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I'm Hormonal | functional hormone insight + advice
If you're looking for information on women's hormone health, how to support your menstrual cycle, and what you need to know for long term wellness--look no further. I'm Hormonal host, Bridget Walton, provides you with the information you need to get your hormones in balance so you can feel your best.
I'm Hormonal | functional hormone insight + advice
An Esthetician's Approach to Tackling Hormonal Acne & More with Kate Ursin | Ep. 58
Trying to understand if your acne flair ups are a result of hormone imbalance? With over 15 years of experience, licensed esthetician and guest, Kate, shares her expertise on how hormonal imbalances can trigger acne and discusses the value of personalized skincare routines and hormone coaching. We talk through the specifics of hormonal acne, dissecting how androgens and menstrual cycles play a pivotal role, and discuss the potential impacts of hormonal birth control.
The episode wraps up with a look at holistic approaches to acne management, featuring natural remedies such as anti-androgenic teas, reishi mushrooms, and zinc supplements. We discuss the influence of social media on skincare choices, advocating for personalized routines tailored to individual needs over fleeting trends.
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Welcome to I'm Hormonal, your source of information about women's hormone health and how to support your body. Naturally, I'm your host, bridget Walton, and I'm a certified functional hormone specialist and menstrual cycle coach. I am on a mission to hold these hormone conversations with as many menstruators as possible, because you deserve easier access to accurate information about what's up with your unruly menstrual cycle and with your fertility mysteries. Don't you think it's time that we figure this out once and for all? Hey there, thanks for joining me this week on I'm Hormonal. I'm really excited to bring to you a conversation that I had with Kate Erson, who's a licensed esthetician. We talked about all things related to acne. So if you are somebody who has some skin clearing goals you're trying to understand what's causing your acne, or if your acne is based in hormone imbalances to begin with, then this is going to be a really great episode for you to listen to, and we chatted a lot. She was so fun to talk to, so you've got some good content to take in. Now. Real quick, before we get to the interview, I just want to say welcome. If this is your first time listening to I'm Hormonal, then it is really good to meet interview. I just want to say welcome. If this is your first time listening to I'm Hormonal, then it is really good to meet you.
Speaker 1:My name is Bridget Walton, I'm a women's hormone coach, and I started this podcast last year because I think it's so important to share what we know, what I know, about hormone health, about what you can make from what your body is trying to tell you through what symptoms present for you, and I hope that you really love the episode today. Now for those of you who have been here before, thank you, as always, for coming back. I know you have a lot of options, so it's not lost on me that you're spending your time and attention with me. So it's not lost on me that you're spending your time and attention with me. So, kate and I are excited to be hanging with you while you are on your walk, while you are doing the dishes, while you are doing your hair, whatever you're up to. As always, the information that I and that we share with you is for educational purposes only, should not be used as a replacement for any sort of medical diagnosis or medical advice. Now, that being said, if you are looking for any sort of one-on-one support, then you can always check out the link in the show notes where you can connect with me. If you're looking for hormone coaching or if you're looking for an esthetician who is going to be in your corner, then check out the link so that you can get connected with Kate. Kate is here in San Diego. If you don't live in the area, then you can also connect with her virtually. She does consultations. She'll mention this at the very end of our conversation so that she can help you figure out what you need to do for your home care routine.
Speaker 1:So quick intro for Kate. As I mentioned, she's been an esthetician for over 15 years here. Her business is Skin Tuition, which she developed from her passion for beauty and the wellness industry, and it's really her passion that has given her this freedom to customize treatments based on the needs of her clients and their skin. So she's amazing. You're going to love this conversation. If you learned something, if this was helpful for you, I would really appreciate it if you would rate and review the podcast on whatever platform you're listening on. So, with all of that being said, let's get to it. Enjoy this conversation with Kate and I. Let's start off by talking about the bigger picture of acne, and let's look at that big picture now before we narrow it down to just hormonal acne. So what are the common causes of acne and also what are the different types of acne that people might be familiar with?
