Supporting Your Skin Through Hormone Awareness

Women's Health Week 2025

It’s Women's Health Week! Here at MNA, an aspect of women’s health we always consider when it comes to achieving healthy skin, is the impact of hormones. 

While we can achieve amazing results with topical products and in-clinic treatments, it’s also extremely important to consider what’s going on internally. And our hormones, those tiny chemical messengers, play a huge role in how our skin reacts and behaves.

The Hormone-Skin Connection

Have you ever noticed your skin changing throughout your monthly cycle? Maybe you experience a breakout right before your period, or maybe your skin feels dry out of nowhere.. These aren't coincidences – it’s your hormones communicating with you! Understanding this intricate cycle can be a game-changer for unlocking your skin's potential, and even anticipating when these cyclical changes will occur. 

Our hormones influence so many skin functions, from oil production and inflammation to cell turnover and even collagen production. Estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and cortisol all have a part to play. Fluctuations and imbalances in these hormones can manifest in a variety of skin concerns.

  • Acne: Androgen hormones, including testosterone can increase sebum production, leading to clogged pores and breakouts. Excess estrogen can also impact some women’s skin and contribute to acne flare ups.

  • Dryness and Loss of Elasticity: Estrogen plays a role in maintaining skin hydration and collagen. Lower levels can contribute to dryness and a loss of firmness.

  • Hyperpigmentation (Dark Spots): Hormonal shifts, particularly during pregnancy or with certain medications, can trigger melasma.

  • Increased Sensitivity and Redness: Hormonal imbalances can sometimes make the skin more reactive and prone to inflammation.

  • Slow Wound Healing: Hormones can influence the skin's ability to repair itself.

It’s complex, and difficult trying to narrow down and address these issues.Getting a deeper understanding of your individual hormones through testing can be incredibly insightful.

The DUTCH Test: A Look Into What’s Actually Going On 

A Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones, commonly known as the DUTCH test, provides a very detailed picture of your hormone levels and how your body is processing them, which helps to identify underlying hormonal imbalances that might be contributing to your skin concerns.

The DUTCH test breaks down a wide array of hormones, including:

  • Estrogens (Estradiol, Estrone, Estriol): These primary female hormones influence skin hydration and collagen synthesis; dysregulation can impact skin elasticity and moisture content.

  • Progesterone: This hormone plays a role in regulating the menstrual cycle and possesses calming properties that can indirectly affect skin sensitivity; it may also influence sebum production.

  • Androgens (Testosterone, DHEA-S): These stimulate sebum production; elevated or imbalanced levels are associated with increased oiliness and acne development.

  • Cortisol and Cortisone: Adrenal hormones indicative of the stress response, they can affect skin barrier function, oil production, inflammation, and wound healing. The DUTCH test assesses their diurnal pattern, crucial for understanding chronic stress impact.

  • Melatonin: Essential for sleep regulation, this hormone also functions as an antioxidant, supporting skin repair and regeneration during sleep.

  • Vitamin B6 Markers: Indicative of B6 levels, which are essential for neurotransmitter synthesis and hormonal balance, indirectly influencing skin health through stress management and endocrine function.

  • Methylation: A crucial biochemical process in the body that helps detoxify hormones and other compounds. Issues with methylation can affect how your body processes hormones, potentially impacting skin health.

  • Androgen Metabolites: Analysis of these breakdown pathways provides specific insights into how androgens affect the skin, particularly in the context of acne.

By getting this comprehensive snapshot of your hormonal world, we can start to see the bigger picture and how these internal factors might be influencing your skin.

How Stress and Sleep Impact Your Hormones and Skin

There are two specific areas that deserve a deeper dive for their significant influence on hormone and skin health: how our bodies respond to stress and the quality of our sleep.

The adrenal glands are key endocrine glands responsible for producing cortisol, our primary stress hormone. When the body experiences chronic stress, these glands can become overactive, leading to elevated cortisol levels, which can significantly impact our skin in several ways: Cortisol can stimulate the sebaceous glands, potentially leading to breakouts. It can also weaken the skin barrier, making it more susceptible to dryness, irritation, and environmental damage. And specifically high cortisol levels, contribute to systemic inflammation - manifesting as redness, sensitivity, and inflammatory skin conditions. Stress in itself can even hinder the skin's ability to repair itself. 

