WHEN HORMONAL SKIN STRIKES...

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Today we're talking hormonal breakouts. Without getting too into it; I recently had to make some contraceptive changes and it has been wreaking havoc with my skin! This are some of the gentle anti-blemish formulas that are helping me reduce the irritation and breakouts and get things back on track...

We have to start with a nice, gentle cleanser that's still going to clear away any bacteria or excess oiliness effectively. For me, the Sachi Saffron Luminous Cleanser* | £38 | full review | is the perfect balance. It's a thicker gel cleanser that lathers up nicely on damp skin but isn't overly foaming and it doesn't strip back my skin's natural moisture levels. It's formulated with gentle lactic acid to hydrate, decongest and exfoliate the skin, antioxidant extracts to help keep the skin strong and healthy, colloidal oat to soothe irritation, moisturising plant oils and humectants to bring in hydration. This gives my skin a deep cleanse without compromising my skin barrier.

I personally like using a toner, essence or lotion after cleansing, though it's not an essential skincare step, and at the moment the Miguhara Green Tea Calming Essence Toner* | £24 | full review | is providing a calming dose of hydration for my skin. This is rich in antioxidants to protect the skin but is also formulated with hyaluronic acid and panthenol to help the skin attract and retain hydration, plus fermented ingredients to help strengthen the skin barrier. I love lightweight, soothing hydration like this when my skin is breaking out!

For my serum I like to use the Ordinary's Soothing & Barrier Support Serum* | £17.30 | full review. This is a great all-rounder to calm the skin barrier and also provide some benefits to reducing active breakouts. Whilst this is branded as skin barrier support (and a weakened skin barrier can cause breakouts), it is formulated with niacinamide, which does have this function (it increases ceramide production in the skin, a crucial element of the lipid barrier) but can also regulate oil production in the skin and stop the spread of discolouration (like those created by blemish scarring). We also have ceramides, soothing bisabolol, ginger root as an anti-inflammatory and Vitamin B12 to encourage skin repair. This emulsion is instantly calming and moisturising without requiring a thick, heavy moisturiser, making it a great all-rounder for unhappy skin.

Next, I have a simple, lightweight moisturiser option in the Ordinary's Natural Moisturising Factors* | from £6.10 | full review. This is a functional moisturiser that's hydrating, softens the skin and isn't too rich or heavy when I'm breaking out. It's formulated with ingredients that your skin produces naturally in order to improve its natural hydration levels, such as hyaluronic acid, lactic acid, Sodium PCA and urea. The texture is that of a lightweight lotion that's substantial enough, hydrating enough and leaves my skin soft and happy but never overly smothered!

As a dry-skinned person, I enjoy my anti-breakout chemical exfoliant in the form of the Sunday Riley UFO Ultra-Clarifying Facial Oil* | from £34 | full review. Salicylic Acid is an oil-soluble (BHA) chemical exfoliant that can get into the pores and clear out spot-causing debis, though it's still not often you find it in an oil-based formula (since oiler skin types are more likely to break out and less likely to enjoy facial oils, I guess). This can be used under or over moisturiser (though I recommend the former for quick results) and the oil-based formula slows absorption of this powerful ingredient to minimise irritation. Despite being an oil, I find this has a non-greasy dry-down and it seriously helps to clarify and decongest my skin, moving along active breakouts and helping to minimise any resultant scars.

Finally, we have a sunscreen, and when my skin is feeling unhappy the Dr Sam Flawless Gossamer Tint* (Shade 2) | £35 (get 10% off with code JASMINETALKSBEAUTY (affiliate)) | full review. This is a cosmetically-elegant mineral sunscreen that's tinted to further minimise any cast (which can be caused by this kind of sunscreen). Some chemical sunscreen filters can be a little irritating to the skin when it's sensitised or breaking out, and mineral sunscreens use zinc, which has added anti-inflammatory benefits. This is fragrance-free and has a moisturising, non-drying texture. A great option when I want to protect my skin whilst it's breaking out!

Which skincare products do you turn to when you're breaking out?

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