Speaker 2:So there are quite a few different types of acne that people might be familiar with. So there are quite a few different types of acne. Many different factors play a role. It can be too much exfoliation, not enough exfoliation, environment, it can be due to hair products. You have inflamed acne, non-inflamed acne. So there's a whole variety of causes and what that might look like, and they can present on different areas of the face and even on the back of the neck, the back, the shoulders. It's not always just the face.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I didn't think about that. Like hair products or what else is getting inadvertently onto your skin, I guess that makes me think of laundry detergent too. Actually, I wonder how often you see that.
Speaker 2:I see it a lot.
Speaker 1:When it comes to hormonal acne, what are the different types of and I don't even know the words right, I'm going to learn, like a lot alongside the listener about acne today, but what are the different types of acne? When it comes to like poppable versus not poppable, like cystic, what are those kind of terms that we should know to when we get into this conversation?
Speaker 2:So we, the poppable acne would be what you would call a pustule or a whitehead. That's typically where you see, you know the white juicy stuff at the top that everybody wants to put their fingers on. As estheticians, we please tell you, don't touch them. And then you have blackheads. Of course, other abscesses on the face, that can be something that a dermatologist might need to treat, but typically estheticians are treating what we call comodones, which are not going to have a whitehead. To them, blackheads, whiteheads, those kind of things.
Speaker 1:Okay, comodone. Yeah, that one is new to me. So, when it comes to hormonal acne, are like one or two or some of these more common? Like what are for a listener who is has acne and is trying to understand what's the cause of this? Is it hormonal? Like what might they look for?
Speaker 2:So one of the biggest things is going to be the placement of the acne. Uh, typically and more often than not, any type of hormonal acne is going to present around the mouth, along the jaw and the chin area. Sometimes it can go down onto the, you know, upper part of the neck area a little bit. Most often than not it is very inflamed. It can be pustules with the whiteheads, but then also you can see a lot of the comedones which are kind of underneath the skin. You'll feel the texture but you can't really see a whitehead to them. A lot of people will notice them when they're washing their face. It just feels very bumpy and uneven. So those are going to be the common markers that there's something hormonally imbalanced in the skin. And you know people are typically more aware, obviously when they're very inflamed and cystic, which would be super painful.
Speaker 1:Yeah, is this? Is this too obvious? I just want to make sure I understand when we're talking about inflamed, that's like literally red acne, or is there something else? Okay?
Speaker 2:Yes, nope, you're right, Exactly it's. It's just really red, it's irritated, swollen, you know, know, some people, even you know, joke and be like oh, I have a pimple, it has a heartbeat because, it's just, it's very, very, very strong, oh my gosh, I've definitely been there before for my own.
Speaker 1:I'm curious about like what if you have a particularly memorable history with acne. But I definitely had hormonal acne younger, like when I was in my twenties. But one interesting thing too is that when I was using hormonal birth control, the like my acne was totally different. There was like not a single poppable pimple ever, and so I just thought that was really interesting to even maybe for a listener who's about to make that transition or is currently using hormonal birth control. Like the quality or characteristic of my pimples changed dramatically when I stopped using hormonal birth control.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we do see that a lot. So before, when you were on the hormonal birth control, you had the really poppable ones, or you did not have them.
Speaker 1:No. Yeah, Some people are blessed with clear skin, but I. That was not me when I was using birth control.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you see that a lot, uh, where? And people then will women will get upset, okay, this isn't working, and then they'll switch to another one, and then the skin really can get very angry and confused.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, it's interesting too. Maybe next we can talk about what's going on in your body when it comes to hormonal acne and what those changes are like. But going from well, no, let's refocus on what is hormonal acne and what is actually happening there. The main things from my perspective in working with clients and as a hormone coach is looking at what's going on with androgens. So androgens are our hormones, like testosterone and androsenadione. There's another honorable mention that is maybe lesser known, but it's DHT, which is a metabolite of testosterone. Anyway, when those markers are elevated, that's when, oftentimes, we'll see well, we'll see hormonal acne. I'm curious what you see when it comes to, like clients of yours who have acne, that just cycles with their period, like just during PMS they have acne. Or maybe, if it's all the time, like, what do you see with your clients that have hormonal acne?
