If you are battling PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome), chances are you are also battling with adult acne. Unfortunately, the two go hand and hand. The good news is that diet and exercise help manage PCOS and will also help clear up the skin.
However, I have come across many women who have been eating clean and still are having issues with breakouts. Many make the comment they haven’t seen much if any improvements to their skin. This of course naturally brings into question the following:
Does eating clean and exercising have anything to do with clearing up my skin with PCOS?
With PCOS, changes in your lifestyle today will not give you results tomorrow.
So, how do you manage PCOS and still work on clear skin?
The secret lies in understanding two things:
1. The skin has to be addressed both internally and externally.
Your skin is just as much an organ as your heart, liver, or lungs. Like other organs, your skin needs the proper nutrients to function properly. Most people focus on supplying that nutrition through what they eat, however, it goes deeper than that. What you might not realize is that when you are battling PCOS, in most cases you are deficient nutritionally in something. This could be certain minerals, fatty acids, and/or vitamins. When your body is deficient in anything, your immune system sends nutrients to other organs first internally and your skin is always the last to receive support if any at all. Usually, if you're deficient, the nutrients never even make it to the skin. Hence many women with PCOS have very inflamed skin.
The good news is that your skin does have the ability to absorb nutrients TOPICALLY which in turn will directly relate to how healthy your skin tissue is in itself. For example, Omega-6 is a nutrient that your skin needs for healthy skin growth. Vitamin C is also essential in skincare health as well. You shouldn’t look at your skincare regimen as simply a cleanser and moisturizer. You need to consider what nutrients it is providing you topically for new, cushy skin growth.
For example, grape seed oil can be found in some skincare products. This oil is high in Omega-6 along with vitamins E, D, and C. Another great oil is rosehip oil, as it contains some of the highest concentrations of vitamin C and is more potent than supplementing vitamin C powder in itself. We use both of these oils in our Flawless Nourishment Cream to help speed up and heal breakout-prone skin.
A more commonly known oil for acne-prone skin is Jojoba oil. This oil has many benefits for acne sufferers, as it not only helps kill bad bacteria but also helps reduce the amount of oil your face produces.
Something integral in skincare for breakouts is ingredients that eliminate P. acnes bacteria (a bacteria most common in causing acne). We here at Averr Aglow use Manuka Oil and Hawthorn Berry Extract to name a few. These both hinder the spread of acne-causing bacteria but are still gentle to the skin, unlike typical counterparts like Benzoyl Peroxide.
Some other extracts and oils work wonderfully on your skin when blended, as they provide everything your skin is lacking nutritionally to help heal and prevent future breakouts.
2. Understanding that PCOS and hormones are not corrected quickly
PCOS is deeply wrapped around hormone functions. Anytime there needs to be a correction to a problem in the body, this does not happen overnight. It is unrealistic to eat clean for a week and think your skin should heal completely.
An example of this is someone who needs to lose weight. A week's worth of exercise and dieting will not correct the weight loss problem. Weight gain doesn't happen overnight, it slowly creeps up.
The same is true with breakouts and PCOS. Correcting the issue internally takes time and patience to balance hormonal problems.
So, how long should you wait to expect to see changes? Everyone is different in their imbalances but similar to the weight loss, changes should be looked at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year if lifestyle changes are being altered and corrected.
It's not a simple or quick process, but the benefits of doing so will alter health complications later.
So, how can you help clear your skin the fastest in the meantime while working with PCOS? Taking supplements that are geared to help with PCOS will help boost skin healing properties and using the right skincare to help eliminate issues topically is one of the quickest and easiest ways while still working through the issues.
If you haven't taken a look at our Clear Skin Kit, this is a great way to help clear up skin while still working through PCOS. It provides the nutrition your skin needs topically and helps reduce inflammation. It also works to heal current breakouts and prevent new ones from forming despite hormonal changes in the body. If you haven't tried it, you will love the way your skin looks and feels despite any issues you are working to currently resolve.
