5 Ways to Improve Skincare During Your Period

Ladies and menstruators, we all know how exhausting periods can be, don’t we? With the cramps and mood swings, you shouldn’t be worried about tricky period skin as well. 

But your skin does go through stressful changes with your period. Spots before your period are common and experiencing itchy skin on your period is a regular side effect for some as well. While this can be difficult to navigate, there are plenty of ways to help manage it!

And here at Absolute Collagen, we’re all about helping your skin feel fresh and glowing, so let’s walk you through five ways you can look to improve your period skin, below.

Why does my skin change during my period?

Before we get started with some period skin top tips, it’s useful to know why exactly your skin goes through these changes. Spoiler alert: your hormones are to blame! 

As oestrogen fluctuates during and around your period, this causes your skin texture to shift too. When the oestrogen levels fall, your skin starts to produce more sebum. Designed to lubricate your skin, an excess of this oily substance can clog the pores and lead to spots before your period, during your period, and even perimenopause spots as well. 

What’s more, some studies have suggested oestrogen actually supports collagen production, and when your hormone levels drop it can impact your skin’s collagen levels as well. As a result, you may notice less firm and more dull-appearing period skin. 

While period spots are common, you may experience dry period skin instead. As your body realises it’s not pregnant, it starts producing less testosterone and more of a hormone-like substance called prostaglandins. And this fall in one hormone and rise in the other can leave your skin feeling dry and a little tender. 

And finally, do you often experience itchy skin on your period? Well, this is likely down to hormone shifts as well - but this time, it’s the progesterone. As those levels start to naturally rise during your period, your skin may trigger an allergic reaction, causing that incessantly itchy skin on your period. This is known as progesterone hypersensitivity.  

5 ways to improve your skincare during your period

Now we know a few reasons why period skin can be such a nuisance, let’s explore how we can look to calm and soothe the skin during our period. 

And if you’re concerned about perimenopause spots or even menopausal skin changes, these period skin top tips will work just as well. You can learn more about how to care for your menopausal skin specifically on our menopause and collagen blog post! 

1. Wash your face

At any time of your cycle, washing your face is essential for removing dirt picked up throughout the day that may damage the skin. But during your period, this is all the more crucial. 

As we just discovered, excess sebum produced in period skin can lead to breakouts, so you’ll want to do your best to limit this additional production. However, period skin can be quite sensitive too, so it’s best to stick to sensitive cleansers to avoid further irritating your skin. 

You can also include an exfoliant in your period skin routine, and these are great for restoring a bit of your natural glow. Exfoliants remove the dull looking dead skin cells that can build up quite quickly during your period, leaving you with a more even and glowing appearance.

2. Eat healthy foods

Most of us know how much of an impact our diet can have on our skin, and when it comes to period skin, altering your diet may help soothe or prevent those pesky period spots. 

Experiencing cravings for sugary and fatty foods during your period is quite common and this is actually down to the loss of vitamin C, iron, and magnesium. In order to replenish that lost supply, our body tells us to eat things like chocolate, pizza, or salty crisp. 

But eating junk food can worsen period skin. In fact, excess sugar has been linked to loss of collagen, inflammation, and – yes, you guessed it – period spots! While honouring a craving may make us feel good, reaching for foods like dark chocolate, watermelon, and iron-rich veggies like spinach or broccoli is a much better alternative to soothe period skin.

3. Keep your skin hydrated

Now, we spoke a little bit before about how period skin can leave your skin feeling dehydrated and dry. So, it’s key to look for ways to keep your period skin hydrated. 

Of course, the easiest way to do this is to drink between 6 and 8 glasses of water each day, which is the recommended amount for an adult. And the good news is your morning cuppa does count towards this! But there are plenty of cosmetic ways to help restore the moisture to dehydrated period skin as well. 

You can look to incorporate hydrating serums such as hyaluronic acid to your period skin routine, which are great for helping lock in the moisture from your creams and moisturisers.

4. Try collagen supplements

Excuse us for taking a moment to talk about our wonderful collagen supplements, but we really do believe they can help you feel better about period skin and your everyday skin too!

Whether caused by your period or the perimenopause, dry skin can increase the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines on our skin. But our daily collagen supplements can help!  

In fact, 100% of users in our clinical trial reported an improvement to the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles after just 12 weeks. And, if you’re looking for more collagen for your period skin, take a look at our Deep Lift skincare range to help keep your skin looking fresh.

5. Apply anti-inflammatory serums

Another symptom of period skin is inflamed skin, which can also cause period spots too. But how do we combat this period skin issue?

Well, you can try using some anti-inflammatory serums in your period skin routine. Niacinamide is a wonderful example of this, with its anti-inflammatory properties helping to reduce swelling and minimise the appearance of period spots as well. 

Or you can try a cooling facial compress to help calm the inflammation. You can buy these from most cosmetic stores, but they’re easy to make at home too. Simply roll up five or six ice cubes in a fresh, clean face cloth, then lightly massage your face in circular motions for about 2 to 3 minutes – it’s as easy as that! 

With your period skin top tips sorted, you might be looking for more skincare advice like how much SPF you need to protect your skin or how you can boost the collagen in your skin. For more skincare tips and advice around collagen supplements, head over to our blog!