How Your Monthly Cycle Affects Your Skin (and How to Care for It Gently

If your skin feels predictable one week and completely unpredictable the next, you are not imagining it. Hormonal shifts throughout the menstrual cycle have a real and noticeable impact on how your skin looks, feels, and behaves.

Understanding these changes can help you work with your skin rather than fighting against it.

Hormones and Your Skin, Explained Simply

Three key hormones influence your skin throughout your cycle: estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. These hormones rise and fall at different points in the month, and their changing balance affects oil production, hydration, sensitivity, and breakouts.

Rather than expecting your skin to behave the same every day, it helps to recognize that your skin has phases, just like you do.

Estrogen: The Glow Supporter

Estrogen tends to dominate the first half of your cycle. It supports collagen, elastin, and natural moisture levels in the skin. When estrogen is higher, skin often looks brighter, plumper, and more hydrated.

This is typically when your complexion feels most balanced and resilient.

Progesterone: The Oil Activator

After ovulation, progesterone begins to rise. This hormone stimulates oil production and can cause slight swelling in the skin. While pores may appear smaller, oil can become trapped more easily, which is why breakouts often appear later in the cycle.

This phase benefits from balance rather than heavy or aggressive treatments.

Testosterone: The Breakout Trigger

Testosterone remains fairly steady throughout the month, but it becomes more influential when estrogen and progesterone drop during menstruation. Testosterone encourages oil production, which can lead to congestion and hormonal acne, especially around the chin and jawline.

This is why breakouts often appear just before or during your period.

What Your Skin May Experience Throughout the Month

Every body is different, but many people notice similar patterns over a typical cycle.

Early Cycle (Days 1–6)

Focus: Soothe, hydrate, protect

Hormone levels are low, and skin often feels drier, more sensitive, or reactive.

Product Support

• Calm Skin Chamomile Cleanser
  Gentle and soothing, ideal when skin feels tender or inflamed.

• Stone Crop Hydrating Mist
  Helps replenish moisture and calm sensitivity throughout the day.

• Calm Skin Arnica Booster-Serum
  Supports redness reduction and strengthens the skin barrier.

• Stone Crop Whip Moisturizer
  Lightweight hydration that does not overwhelm sensitive skin.

What to Avoid

• Strong exfoliants

• Aggressive treatments

• Heat or friction

Rising Estrogen Phase (Days 7–11)

Focus: Gentle renewal, hydration balance

Skin often looks brighter and feels more resilient during this phase.

Product Support

• Mangosteen Daily Resurfacing Cleanser
  Encourages gentle exfoliation while maintaining moisture.

• Stone Crop Serum
  Supports hydration and radiance without heaviness.

• Bright Skin Licorice Root Booster-Serum
  Helps refine tone and enhance natural glow.

• Stone Crop Whip Moisturizer or Rosehip & Lemongrass Repair Balm (light use)

Optional Add-On

• Light exfoliation 1–2 times during this phase only

Ovulation Window (Days 12–16)

Focus: Maintain glow, support collagen

This is often when skin looks its best. The goal is maintenance, not correction.

Product Support

• Firm Skin Acai Cleanser
  Antioxidant-rich and supportive of elasticity.

• Marine Flower Peptide Serum
  Helps support firmness and long-term skin health.

• Rosehip Triple C+E Firming Oil
  Boosts radiance and supports collagen without congestion.

• Firm Skin Acai Moisturizer

Ideal Time For

• Facial treatments

• Collagen-supporting products

• Skin that benefits from a little extra nourishment

Post-Ovulation Phase (Days 17–24)

Focus: Clarify gently, balance oil

Progesterone rises, oil production increases, and congestion can begin.

Product Support

• Clear Skin Probiotic Cleanser
  Helps manage oil and support a balanced microbiome.

• Mangosteen Daily Resurfacing Concentrate
  Gentle resurfacing to prevent buildup without stripping.

• Clear Skin Willow Bark Booster-Serum
  Supports pore clarity and oil balance.

• Clear Skin Probiotic Moisturizer

Weekly Support

• Clear Skin Probiotic Masque
  Helps calm inflammation and reduce congestion.

Pre-Menstrual Phase (Days 25–28)

Focus: Calm breakouts, reduce inflammation

This is when hormonal acne, puffiness, and shine are most common.

Product Support

• Clear Skin Probiotic Cleanser
  Consistent, gentle cleansing is key.

• Acne Advanced Clarifying Masque
  Helps target breakouts without harsh drying.

• Acne Advanced Spot Treatment
  Targeted care for active blemishes.

• Clear Skin Probiotic Moisturizer
  Maintains hydration while supporting clarity.

Important Reminder

Avoid over-treating. Too many actives can increase irritation and prolong breakouts.

Supporting Hormonal Skin From the Inside and Out

Hormonal acne and cycle-related skin changes are extremely common, especially in adulthood. The goal is not perfection, but balance.

Nourishing Your Body

Diet plays a supportive role in skin health. Reducing inflammatory foods like excess sugar and refined carbohydrates may help. Including healthy fats, leafy greens, omega-3s, and zinc-rich foods can support hormone balance and skin clarity.

Supporting Your Skin Gently

Consistency matters more than intensity. Using products that respect the skin barrier and address oil and congestion without stripping the skin is key.

For those dealing with recurring hormonal breakouts, targeted acne treatments with ingredients like salicylic acid can help keep pores clear and reduce inflammation when used thoughtfully.

Working With Your Skin, Not Against It

Your skin is responsive, not difficult. It changes because your body changes.

Learning to adjust your routine throughout the month allows you to support your skin more effectively and with less frustration. When care feels adaptive and gentle, skin often responds with greater balance and resilience.

If you ever feel unsure what your skin needs at different points in your cycle, guidance can make all the difference. Supportive care begins with understanding.