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's a very good question. I would say it's a complete mixed bag. Some people will just have continuous flow of acne. A patch will go down, some will pop back up, and that could be during the whole entire month. And then you're absolutely right, some women will see it the week before the week of the week after. So everyone's totally different with the frequency of the breakouts and where they're at in their cycle.
Speaker 2:And, let's be honest, at no point is it ever convenient to have it, whether it's for a couple of days, a whole month. It's all very frustrating.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I feel that. I think that when it comes to pimples that are just popping up right before your period, so during that PMS time, that can also be an indicator of what's going on with estrogen. So this is like a slightly different picture from what's going on with the androgens. But if your body is a little bit sluggish in detoxifying those hormones or like getting those metabolites out and they're kind of recycling, then that can also cause pimples to pop up.
Speaker 2:Oh, that makes sense.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what do you? Do you see any differences in? Is it the same locations? Probably on the face, like you mentioned, chin, jawline and neck, whether it's like just premenstrual or like all cycle long?
Speaker 2:I'm sorry repeat what the question was.
Speaker 1:I was just wondering when you're working with clients who have acne all cycle long versus clients who have acne just in the premenstrual phase, is the acne in the same spot? I would think so right.
Speaker 2:Usually yeah, and there can also be multiple other issues going on which I'm sure we will touch base in the podcast when it comes to gut related issues that then are linking with hormonal issues and then also linking with cortisol issues. So it's all and it can. It can definitely present in other areas, but typically, yeah, it's going to all be in the same area. Present in other areas, but typically, yeah, it's going to all be in the same area.
Speaker 1:Yeah, okay, all right, let's get on that, go down this path that you just mentioned. Maybe let's start with, like, what do you recommend to your clients when somebody comes to you with hormonal acne or overall with acne? Like, where should they start? Maybe somebody who has only been just trying different skincare routines or just different face wash, but where do you have people start? What's helpful?
Speaker 2:So I think the biggest thing is understanding that acne is really makes people feel very self-conscious and there is no quick fix to acne, whether you go through your dermatologist or you decide to go through an esthetician. It's a lot of consistency, it's a lot of patience, and so I always start with talking to my client first, making sure we're on the same page, understanding that there is going to be no quick fix, and really getting them to understand that it's going to be a process and a big part of that is in the treatment room with me as your esthetician or any esthetician but also that 80% of your results in general with skin, but specifically here with acne, are going to come from home care. So really making sure that my client and I are aligned on what that looks like. If then, at that point, a client is able to, you know, jump on board and really trust me, trust the process, no matter how frustrating it might be, then from there we would really customize a home care routine alongside with treatment plan with me.
Speaker 2:So I guess you know it would start with commitment, needing skin support for them, and then really kind of getting into an in-depth detail of just kind of like what you do with your clients, really going through a long, thorough consultation about everything they're using, eating, all of that. So that's kind of the first step into the realm of clearing the skin.
Speaker 1:Okay, cool. What are some things? And I'm sure that everybody's home care plan is different, but what are some things that are often included in that routine that are often included in that routine.
Speaker 2:We definitely want to always make sure that we are properly cleansing the skin. I think a lot of women, we're really busy, we're tired, we're working hard, we have families, hobbies, cooking, all the things that we have to be responsible for. So nighttime routines tend to get skipped, and that's one of the most important. So for sure, a nighttime routine with a really good cleanser, making sure that you're using some kind of treatment serum, whether it has maybe a little bit of salicylic acid, mandelic acid in it.
Speaker 2:And oftentimes a lot of people think I am really oily, I have acne prone skin. I don't put a moisturizer on. We actually would be putting you on a moisturizer because we would want to balance out the oil production in the skin while your skin is doing all of its repairing and regenerating in the evening evening. So it's a really hard thought process for clients because they're like no, I don't want to put anything on my skin. You know moisturizer it makes me feel oily or clogs my pores. But in fact, we would be putting you on something that would have some hydrating properties in the skin to balance out that oil production.
Speaker 2:So, depending on the type of client and what they're so, depending on the type of client and what they're willing to commit to, what they have time for and you know what their budget is. Also, budget is another factor. Right, I can put you on a 17-step routine, but it's not on your budget. We need to be realistic about that. So really making sure that we formulate a routine that is going to fit all of those key points.