Sleep, a crucial time for our bodies to repair and regenerate (and that includes our skin), is also intricately linked to our stress hormones. During sleep, cell turnover increases, collagen production gets a boost, and inflammation decreases, allowing your skin to repair and recover. Melatonin, a hormone essential for sleep regulation, acts as a powerful antioxidant, protecting skin cells from damage. However, disrupted sleep, often linked to hormonal imbalances and elevated cortisol levels, can disrupt these vital overnight processes, leading to dullness, breakouts, and accelerated aging. This makes managing stress and prioritizing healthy sleep not just important for your overall well-being, but also fundamental for maintaining a healthy and radiant complexion.

Accessible Tools for Hormonal Harmony 

Whether you're using insightful results from a DUTCH test to guide your hormone balancing journey, or you're proactively seeking accessible ways to support your hormonal health, there are tools you can easily incorporate into your routine for overall hormonal harmony, which can significantly benefit your skin. For example, if you suspect sluggish adrenal function (often linked to chronic stress), gentle lymphatic practices can help support this vital system. And while the DUTCH test doesn't directly measure toxic overload, imbalances in areas like methylation can suggest the body's detoxification pathways might need support, and in these cases, incorporating regular magnesium baths or castor oil packs can be beneficial. 

  • Lymphatic Drainage Paddles: These simple, handheld tools can be used for gentle self-massage to encourage lymphatic flow. The lymphatic system plays a vital role in detoxification, helping to remove waste products, excess fluids, and even hormones from the body. Supporting lymphatic drainage can aid in reducing inflammation, which is often linked to hormonal imbalances and skin issues like acne and puffiness. Regular, gentle use on the face and body can promote a clearer and more vibrant complexion.

  • Castor Oil Packs: Applying castor oil packs to the abdomen is an age-old remedy believed to support liver detoxification and promote healthy circulation. The liver is responsible for processing hormones, so supporting its function can indirectly contribute to hormonal balance. Improved circulation can also deliver more nutrients to the skin, promoting a healthy glow. Similarly, applying castor oil packs to the thyroid area (the front of the neck) to potentially support healthy thyroid function, which is another key player in overall hormone balance.

  • Magnesium Salt Bath Flakes: Bathing with high-absorption magnesium flakes offers a concentrated source of magnesium chloride, known for its potential for efficient absorption through the skin. Magnesium plays a crucial role in numerous bodily functions, including hormone regulation and stress management. Soaking in a bath with these natural salts can help to relax muscles, reduce stress, and improve sleep quality – all of which are vital for maintaining hormonal equilibrium.

  • Breathwork Exercises: Stress is a major disruptor of hormonal balance, particularly cortisol levels. Practicing deep, conscious breathing exercises can help to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes relaxation and reduces the stress response. This simple, accessible tool can have a significant impact on managing cortisol and supporting overall hormonal harmony. There are various techniques, such as box breathing or diaphragmatic breathing, that can be easily incorporated into your daily routine, even for just a few minutes at a time.

These tools offer gentle, accessible ways to support your body's natural processes involved in hormone regulation and detoxification, potentially leading to improvements in your skin health as well.

Connecting the Dots

Our hormones are deeply intertwined with our skin health. By understanding your individual hormonal landscape through a comprehensive test like the DUTCH, and incorporating accessible tools to support balance, we can gain valuable insights into the root causes of your skin concerns. This information, combined with a thorough assessment of your lifestyle and other internal factors, allows for a truly holistic and personalized approach to skincare.

If you're struggling with persistent skin issues and suspect hormones might be playing a role, I encourage you to explore functional lab work through a qualified professional like Dr. Rayna Katz. Getting that deeper understanding of your internal world can be the key to finally unlocking your skin's true potential. 

Here's to healthy hormones and healthy skin, this Women's Health Week and beyond!

Best, 

Maria