How I Cleared My Hormonal Acne For Good in 3 Months.
How I finally cleared my hormonal acne- and strengthened my skin barrier for good.
Hormonal acne is frustrating- it’s painful, stubborn, and always seems to show up at the worst times. After two years of breakouts, dermatologist visits, and products that didn’t live up to the hype, I decided to take things into my own hands.
I spent months researching, testing, and building a routine focused on calming inflammation, supporting my skin barrier, and balancing my hormones. And finally- my skin cleared up. For good.
In this post, I’m sharing the exact products that helped me get there. Every item I recommend is chosen for its ingredients, real results, and how well it supports hydration, soothing, and skin barrier repair. These are the products I trust and still use daily.
My Before and After Photos:
You’ll also find:
Skincare devices covered in the next post that boost product absorption and take your results to the next level
Masks that work in sync with your skincare to calm, hydrate, and reset your skin
Supplements that supported my gut health and helped rebalance hormones from the inside out
Why This Routine Works:
The key to managing hormonal acne isn’t just drying it out- it’s healing your skin from the inside out. That means:
hydrating your skin so it doesn’t overproduce oil
strengthening your barrier to reduce irritation and inflammation
supporting your gut and hormones through supplements and diet
Skincare Routine (in order of which I apply)
1) P.M. Oil Cleanser: Beplain Mung Bean Cleansing Oil
How to use: squirt an appropriate amount on dry, clean hands on dry skin, and massage gently over your face for about 3-5 minutes, then rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water. Oil cleanse before foam cleansing when you have sunscreen, makeup, etc. on, otherwise, you can go straight into foam cleansing.
Why it works & its ingredients:
Mung bean extract: balances sebum production, polysaccharides provide superior moisture retention, and strengthens the skin’s protective barrier
Panthenol & allantoin: conditions and protects the skin from external stressors, and strengthens the skin barrier
Non-comedogenic (meaning it won’t clog the pores), fragrance-free, & gentle formula for sensitive, oily, acne-prone skin
This cleanser dives deep into your pores to clean out all the dirt and oil without stripping your skin’s healthy barrier or drying out the skin, making this an optimal product for acne-prone, sensitive skin.
2) Foam Cleanser: Hommeface Daily Face Wash
How to use: after washing off the oil cleanser, rub it into your hands until you have enough foam. Lather and gently massage the foam on your skin thoroughly.
Why it works & its ingredients:
Tea tree & witch hazel: soothes & heals, tightens pores due to its astringent properties, improves skin barrier by promoting hydration, and protects skin against environmental pollutants
Centella Asiatica extract and Quercetinol: soothes skin
Hyaluronic acid complex: attracts moisture and inhibits the skin from drying out
This is a gentle cleanser that removes dirt inside the pores and controls sebum without using harsh ingredients. By using mild but effective ingredients, the cleanser strengthens your skin barrier and locks in moisture, without over-stripping your skin of healthy oils and bacteria.
3) A.M & P.M. Toner: Aestura A-Cica 365 Calming Hydro Toner
How to use: take an appropriate amount on your hand and gently apply it along the skin to let it absorb.
Why it works & its ingredients:
PHA 3%: softens the skin and helps with evening out skin texture
CICA BPM: an exclusive CICA ingredient developed by Aestura, which has Beta-glucan, Phytosterol, and Madecassoside, which moisturize, relieve, and calm the skin, and restore the skin barrier
This toner is what made one of the biggest differences for me- after about a month of consistent use, I noticed my pores were clean all the time without any sort of scrub exfoliation. I couldn’t see my blackheads anymore, and my skin was evening out and felt much stronger and less sensitive than before.
4) Niacinamide: COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum
How to use: Pat it gently on your face and neck- a little goes a long way for this product!
