Your Skin and the menstrual cycle

A Guide to the Effects Your Period Can Have on Your Skin

Just as your mood may fluctuate throughout your menstrual cycle, so too can the look and feel of your skin. No two cycles are the same, so it’s important to listen to your body and learn your own version of normal. With this guide, you’ll find skincare and self-care tips that work with, not against, your body.

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Model looking at skin in bathroom mirror

So How Does Your Cycle Affect Your Skin?

We all know that legend that says blemishes can indicate you’re about to start your period, but your skin undergoes an entire journey during the course of your cycle. Throughout the month, you might notice subtle fluctuations in oil production or patches of dryness as oestrogen and progesterone levels rise and fall. If you’re on the pill, your hormones are regulated so you don’t ovulate. With less testosterone in the body to prompt blemishes, changes in the skin might be less pronounced, but they can still follow a similar pattern.

Your menstrual cycle entails four phases – menstrual, follicular, ovulation and luteal – and each influences your skin differently. This can make skincare unpredictable and tricky to manage. We’ve broken it down for you to explain what to expect from each stage.

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Model applying charcoal mask with a brush

The Menstrual Phase: Days 1-5

Your period. This is the first day in your cycle, when you’re menstruating, and hormones are at their lowest. Many people notice their energy levels take a dip, so it’s common to feel withdrawn, tired or sluggish.

Treat Yourself

With low levels of oestrogen and progesterone, your skin might be producing less sebum, which means you might experience dry, sensitive skin that’s prone to blemishes.

We recommend you identify what your skin is craving and give it the TLC it needs, whether that’s a cleansing mask or a good dose of moisture.

Skincare for the Menstrual Phase

Syncing your skincare to your cycle can help keep your complexion steady through the highs and lows of hormonal changes. Here some products with benefits to balance each stage.

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Himalayan Charcoal Mask on green bathroom sink

Settle down

Our skin-tingling Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow Mask helps refine the appearance of pores, absorb excess oils and boost glow.

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Vitamin E Gel Moisture Cream on a bathroom sink

Soft touch

To ward off the dry spell, our Vitamin E Moisture Cream helps skin stay hydrated for up to 48hrs, enriched with wheatgerm oil, raspberry seed oil and hyaluronic acid

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Almond face mask on light beige backdrop

Smooth it over

Our Mediterranean Almond Milk with Oats Instant Soothing Mask is a comforting porridge-like formula to gently buffer and help relieve from the signs of sensitive skin.

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Aloe toner in bathroom setting

Stay calm

Formulated without added fragrance, colour or alcohol, our Aloe Calming Foaming Wash helps skin feel settled and refreshed.

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Model applying liquid peel to skin

The Follicular Phase: Days 6-12

This is the stage when the follicles in the ovary mature. It’s possible you’ll notice you have more energy as oestrogen levels begin to rise.

About now, many people start to see improvements in their skin as collagen production restarts, making it look bouncier and feel firmer. Oil production spikes a little and dead skin cells can build up, so shift your attention to renewal.

Skincare for the Follicular Phase

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Tea Tree face wash in bathroom setting

Make it matte

To help rinse away dirt and unwanted shine, lather up with our Tea Tree Skin Clearing Facial Wash, infused with Community Fair Trade tea tree oil for visibly clearer skin.

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Tone down shine

Help promote a clear complexion that’s shy on shine with the Tea Tree Skin Clearing Mattifying Toner. Shake to activate the product to help banish the last traces of make-up.

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Matcha face mask with lid off

Purify pores

Help liberate skin from the weekly build-up of impurities with our creamy and gently exfoliating Japanese Matcha Tea Pollution Clearing Mask.

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Drops of you liquid peel

Feel renewed

The revolutionary gel-to-peel formula of the Drops of Youth™ Liquid Peel gently lifts dead skin cells from the surface, infused with a blend of three plant stem cells.

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Model applying skincare product to skin with a dropper

Ovulation: Days 13-18

Ovulation occurs about two weeks before your period arrives. Oestrogen levels peak as the ovum leaves the ovary and makes its way to the uterus via the fallopian tube.

Keep it Clear

With oestrogen levels at their highest, collagen production also gets a boost. Skin is likely to look bouncy, clear and more radiant.

Skincare for Ovulation

These hormones are really working for you! Besides basking in your natural luminosity, this is a good time to top up on complexion-clarifiers and maximise that glow.

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Tea Tree solution

Hit the spot

After cleansing, massage a couple of drops of the Tea Tree Anti-Imperfection Daily Solution over the face to help combat blemishes and leave skin feeling purified.

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Vitamin C Moisturiser

Get glowing

Refresh and energise your skin with our Vitamin C Glow Boosting Moisturiser, infused with camu camu berries from the Amazon rainforest.

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Drops of Youth Concentrate

Boost that bounce

The Drops of Youth™ Concentrate is a clever gel-like serum that helps promote the skin’s healthy-looking glow with a good hit of moisture.

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Vitamin C sheet mask

Flash fix

For a 15-minute moisture fix, kick back with the Vitamin C Glow Sheet Mask, enriched with vitamin C-rich camu camu for an instant healthy-looking glow.

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Model wearing a white headband

The Luteal Phase: Days 19-28

After ovulation’s oestrogen spike, levels drop and your body starts producing more progesterone instead. Enjoy its natural calming effect as energy levels begin to wind down.

I Feel it Coming

In this week before your period, your complexion can take a hit. Oil and sebum production surges, leading to clogged pores and blemishes around the chin and jawbone.

Skincare for the Luteal Phase

Bring skin back into balance by tending to the excess oils and sebum that prime the way for blemishes. Focus on pores to tackle impurities and congestion.

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The silent treatment

The oil of approximately 15,000 tea tree leaves is packed into one mighty 20ml bottle of Tea Tree Oil. Dab this potent solution onto the areas you want to target to help keep blemishes at bay.

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Tea Tree night mask

Beauty sleep

Infused with salicylic acid, the Tea Tree Anti-Imperfection Night Mask helps take care of blemished skin while you sleep, so you can wake up to clearer-looking skin.

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Charcoal face wash

No filter

Our foaming Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Clay Wash cleanses away dirt and impurities, helping to gently unclog pores for a mattified looking complexion.

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Seaweed day cream

Wave away shine

To counter excess oil and sebum with a moisturiser that’s low on shine, our Seaweed Oil-Control Gel Cream is infused with mineral-rich seaweed from Ireland for lightweight hydration.