Teenage skin in my 30's, bad hormones generally, help!

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I've spent the last 7 years mostly either pregnant or breastfeeding, plus 8 months with a Mirena coil in, so my cycle has been mostly non-existant and my hormones non-menstrual. I had the Mirena out a few months ago, and I'm no longer pg or bf, so my periods have returned regularly. Oh, my hormones are all over the place and making my life a misery! I have terrible skin, spots and blackheads, for the whole of the month, and my PMT is much worse than it used to be. I have a facial routine, using Simple products - cleanse, tone and moisturise, but it's obviously the hormones causing the bad skin. Can anyone help me to balance my hormones out again please!

Dong quai is a chinese herb that is very good for balancing hormones

also Floresse starflower oil is great -both from health food shops

Dermalogica clay cleanser and good old oxy 10 helped my post baby spots no end.

Vichy normaderm is an amazing cleansing system.

Every time I've had a break in taking the pill I get my teenage skin back so maybe that would be an option if your skin doesn't clear up? I take Yasmin which is one of those pills that isn't meant to make you put weight on and it keeps my skin clear.

I found Freederm was good for the teenage spots !

Could you treat yourself to a professional facial ? Or even just change your skincare - I think skin gets used to a certainm brand and benefits from a change ! I've just changed from Decleor to Clarins and 6 days in I am really seeing a difference.

I find using a muslin cloth squeezed out in hot hot water very good for exfoliation and getting blackheads out - started using them with Liz earle Hot Cloth Cleanser - but actually it works with any cleanser.

Also - drink buckets of water - it flushes the toxins out !

If it's hormonal no topical off the shelf products will make that much difference.

Go to the docs. I've started using a topical antibiotic that I had as a teenager and it's working.(it's called stieymicin)

The spots were really getting me down I was spending so much time and effprt into getting rid of them, bu nothing worked. I didn't want to go on the pill but this lotion really seems to be working.

Discuss it with the doc.

that stuff stinks

didnt work for mine

nothing did it for me

I think it's karma

I had great skin as a teenager. Now I feel like I'm paying the price for that!

arrghh bring on the menopause I say

It does stink.

But also useful for times yuo want to avoid sex

Thanks everyone. It's definately hormonal rather than topical. I think I'm going to go down the diet and supplement route. Have stocked up on starflower, evening primrose and magnesium OK. I'm almost tempted to try the pill again, but hormonal contraception doesn't really agree with me, hence having the mirena removed.