Why it works & its ingredients:
SH-Polypeptide-121: boosts collagen, helping skin elasticity
Copper Tripeptide-1: improves skin texture
Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl & Benzylamide Diacetate: controls excess sebum and provides pore care
Oligopeptide-68: brightens skin
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8: soothes and calms acne, redness, and inflammation
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8: firms and tightens skin
This is a functional serum that helps boost the effects of all your other serums, hence why it’s the first serum to put on the skin before all others. Each peptide in this booster, paired with either hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, retinol, etc., will act as a booster to maximize its effects, creating a synergy effect. This is a water-based texture that instantly absorbs, and is great for those who have sensitive skin, and/or complex skin concerns, as this is a multi-functional serum that will act as a synergy booster.
5) P.M. Vitamin C (alternating days with retinol): COSRX The Vitamin C23 Serum
Alternatives for sensitive skin:
How to use: Pat it gently on your face and neck- use around 2 ~ 3 drops. Because it is heavily concentrated, using a lot at once will irritate your skin.
Why it works & its ingredients:
Vitamin C: clears acne and blemishes, and brightens the skin
Tocotrienol, sodium hyaluronate, and allantoin: optimal synergy providing skin elasticity and hydration
This vitamin C is loved by a lot of people- I saw that my skin had become much brighter within just a week of using this serum. I highly recommend it if you have acne scars, or sunspots, or want to brighten your skin in general.
*If you are worried about vitamin E (known for clogging pores) in this serum, this serum is safe to use because it is in the form of tocotrienol, not oil vitamin E.
5) P.M. Retinol (alternating days with vitamin C): IOPE Retinol Super Bounce Serum
How to use: take a small amount and gently apply on the face. Do not go overboard with this serum, as retinol can be irritating to the skin.
Why it works & its ingredients:
Bio Seletinoid, Granactive Retinoid, and Capsule Retinol: a retinol and retinoid quadruple complex that boosts skin’s elasticity, and firmness, and reduces the appearance of fine wrinkles. This blend also helps reduce and control the spread of acne.
Lacto-exosome: fortifies the skin barrier while providing a soothing and comforting effect to the skin.
This retinol is mild and soothing, and I’ve seen visible results with my skin being firmer and tighter. I would recommend doing a small test on your skin, or mixing a pump or two into your moisturizer before increasing the frequency and amount you use!
6) Hyaluronic Acid: Wellage Real Hyaluronic Blue 100 Ampoule
How to use: gently apply a small amount on the skin in rolling motions until absorbed.
Why it works & its ingredients:
100% pure hyaluronic acid (the same type of HA found in human skin) that provides stable moisture absorption and retention
Panthenol (B5): soothes the skin and moisturizes
Sacharide isomerate: helps retain moisture
Hyalufixer: boosts hyaluronic acid
I have gone through 3 bottles of these, and this will stay a staple item in my skincare routine. It’s a very thin, watery-like substance that absorbs very quickly. Immediately after use, I feel that my skin is much more hydrated and plump, reducing the look of fine lines. This product is not greasy or oily at all, if that is something you are worried about!
7) PDRN: VT Cosmetics PDRN 100 Essence
How to use: Gently apply to face and neck after waiting for the hyaluronic acid to fully absorb into the skin.
Why it works & its ingredients:
Phyto PDRN (plant-based PDRN extracted from Korean Ginseng):
stimulates the metabolic activity of skin cells, enhancing the skin’s natural repair and regeneration process
promotes the growth of fibroblasts (cells responsible for collagen and elastin production), reducing fine lines and wrinkles, and improving skin firmness/skin elasticity
helps retain moisture within the skin
plant-based PDRN has a lower molecular weight, allowing for better absorption into the skin
9) Moisturizer: AESTURA Atobarrier 365 Cream
How to use: take a small amount and gently apply it on the face- usually a small blueberry amount is plenty to cover the face.
Why it works & its ingredients:
Ceramides: provide immediate double hydration, and improve the skin barrier and sensitivity. The ceramides reach 10 layers deep inside the skin in just 2 hours (dermatology tested), increasing skin surface moisture, and evening out skin texture and tone.
This is a moisturizer loved by many, many people, and I have gone through about 6 bottles of it already. It’s a light, buttery-like texture, without greasiness, and extremely mild and hydrating. I use this moisturizer all year long, even during the winter when my skin is especially dry.
