Have you tried potions, different skincare routines, DIY masks or wearing sunscreen but are still having trouble with your skin? Here are some tips that you might be overlooking.

Do you notice that no matter what you do, your skin is dry, red, itchy, breaks out? One week your skin is amazing the next week it is breaking out and then it is dry? Two aspects that I want you to think about when it comes to the health of our skin is the 2 P’s: the pH and the Period.

pH

pH is a scale of 1 -14, with 7 being neutral. Our skin performs best in its ideal environment around a PH of 4.5-6.2/5.5. When it becomes acidic or alkaline the protective layer gets compromised which results in irritation, inflammation, acne, dryness, scaling eczema and rosacea. This is often caused by our skincare with cleansers, exfoliants, and toners.

PH Friendly Skincare

Look for brands that call out the actual pH. When a brand says “pH balanced” it doesn’t always mean 5.5. Try calling customer service to find out.

• Cleansers: Caudalie is a clean brand with many products around pH 5.5. The milk cleanser is gentle and if you wear makeup begin with an oil cleanser first. ’Zero’ is a natural skin care line found at drugstores that also has a pH friendly cleanser and products.
• Toners: Opt. for a PH balanced toner to balance your pH and not just remove dirt that your cleanser forgot.
• Exfoliants: are meant to be acidic so above 3.5 is a safe number: SkinCeuticals is a more premium pH friendly brand with skincare in the 5.5. mark and exfoliants like the SkinCeuticals Glycolic Brightening Renew Overnight at 3.5. It is gentle but effective because it increases cell turnover, targeting fine lines, dullness, and uneven texture.

The Period

This can be different for everyone but can wreak havoc emotionally, mentally, and physically because of the changing levels of hormones in our body: estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. While most of us do not do this, we should design our life around our cycles to be more productive in life and maximize skin health. Be intentional with product you use. Simplify your skincare, use less at a time and more over time effectively by matching the right product to the right time of month.

Period Friendly Skincare

This doesn’t mean that there is always a 7 step system everyday, it can be useful to rotate your skincare based on your cycle. 4 Stages: Menstruation, Pre – Ovulation, Ovulation and Pre-Menstruation.

1. Menstruation = Dull, dry, sensitive skin. Amp up the hydration with Masks or Serums (Different price points – Olay, Drunk Elephant, Fresh)
2. Pre-Ovulation = Best Skin Ever! Amp it up with exfoliation to remove dead skin and allow the  new skin to shine.
3. Ovulation = Reaching peak of good skin, skin swells, smaller pores, more sebum, clogged pores. Consider using purifying/clays masks or blemish clearing serums to prep hormonal breakouts Serums (Different price points – Loreal, Aztec Clay Mask, SkinCeuticals)
4. Pre-Menstruation = Track your period on an app or good old printouts – you will be surprised at the patterns you will find

Remember…when your skin seems to be acting-up, think about if your products are at the right pH and also what stage of your cycle you’re in and how that may be affecting you inside and out!