Also published in Grazia (https://www.grazia.co.in/beauty/skin-care/an-ayurvedic-approach-to-deal-with-hormonal-acne-8218-1.html)
Hormones are wonderful chemicals in the body that keep everything going. Right from our mood, fertility, digestion, and memory can be attributed to a specific hormone. Ayurveda designates hormones metaphorically. They are our ‘metabolic fires’ that upkeep the body’s processes once the gross food is digested. Evolution designed our hormonal system in sync with the circadian rhythm, the cycles of day and night. Seasons also play an important role in the endocrinal regulation of the body. (A German study suggests that the Spring season increases the male sperm count.)
The hormones are acutely sensitive to changes in our environment, diet, stress, mood, and sleep.
And when out of balance they have a way of showing their displeasure by popping big adult acne, demanding course correction in our lifestyle and diet.
Let’s look at some common causes for the hormones to go out of whack.
Sugar: Never in the history of mankind has one consume more sugar than the current generation. PCOD, Diabetes, Dythyroidism, Blood pressure, mood disorders, early aging, and many more metabolic troubles can be attributed to unhealthy sweet consumption.
Eating natural foods rich in sugar. Dates, raisins, cranberries, bananas give a quick sugar fix. Instead of adding honey to your green tea, try using Mulethi (licorice) powder.
Sugar is a raw calorie and creates heat when overeaten. The easiest way for the body to tell you that it’s overheated is by popping up a red hot cystic acne.
Put on your shoes and go for a brisk walk if you have eaten more than necessary. Herbs like Neem, Meshashringi, Chirayta, etc. help negate the high sugar ill effects in the body.
Refined oils: Most of your hormones are -sterols. Think cholesterol, they are derived from healthy fats. The new age believed that refined oils were better than the rich complete phytochemicals of the raw oil. Ayurveda discards this theory. The dangerous effects of refined palm oil are well documented. We continue to consume very high amounts of palm oil in our favorite Choco-hazelnut spread, chocolates, cakes, creams biscuits, etc. All namkeens we lip-smackingly enjoy are slowly burdening our liver and disrupting our delicate hormonal balance.
Use raw pressed oils. Roasted Laahi, Chana, Murmura, Taal makhana are great snacks to replace the oily fried ones.
Triphala powder and Cinnamon powder mixed with a little honey are good to be licked after having very oily food. Make sure you have a lot of sugar-free hot lemon water throughout the day. It just washes off the oily grime from your system.
Milk: Ayurveda recommends milk to be had exclusively. Never mix milk and fruit, salty food, biscuit, etc. It makes it very hard to digest. There are a lot of rules to having milk. And when not followed Milk tends to cause inflammations in the body. Acne is so simple to form when your body is inflamed. Plus milk today is laced with so many injected hormones that it’s best avoided by people who are already sensitive to a hormonal upheaval.
Unless you follow the rules of having milk healthily, it’s best to switch to an alternative.
Dairy replacements like almond, coconut, cashew milk taste wonderfully rich and are loaded with health benefits.
A decoction made with Trikatu - Black pepper, long pepper, and dry ginger powders is excellent to deal with the bad effects of milk on the system.
Sleep: Prioritize sleep, over that movie, or other social and work engagements. Keep your sleep patterns as close to the rising and setting of the sun. Your circadian rhythm will thank you. Acne rarely troubles you when you are rested and relaxed.
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