Most people think acne is for kids in high school. That is not true. I know adults in their thirties who get acne. Even people in their forties. It shows up on the chin. On the jawline. Right below the ears sometimes. It hurts. Not just on the skin. It hurts your feelings too. You look in the mirror and feel bad. You try everything from the drugstore. Nothing works. That is because you have hormonal acne. And hormonal acne does not act like regular acne.
What Makes Hormonal Acne Different?
Your body makes hormones. Sometimes it makes too much of one kind. That hormone is called androgen. Androgen tells your skin to make oil. Lots of oil. The oil gets stuck inside your pores. Then you get a big red bump. These bumps are deep. They are not small whiteheads on top of the skin. They live under the skin. When you touch them, they hurt.
Women get this around their monthly cycle. Men can get it too from stress or lack of sleep. Regular acne washes do not fix this. Because the problem is not on top of your skin. The problem is inside your body. But you can still help your skin a lot with the right routine. Let me show you.
Read Also: Peptide Serum Benefits For Aging Skin
What you need to buy first?
- Go to a store or go online. Get these skincare routine for hormonal acne adults.
- One gentle face wash. No beads. No scrubby bits. Just a plain creamy wash that does not make foam.
- One small bottle of salicylic acid lotion. Low strength. One percent or less.
- One moisturizer that says non comedogenic on the label. That word just means it will not block your pores.
- One sunscreen for your face. SPF 30.
- That is it for now. Do not buy ten things. You do not need ten things.
Your morning routine
Morning is fast. You have places to go. So keep it simple.
Wash your face
Splash warm water on your face first. Then take a small amount of your gentle wash. Rub it between your palms. Put it on your face for twenty seconds. Not longer. Rinse with cool water.
Do not use a towel to rub dry. Pat your face. Let some water stay on your skin.
Put on the salicylic lotion
Take one drop. Put it on your finger. Tap it on your chin and jawline. Do not put it on your whole face. Just the spots where you get acne.
If your skin feels dry or tight after this, use it less often. Every other morning is fine.
Moisturize
This is the step most people skip. They think moisturizer causes more acne. That is wrong. When you do not use moisturizer, your skin makes more oil to protect itself. More oil means more pimples.
So put on your moisturizer. Use a small amount. Rub it in gently.
Sunscreen
Do not miss this. Acne treatments make your skin weak to the sun. The sun makes red marks stay on your face for months. Put a thick finger of sunscreen on your whole face. Even on cloudy days.
Your night routine
Night time is when your skin fixes itself. You need to help it.
Take off the day
If you wore makeup or sunscreen, you need to wash twice. First use a plain oil. Any cheap cleansing oil from the store. Rub it on your dry face. It picks up the makeup. Then wash it off.
Then use your gentle wash from the morning. This double wash makes sure your pores stay open.
The strong stuff
At night you use retinoid. This is a cream that tells your skin to make new cells faster. It stops pimples before they start.
You can buy adapalene gel from any store. That is a type of retinoid. Start with a very small amount. Put it on your chin and jawline only. Do this two nights a week for the first two weeks.
Your skin will get dry. It might peel a little. That is normal. Do not stop.
After a month, use it every other night.
Then moisturizer
After you put retinoid, wait a few minutes. Go brush your teeth or something. Then come back and put on your moisturizer. This stops your skin from getting too dry.
What to do when a big painful one shows up?
Sometimes you get one big pimple. It is red. It hurts when you smile or eat. Do not touch it. Do not try to pop it.
Go get pimple patches from the store. They are small round stickers. Put one on the pimple before bed. Sleep with it. Take it off in the morning. The pimple will be smaller and less angry.
This works. I have used them many times.
Things that make your acne worse
You might be doing some of these without knowing.
Scrubs
Those face scrubs with little beads are bad for hormonal acne. They make tiny tears in your skin. Then bacteria gets in. Stop using them.
Alcohol toners
If a toner stings your face, it has alcohol. Throw it away. Alcohol removes all oil. Then your skin makes double oil. You get more pimples.
Washing too much
Two times a day is enough. Three or four times is too many. You are not dirty. Your skin just makes too much oil. Washing more does not fix that.
