What If It’s Not Just Hormonal?

The real reasons your skin is flaring — and what to do about it

If your breakouts always seem to line up with your cycle…
If they show up on your jawline, chin, or cheeks…
If you’ve been told “it’s just hormonal” — but you’re still stuck in the flare-up cycle…

There’s a good chance your skin is trying to tell you something deeper.

Hormones do affect skin health. But in clinic, I see so many women who are told their skin issues are hormonal — without ever exploring why their hormones are out of balance in the first place.

Let’s look at the deeper drivers of hormonal acne, and what it really takes to support your skin from the inside out.

The Hormone–Skin Connection

Hormones are powerful chemical messengers that regulate everything from your energy and mood to metabolism, immunity, and skin repair.

When these hormones — particularly oestrogen, progesterone, testosterone, insulin, and cortisol — fall out of balance, the skin often bears the brunt. Increased oil production, slower healing, inflammation, and congestion can all be signs that something’s off internally.

But the big question I always come back to is:

Why are your hormones out of balance?

What’s Really Driving Your Hormonal Imbalances

Hormonal breakouts aren’t random. In most cases, they’re the result of deeper disruptions in your internal environment. These are the root causes I most often see in clinic:

1. Blood Sugar Dysregulation

When blood sugar spikes and crashes throughout the day — often from skipping meals, long gaps between eating, or eating high-GI foods without enough protein or fat — it puts stress on the endocrine system.

This triggers excess insulin production, which can stimulate androgen (testosterone) activity, increase oil production, and drive hormonal acne.

Stabilising blood sugar is one of the most effective, underrated tools for clearing skin and calming the nervous system.

2. Post-Pill Hormone Shifts

If you’ve recently stopped the pill (or are thinking about it), you may notice breakouts flaring up around your jaw, chin or back.

This is common — but it’s not something you just have to “ride out.”

Coming off hormonal contraception can unmask underlying imbalances that were being masked, especially if you went on the pill to manage acne, PMS, or irregular cycles.

Supporting liver detoxification, gut health, and nutrient repletion during this transition is key to a smoother post-pill recovery.

3. Chronic Stress and Nervous System Load

When your nervous system is constantly in “fight or flight,” your body deprioritises digestion, detoxification and hormone balance.

Stress hormones like cortisol can also directly impact your sex hormones — suppressing progesterone, throwing off ovulation, and contributing to more erratic cycles and skin symptoms.

Many women I see are doing all the right things — eating clean, exercising, taking supplements — but still not seeing results, because their nervous system isn’t on board.

True hormone healing starts with creating internal safety.

4. Nutrient Deficiencies

Your hormones need specific nutrients to be produced, metabolised, and cleared effectively — and your skin needs even more to repair and renew.

The most common depletions I see in hormonal skin cases:

• Zinc – supports skin healing and hormone regulation

• Magnesium – calms the nervous system and supports cycle regularity

• B vitamins – essential for energy and hormone clearance

• Iron – necessary for tissue oxygenation and ovulation

• Protein – foundational for hormone production and detoxification

Without these building blocks, the body remains in survival mode — and skin symptoms often worsen.

5. Gut and Liver Overload

Your body eliminates excess hormones through the liver and digestive system. If either of these are sluggish or overburdened, hormones can recirculate, leading to congestion and flare-ups.

Poor detoxification, constipation, bloating, or food sensitivities may all suggest that your gut–liver axis needs extra support.

In clinic, we use both blood tests and symptom patterns to understand whether detox pathways might be contributing to your skin symptoms.

What Hormonal Acne Actually Looks Like

If you're unsure whether your skin is hormone-related, here are a few signs to watch for:

• Breakouts around your jawline, chin, or cheeks

• Flares before your period or mid-cycle

• Cystic or deep, painful pimples

• Acne that worsened after stopping the pill - even up to 18 months after

• Irregular periods, PMS, or mood changes alongside breakouts

If these sound familiar, it’s worth investigating your hormone health more closely — but also looking beyond hormones to see what else your body may be asking for.

How We Treat Hormonal Skin at Kollective Wellness

There’s no one-size-fits-all plan — but every protocol starts with understanding the why behind your symptoms.

In clinic, we focus on:

• Nutrient repletion and blood sugar balance

• Nervous system regulation and stress support

• Functional hormone testing when indicated

• Gentle liver and gut support where needed

• Education, clarity, and simple steps that feel doable

This approach is part of my Holistic Skin Healing Method, which layers support in the right order — so your body can shift out of stress mode and into healing.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve been told your skin is “just hormonal” — without anyone digging deeper — I want you to know:

You’re not broken. Your skin is trying to tell you something.

And with the right support, it’s absolutely possible to clear your skin and feel steady in your body again.

Want to know what your hormones are really up to?

Start with our Blood Test Analysis Consultation — a 1:1 session to review your results through a functional lens and uncover what might be driving your skin flares.

Or join our free 7-day skin course to learn the full Holistic Skin Healing framework I use in clinic every day.