Speaker 1:Yeah, do you work with?
Speaker 2:clients much on what they're eating and what are the main triggers. How do you work with folks to figure out what could they be putting in their body that's contributing to their acne? This is one thing I always tell my clients. I am not a dietician, I'm not a health coach, so this is where you would come in, bridget, and I would send clients to you for more information about that, because I'm not certified in those things, but I've been licensed for many years and you know you become aware of what key things can be triggering and really causing the acne to be worse. So talking to them about usually supplements is one of the first things I start with, because I'm sure you get this a lot too. Collagen is a big thing right now. You know women are like I. Have collagen. You know supplements collagen powder, collagen gummies and a lot of those supplements. Have you know supplements collagen powder, collagen gummies and a lot of those supplements? Have you know kind of hidden ingredients in there that can?
Speaker 2:be, acne triggers, biotin being one of them, and you know, chlorella, spirulina. So really going through their protein powders and things like that can really be contributing to their acne.
Speaker 1:Interesting. So you're saying that? Okay, you said biotin, chlorella, spirulina those are in collagen, those can contribute or exacerbate acne.
Speaker 2:They certainly can. Yeah, and if you're just having, you know, pure marine collagen or pure bovine collagen with none of those extras, I think collagen, you know, can be super, super great in a lot of ways, but those extra, I mean a lot of times if you even just walk down the aisle at Target or any store that you would get supplements, and you pick up one nine times out of 10, they have B6, b12, biotin keratinization process in the skin, right, because people are like, oh, I take her skin and nail supplement for my nails, my hair, all of that. Well, some people can stomach it and digest it, no problem. Other people it's going to create too much keratin and then you have what's called hyper keratinization in the skin and there is just too too many excess oils and skin and then it's going to clog and irritate the hair follicle.
Speaker 1:That is really interesting. I didn't know that. I mean, I'm aware that with certain vitamins I guess with anything right, if you really overdo it like that can definitely contribute to inflammation or acne. But is it am I hearing you right that for some of these, even like like biotin, even within a recommended daily value, like for some people, just depending on their body, that can be triggering?
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, that's exactly right.
Speaker 1:And it's totally hit or miss.
Speaker 2:I personally am somebody who cannot take biotin. I will a thousand percent have acne. I struggle with acne, which is you know why I'm so passionate about helping people with it. But I know me personally I cannot. So you might be able to have you know daily suggested use, no problem, but it's it's literally case by case basis.
Speaker 1:Interesting Is that and I know this is separate from hormonal acne, which is fine. I just want to differentiate that for the listener. But where or is there a normal area on our faces that that sort of acne would show up, if it's something that we're sensitive to?
Speaker 2:Not necessarily. No, that is a very good question. I've never really noticed. So if you came to me with hormonal acne, let's say presenting on the areas that we typically see jawline chin around the mouth, and you were taking biotin, I would, you know, definitely have you stop taking that as long as your doctor, uh, doesn't have you on it for prenatal purposes, uh. But if you came into me and you just had, let's say, uh, acne on your forehead, uh, we would still go down the list of your supplements and and dietary needs etc. But you know that may or may not be the cause of it. It can just be a, you know, contributing factor. Okay, Interesting.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that makes total sense. I'm curious too, because we talked about right Jawline chin around the mouth, acne. When it comes to acne, that's like on the cheek or, I guess, below the cheekbone, because I know that's a pretty common spot, that. What does that correlate with normally?
Speaker 2:can be a lot of different things. Uh, oftentimes it can be the lung. So, you know, some, some people will not, um, maybe agree with this, uh, in the sense that there's what we call face mapping.
Speaker 2:So, different parts of the face are going to correlate to different inflammations or irregularities in the skin, and so I would say most estheticians would agree with the face mapping guideline. But that area can typically be from lung imbalance, let's say. It could also just be something as simple as dirty pillowcase, or you know, you're on the phone all the time and it's that side of the face and your dirty cell phones, just constant use of things in that area and the buildup of bacteria. So it's really just again, kind of piece dependent.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there's so many things there's so many things coming at us all the time. I know, and I that's why when I that's why when I am meeting with a new client, and even if it's a regular client and we're in the beginning part of our clearing journey with their acne, these are questions that I always have to ask. How often do you change your pillowcases? Do you sleep with your hair up? Do you sleep with it down? How often do you wash your hair? Do you work? You know? How often do you clean your keyboards?