Too many strong things at once
Do not use salicylic acid in the morning and retinoid at night and also benzoyl peroxide on top. Your face will burn. Pick one for morning and one for night. The rest of the time just wash and moisturize.
You May Also Like: Non Comedogenic Fungal Acne Safe Moisturizer
How long until your face looks better?
- This is the part nobody wants to hear. It takes time. Not one week. Not two weeks.
- The first month might look worse. Your skin is pushing out deep pimples. That is called purging. Keep going.
- Around week six or seven, you will see a change. Fewer new pimples. The old ones heal faster.
- After three months, your skin will look much better. Not perfect. But better.
When you need to see a doctor?
I am not a doctor. I am just telling you what works for many people. But sometimes you need real help.
- Go to a skin doctor if any of these happen.
- The pimples leave dark marks that stay for months.
- You get scars from acne.
- The pimples are so big they change the shape of your face.
- You feel sad every time you look in the mirror.
A doctor can give you stronger cream. Or a pill. Do not take pills without a doctor. Some of them have side effects.
Little things that help that are not skincare
- Your skincare routine is important. But these small habits help too.
- Change your pillowcase every three days. Flip it over on the second night. Then put a clean one on the third night.
- Keep your hair off your face. Oily hair touches your chin and gives you more acne.
- Stop resting your chin on your hand. I do this too. It is hard to stop. But try.
- Wash your phone screen. Your phone touches your cheek. It has bacteria on it.
What a normal week looks like for you?
Let me write out a simple week plan.
- Monday morning - wash, salicylic, moisturizer, sunscreen.
- Monday night - double wash, moisturizer only.
- Tuesday morning - wash, moisturizer, sunscreen.
- Tuesday night - double wash, retinoid, wait, moisturizer.
- Wednesday same as Monday.
- Thursday same as Tuesday.
- Friday same as Monday.
- Saturday morning - wash, moisturizer, sunscreen.
- Saturday night - double wash, salicylic, moisturizer.
Sunday - rest day. Just wash and moisturize morning and night. No strong stuff.
What not to expect?
This routine will not give you perfect skin. You might still get one or two pimples before your period. Or when you have a big meeting at work and you are stressed. That is fine. The goal is not zero pimples. The goal is less pain. Less redness. Less time worrying about your face. If you go from ten pimples a week to two pimples a month, that is a win.
A few more things people get wrong
- Do not put toothpaste on a pimple. That is an old trick that does not work. Toothpaste burns your skin.
- Do not use lemon juice on your face. Lemon juice is too strong. It will give you a red rash.
- Do not put baking soda on acne. Baking soda is for cooking. Not for faces.
- Do not believe anything you see on TikTok. Most of those tricks are fake. Stick to the simple routine I gave you.
What to eat and drink?
I am not going to tell you to stop eating everything you like. But here is something you can try.
Stop drinking milk for two weeks. Just milk. You can still eat cheese and yogurt. Just no glasses of milk. Some people see a big change in their skin. Stop eating candy and cookies for two weeks. Just to see. If your skin gets better, you know sugar is a trigger for you. If nothing changes, go back to eating sweets. Drink water when you are thirsty. Do not force yourself to drink a gallon. That does nothing for skincare routine for hormonal acne adults.
When you feel like giving up?
There will be a day when you look in the mirror and want to cry. Your face is red. New pimples showed up even though you did everything right. You feel like nothing works. I have been there. Lots of people have been there.
Do not give up. Hormonal acne is stubborn. It takes time to beat. Your skin did not get this way in one week. It will not get fixed in one week. Keep doing your routine. Keep being gentle with your face. Keep changing your pillowcase. Keep your hands off your face. One day you will wake up and your skin will feel calmer. That day is coming. Just do not stop before it gets here.
Conclusion
You do not need expensive products. You do not need a twelve step routine. You need a gentle wash, salicylic acid or retinoid, a plain moisturizer, and sunscreen. Do it in the morning. Do it at night. Be patient for three months. That is it. That is the whole thing. Now go wash your face. But gently.