ACNE | HORMONALLY-IMPACTED SKIN

My Journey with Hormonal Acne Breakouts & Hashimoto’s Disease | Skin Stories

April 05, 2021

Dr. Zenovia Skincare aims to showcase the stories of real people. Hormones have a huge impact on our skin throughout life’s various stages. In this post, Kelsey shares her personal journey of dealing with hormonal acne, learning she has Hashimoto’s disease and establishing a skincare routine for the first time. Everyone has a unique perspective and story to share.

I must admit, there was a time that I simply used hand soap to wash my face daily. I didn’t realize there was really any difference, and the thought of buying multiple products for my skin seemed silly. It also seemed like a lot of work.

One conversation with Dr. Zenovia changed the way I view both my skin and my skincare routine, and I’m excited to share those realizations with you. I’m now thirty years old, and while my skin has changed, one thing has stayed the same--breakouts. While in my teen years, my acne felt like it had no destination in mind, it simply popped up wherever it wished. In recent years, however, I started noticing it all forming in more specific locations. For instance, my chin became a hot spot for those unwanted blemishes. If it wasn’t my chin, it was my neck. Oddly, or what I once thought was odd, the bumps were hard, painful. Sometimes they were red, other times they remained the color of my skin, yet noticeably grew in size. I’d never spoken to a dermatologist before, and after years of facing this acne battle, I had the opportunity to get a consultation from Dr. Zenovia.

Dealing with Hormonal Acne Breakouts

What I quickly learned was that my acne was--and is--hormonal. There was an answer for my breakouts, but also, I wasn’t treating them properly. Turns out that there truly is a difference in regular soap after all. Dr. Zenovia recommended some products for me, and after switching to her products, I truly have noticed a difference.

Finding Out I Have Hashimoto’s Disease

While everyone has their own story and reasonings behind hormonal acne, I’ve learned a lot about mine over the last six months. For starters, I found out that I have Hashimoto’s Disease, which is an auto-immune disorder that attacks my thyroid. At the same time that I found this out, my partner and I were attempting to get pregnant. Due to my Hashimoto’s, along with family planning and natural hormonal changes that happen with aging, my skin was asking for help.

Along with chin and neck breakouts, Hashimoto’s Disease also causes extremely dry skin. I have to use a moisturizer throughout the day to keep my skin from looking flakey, and I’ve found that Dr. Zenovia’s moisturizers are my favorite. My skin also randomly breakouts in rashes, as if I’m allergic to something, but that luckily hasn’t happened with any of these products.

Kelsey’s Skincare Routine

I am now using Dr. Zenovia’s 10% Benzoyl Peroxide Acne Cleanser, the 5% Benzoyl Peroxide Acne Spot Treatment, the Aloe Vera Blemish Soothing Moisturizer, and the Vitamin C Brightening Moisturizer SPF 30. Twice a week, I also use the Advanced Retinol Night Repair Treatment. While this seemed overwhelming to me at first (all these different products with different jobs and orders of use) I quickly fell into a routine. I almost see my skincare routine as soothing now, and it’s something I enjoy (#selfcare).

Seeing Results

Since using these products, I’ve noticed a great deal of improvement in my skin. My chin rarely breaks out now, and the hard skin-colored bumps on my neck have started going away and/or have reduced in size.

It’s never too late to start a skincare routine! I’m so glad I did!

Written by Kelsey Stacy Pearson who lives in Portland, Oregon with her spouse, H. After teaching elementary school for seven years, she quit her job in December of 2019 to follow her dreams as a writer and full-time Social Media Influencer. She and her spouse are passionate about sharing cruelty-free living, sustainable living, vegan recipes, slow fashion, activism, and our love for each other. Her first LGBTQ+ Young Adult Novel, The Sunflowers In Their Eyes, is currently in the editing stage. She cannot believe her dream is becoming reality!

On an adventure day, you might find her hiking to waterfalls or traveling to LGBTQ+ friendly locations. Other days, you can find Kelsey and Heather cuddled up with their four fur babies, reading thrillers, and cooking new vegan treats. Their ultimate goal is to have a positive impact on the world while showing others how they can do the same.