How Your Period Messes With Your Skin

The secret to having a clear, glowy complexion for the entire month? Adjusting your skin care according to your cycle. Here’s the plan.

- Lauren Balsamo

Days 1–5*

MENSTRUATION

The beginning of a typical 28-day cycle starts with your period. As the lining of your uterus sheds, levels of the hormones estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone decrease, says functional nutritionist Alisa Vitti, founder and CEO of Floliving .com and the MyFlo app. Due to a rise in prostaglandin (the hormone like compound that increases inflammation and decreases pain tolerance), you’ll likely experience redness and sensitivity as well as an increase in blood flow to capillaries, explains dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD.

Hormone Hack:

Stick to gentle skin care with calming ingredients, like this aloe-infused cleanser and moisturizer with healing tiger grass.

Days 6–12

FOLLICULAR PHASE