Speaker 1:Those things all accumulatively come together to create a unsanitary surface on the skin and are just breeding grounds for bacteria yeah, it all kind of goes, uh, goes together oh my gosh, kate, don't ask me if I ever disinfect my keyboard, because it's not a good day you do after today. Yeah, I'll figure out how um I'm thinking. Is there anything else that comes to mind for you when we're talking about what are like? What are some of the things that people think, oh, this is good, I'm, this is?
Speaker 2:helping me this. We covered supplements. Maybe peanut butter also can be another high probability of an acne trigger. Speaking of androgens you were mentioning earlier peanuts contain androgens and so that can be a trigger in the skin. Another common one are eggs the skin. Another common one are eggs. Eggs can also be a common acne trigger because of the biotin component in the eggs as well little Betty gal joining us.
Speaker 1:Betty's got some thoughts to share, we'll let her hang. Um. I oftentimes will recommend to clients oh, can you hear me? Okay, oh, I'm back. Um, I oftentimes will recommend to clients to incorporate eggs into their breakfast because it's generally a pretty easy kind of thing to integrate into your morning.
Speaker 1:But I also recognize that, yeah, for some people eggs is more inflammatory and, at least for the friends that I know who have egg sensitivities, it often shows up as neck acne, not to get too specific, or on the kind of face mapping that you mentioned, but I don't know if that reflects what you see with your clients too.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it can, and I always tell people too because again, everyone's busy. You know, if having eggs in the morning for breakfast or you know, hard boiled eggs as a snack in the middle of your day is, you know, kind of your go-to for quick protein, I just tell clients, let's maybe put a pause on it, let's try not eating eggs for two weeks, let's see what happens, because it might not be a trigger for you but it very well could be. And then in that case we have the information to see. What did the client notice? Did the neck acne or wherever the acne might be presenting? Did you notice that it was less inflamed, less frequent, dried out faster? Because if those all check, yes, then maybe we want to supplement a different protein or a different higher protein snack throughout the day until we can kind of really get the acne under control. Because, or if you just really love eggs and you're you're, you don't want to give them up. I totally understand. But it's just more information for you to know about your body and what's affecting your skin.
Speaker 1:So usually I would recommend, with anything that you have maybe a little red flag about gluten, dairy eggs, whatever it is take a break for two weeks, see what happens yeah, I talk about dairy a bit here on the podcast because, yeah, dairy can be so inflammatory my pure digestive system or for so many people who already have inflammation in the gut. It's not helping anybody out, although I will give a little shout out for goat cheese, because goat cheese, at least in my book, has a different type of protein in there, so it can be less inflammatory. Is that the same in your world?
Speaker 2:I think so. What do you think about sheep cheese?
Speaker 1:I think. So what do you think about sheep cheese? Yeah, sheep goat and there might be a third animal in there has the oh, jersey cows. That's it. They have the A2 casein protein as opposed to A1, which, like all the other normal neighborhood cows have. So I think that's the difference there, at least from what I'm familiar with, and why one's more inflammatory than the other.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that makes sense, yeah, I would agree. And I mean, let's face it, we love cheese no-transcript.
Speaker 1:On another note, though, you mentioned wheat, which is something that I don't talk about as much on the podcast normally, but is really important because what I think the statistic is that only three out of 10 humans can properly digest and accommodate wheat, or not just digesting it. But anyway, that's my backwards way of saying that it can be really inflammatory for some people, and at least from the way that I look at acne and a lot of symptoms that come along with menstrual cycles. But the way that I'm looking at these is through this lens of inflammation. What are all of these factors that we're coming into contact with throughout our lives, throughout our days, that are just bringing inflammation to our system, and our body only has so many ways to signal to us that something is a little bit wonky, and that's through acne, right?
