common mistake people make is to actively tackle breakouts during menstruation (e.g., with peels, heavy scrubs, etc.). Just like you, your skin simply wants peace and balance. That's why I like to use a serum that focuses primarily on hydration and has a calming effect.

✨ Follicular phase

During this phase, estrogen rises. This important female hormone ensures proper moisture balance. Continue drinking plenty of water to hydrate your skin. Add lemon or grapefruit to your water, as vitamin C helps promote a healthy glow.

Tip from Marion Maakt (Skin expert): During your follicular phase, your energy levels begin to return and your skin becomes stronger again. Your skin can handle more. This is an excellent time to exfoliate and remove dead skin cells. This can be achieved with a serum containing fruit acids, for example. A common mistake here is using overly aggressive serums to exfoliate, which irritates your skin barrier. However, a balanced skin barrier is key to healthy skin. By disrupting this barrier too much, for example, with harsh cosmetics, you create a breeding ground for all kinds of skin problems.

☀️ Ovulation phase

In the days leading up to and during ovulation, your skin is at its best, with a more radiant and healthy glow. During this time, it might be a good idea to wear less makeup.

Tip from Marion Maakt (Skin Expert): I like to emphasize my healthy glow during this phase. For example, add a drop of cold-pressed argan oil to your favorite day cream for an extra boost.

🙎‍♀️ Luteal phase

Progesterone plays an active role in this phase and activates sebum production. Excess sebum clogs your pores, creating an ideal breeding ground for pimple-causing bacteria. It's important to cleanse your skin thoroughly morning and evening. A diet rich in zinc or a high-quality supplement will help keep your sebum production in balance.

Women can experience hormonal acne or pimples around ovulation due to an excess of estrogen. This also occurs in the days before your period, when you experience hormonal fluctuations between estrogen and progesterone.

Tip from Marion Maakt (Skin expert): Due to the increase in progesterone during this phase, your pores become clogged more quickly and your skin becomes oilier. These, in turn, create ideal conditions for acne-causing bacteria. During this phase, I like to use skincare products that keep the pores open and tackle acne bacteria. A commonly used ingredient for this is salicylic acid (exfoliating). However, I'm not a fan of synthetic salicylic acid, preferring a plant-based alternative (e.g., willow or wintergreen). Again, it's important to be kind to your skin and not try to attack blemishes with all the heavy artillery. This won't pay off in the long run.

Want to try Marion Maakt's natural skincare products? Use code guud10 at checkout and receive 10% off your order. This discount applies to all current finished skincare products (excluding DIY items). The code is not valid on sale items or in conjunction with other discount codes.

Three important questions for radiant skin

🥦 Am I eating well?

Coffee, chemicals, lack of sleep, the pill, and stress strip your body of vital nutrients that keep your hormones healthy and your skin clear.

Drinking too much alcohol and eating sugar also causes the liver to work overtime. Your liver needs sufficient nutrients to detoxify your body.

More and more studies show that there is a link between your gut health and healthy skin: Where there is gut inflammation, there is skin inflammation.

Love your gut and watch your skin glow!

🏃‍♀️ Am I moving correctly?

Research has shown that when you exercise intensely for longer than 45 minutes, your cortisol levels begin to rise. High cortisol levels can throw insulin and progesterone levels out of balance, which can lead to skin problems. Choose your exercise wisely. If you feel you don't have enough energy for an intense workout, opt for yoga or stretching, and don't push yourself; instead, do relaxation exercises. If you like to add variety to your exercise routine, we recommend exercising according to the different phases of your cycle.

🤩 Am I caring for my skin from within?

By better understanding your menstrual cycle, you can make better decisions about how to care for your skin with the right natural skincare. At Guud Woman, we also advocate for caring for your skin from the inside out. You can do this by adding a high-quality supplement, along with a balanced lifestyle, that contains ingredients linked to health claims and can therefore support your skin. We're already fans of:

• Zinc and selenium: these minerals are not only good for your skin, but also for your hair and nails.
• Copper contributes to normal skin pigmentation.
• Arctium lappa is a powerful herb that helps maintain radiant skin.

Have questions about how to care for your skin? Chat with us . We can help, or take the quiz and discover what you need.