Women’s hormones change every day—meaning our nutrition, cravings, mood (yes!), exercise, sleep and even skincare needs also change daily too!
You may have heard of cycle syncing or even seed cycling which can be so helpful in changing your routine slightly to meet your hormonal needs. I’ve been seed cycling for about 6 months now and seen such a positive change!
If you need convincing, this podcast episode on cycle syncing and productivity will blow your mind!
But have you ever thought about matching your skincare needs to your hormone cycles?
This is a little secret sauce tip of mine! It makes your skincare routine that much more effective, giving your skin and hormones exactly what it needs day by day!
Start here: How to Seed Cycle for Hormone Balance to help regulate your hormones from the inside out.
What’s Happening with Our Hormones
There are 4 phases of a female cycle—menstural, follicular, ovulation and luteal—but for the sake of skincare, I’m going to narrow it down to 2 to keep it simple.
The first two weeks of your cycle—from the start of your period to ovulation—you might notice more glowing and clear skin. This typically will start 1-2 days after the start of your cycle, but keep in mind EVERYONE is different. For me, my skin usually starts cleaning up right at the start of my cycle. Estrogen is low at the start of your cycle and continues to rise during the first 2 weeks.
Moving on to the next two weeks—from ovulation back to the start of another cycle—this is when *most* people experience hormonal acne and blemishes due to a rise in estrogen and progesterone. Progesterone is a more calming hormone and will peak during the second half. You may experience deep cystic acne, blemishes and even an increase in oil production.
How to Sync Your Skincare Routine to Your Cycle
So if our hormones are changing each day, our skincare needs will change too, right? Simple yet brilliant!
What if we could fine tune our skincare routine to match our hormonal changes and give our skin exactly what it needs in the moment?
Keep in mind that every woman’s needs are unique and personal—what works for me, may not work for you! I encourage you to pay attention to your body and skin cues and adjust accordingly!
First 2 weeks of cycle: follicular phase
Your skin’s moisture need increases and you experience pretty clear skin, free of blemishes.
Focus on: brightening and moisture
Skincare steps:
- Cleanse: Lipid Defense Cleansing Oil for a hydrating yet deep cleanse + anti-aging benefits
- Treat: All Bright Vitamin C Serum for antioxidant protection and a youthful glow
- Moisturize: Blue Tansy Soothing Cream for anti-inflammatory benefits, deep hydration and soothing protection
Other helpful, hero products:
I really focus on the Vitamin C serum (morning) and Radiance serum (night) during this phase. The Antioxidant Soft Cream gives the perfect amount of moisture without feeling greasy. I love that is absorbs right into your skin!
Second 2 weeks of cycle: luteal phase
Your skin’s moisture need drastically drops and blemishes and oil production increase.
Focus on: clarifying and a deeper cleanse
Skincare steps:
- Cleanse: Clear Pore Cleanser for a deep cleanse to help clear the pores and mitigate oil production without drying or damaging your skin
- Treat: Clarifying Serum is a skincare super hero, a few drops of this and you’ll notice a change in your skin over night or faster
- Moisturize: Balancing Facial Oil—depending on your skin’s needs this may be an optional step, but it will truly help balance oil production and sooth blemishes
Other helpful, hero products:
My top product during this time is the Clarifying Serum! It’s literally liquid gold. Most mornings that’s all the moisture I need. I try to use the Clarifying Mask about every 3 days and use it as a spot treatment over blemishes almost nightly during this phase for about an hour while I’m doing dishes, watching a movie, etc.
Benefits of Skincare Cycling: What I’ve Noticed
I started paying more attention to how my skincare needs changed with my cycle about 6 months ago. I would make little changes here and there. But about 2 months ago I got serious about it and put the above routine in place and WOW the change is huge! Normal hormonal blemishes that last a week-10 days now only last 3-5 days. It’s so crazy how just a few, intentional changes can make a big difference!
Have you ever tried cycle syncing your skincare routine? It’s been such a powerful tool for me and has made all the difference in my skin’s clarity!
leave a comment