Speaker 2:Absolutely. You're right, yeah, and I think I didn't know that statistic about the wheat. But that makes sense and a lot of people are. They're food intolerant, dairy intolerant, and I think the only way you'll know is by really listening to your body, listening to what. If your stomach's always upset, then you know. Maybe hone in on what you eat throughout the day and see, you know, what digestive issues you might be having when you eat certain foods. If you notice that your skin is freaking out after you ate bread and drank wine and had cheese all weekend, make a mental note of that and you know, it's just information for us to know what our bodies like and don't like.
Speaker 2:But you're absolutely right. It's the only way that our body can tell us we don't like this is, with all these other issues and side effects, that come along with it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, good opportunity to listen, hopefully, hopefully, people are listening to their bodies, or if they're listening to this podcast, it's probably because they want to learn how to better take care of their bodies.
Speaker 2:I hope so too. Yeah, and your skin. It is your largest organ.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, on the note of the gut skin connection, like what do you see there and again I'm thinking of really sugar we haven't touched a whole lot on sugar but how our consumption of sugar really impacts our digestive function and inflammation, and so that can cause a lot of irritation. But is there anything else from your perspective?
Speaker 2:or I'm curious how the gut skin connection conversation comes up in your work with your clients yeah, again in that kind of consultation, getting to know my client really understanding how, what is their relationship with processed sugar? Are you, you know, a big sweet tooth person? Um, and you're absolutely right, sugar is another, you know, really big, um, imbalance causes so much inflammation in the, in the body, um, but I think that and I do again mention to clients that I am not a dietician, so anything that's beyond my scope of my license as an esthetician here in California, I'm not allowed to give advice on.
Speaker 2:I give you facts that I see with myself and other clients and so kind of running through that list of the main things, of wheat, I'm sorry gluten, dairy sugar and you know what, how many, how many greens they have in a day. Water intake is another really big one and just really kind of gauging their lifestyle and that allows me to just kind of have a little bit more of a shining light on what could be an intrinsic factor going on with their imbalance in the skin.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So coming back to something we started talking about earlier, like when you have a gal who comes in who has like some raging hormonal acne, you mentioned that you'll look at her home care plan and you'll work with her in office, of course too. Um, what's that like in office? I guess is that a recurring um, like how often do you see her and somebody who wants to take care of their home acne? Like what might they expect working with an esthetician?
Speaker 2:yeah, that's a really good question. Uh, every esthetician is going to have a different treatment plan for each client, but I always tell uh clients when they have a condition presenting like acne and inflammation, uh, every four weeks at a minimum. Uh, with their home care very strict. Uh, once we start seeing results and they're getting to a really good place, then if, if budget wise or time wise, it doesn't make sense to come every four weeks and we can kind of tailor it off from there, but every four weeks at minimum, some clients might. If it's a really extreme case, you might be seeing each other every two weeks, okay.
Speaker 1:The beginning phases yeah, yeah, that's good context for a starting point. Or like what are the different options out there? Because, well, actually, yeah, One other question I think of, because earlier you mentioned dermatologists too and some people probably myself included like how would somebody know which route to go down? Like, what are the normal factors when somebody's like okay, yes, I should see an esthetician, or at some point maybe consider a dermatologist?
Speaker 2:Right, yeah, I love that you asked that, because this is something that I talk to my new clients about all the time that are specifically coming to me really with anything, whether it's age management or acne management. You know you need to figure out what aligns with your lifestyle and what is important to you If you really want to get to the root of the issue and the root cause of things. An esthetician, a dietitian, a health coach, a hormone specialist we're going to be diving in with you. We're going to be. I mean, I'm constantly texting with my clients, talking with them on the phone. Your doctor is not going to do that with you. Let's be real. So I'm really like your bestie bestie, I am in support. I will answer you late night on the weekends. Your doctor is not going to do that.
Speaker 2:But if you feel like you just want kind of more of that medical environment you heard that, let's say, spiral lactone or I know in some keywords that people are listening probably have heard from other people or keywords that you see online a lot. They heard that you know Sue down the road that she used that for her acne and it worked really well then I think you should try it. Check that off your list. But if you're looking for somebody who is really going to kind of, you know, be a ride or die through this process, finding a good esthetician is going to be such a game changer for you and you're also going to learn so much about your skin, specifically unique to you, not, you know, so-and-so down the block, uh, and if that aligns with your lifestyle and what you're looking to achieve, then a thousand percent anesthetician would be the way to go. It's just um, uh, again, not not a quick fix, not a quick fix. Yeah, when you said, um, root cause I not not a quick fix, not a quick fix.
Speaker 1:Yeah, when you said um root cause, I was like you're speaking my language, You're speaking my language.
Speaker 2:Um.
Speaker 1:I think too Well. So you mentioned a couple of prescriptions that, uh, some folks will. Will try out. I know I'm curious like how maybe you support your, your clients, in this situation. They just got off of um. Is it spironolactone?
Speaker 2:I can never remember how it's spelled yeah, I think that's how you say it. Yeah, it's something like anyway.
Speaker 1:so, like somebody will take spironolactone, the way that that works, generally speaking, is to uh, what's the word I want? Not repress, but anyway like tone down your sebaceous glands, right, so you're not producing as much oil, and but then, once you stop taking it just this is the same, actually, with hormonal birth control or many forms of hormonal birth control that you stop taking it and and then your body's like okay, now we really have to rev up oil production, like we were suppressed for so long trying to, you know, meet the mark, and now the floodgates are open and it's just C-bomb for days, and so I imagine that that is going to be, you know, anyway, that's not. They would be better off to address the root cause if that's something that's within their interest and time, budget, energy sort of levels to focus on first Right, absolutely.
Speaker 2:And I always want to remind people that you know oily skin, having oil in your skin, think of a raisin versus a grape. It's actually what is healthy skin. Now, there's a healthy balance of oil, sure, but when you have oily prone skin, that's a good thing. It's going to keep you plump and you're going to age more graciously and your skin is just going to function better. But when you suppress the oil from working is really where you can get into a whole host of issues. And I'm sure a lot of people would remember proactive. Back in the day Everyone was like, oh, proactive was so great. Literally just stopped your sebaceous gland from working at all. So there was no chance for acne to form. So sure your acne went away. But then we were seeing and I saw this all the time in my treatment room Thins, flaky, inflamed, just dry, dry, like desperate for oil in their skin. So sure your acne is gone. But now you've got another issue going on.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, I just time traveled back 10 years when you said proactive.
Speaker 2:I think that's the first face wash I ever used. Yeah, I mean, you know it did work for people that wanted to clear up their acne but with one bandaid over.
Speaker 2:One thing and I know you agree, bridget is not going to like something else is going to pop up somewhere else. So your acne might go away for a short amount of time using a medical grade antibiotic or medical grade topical, but you know it does come with a cost of something else. So I do really think that if you're willing to commit to forming a relationship with your esthetician and forming a relationship with hormone specialists, you can really figure out, like so much information about yourself and what your body specifically needs, what your skin specifically needs, that you're just going to feel more in tune with yourself and you just have all the information you need to move forward. And I will hear this a lot with my clients too. When they're like, let's say, they love to pop their own pimples and we really work very hard on keeping the hands off the face because our fingers have a lot of bacteria in them.
Speaker 2:When you pop a pimple you're spreading the bacteria. It's just not a good situation. So when you see growth in a client who was a face picker or a pimple picker and they say, oh, you would have been so proud of me, I had a really big pimple over the weekend and I used ice on it or I used my blue light wand and I'm like I mean, if I could give you all the gold stars in the world, I would. Your doctor isn't going to care that you didn't pick over the weekend, but your esthetician, like I'm going to give you a really big hug for that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I love that. That's so funny because I'm also guilty of that, but I celebrate with my boyfriend. I'm like you won't even believe this, but I had a pimple and I didn't pop it, and then we celebrate.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely Absolutely, and we're all guilty of it. And I'm not, and by no means am I, dogging on doctors and dermatologists. That's not what I'm trying to do. I'm just trying to differentiate why it would be a route for one person to take versus another person. And I think you know it's just really up to your lifestyle choices. And what is you know? How much information do you want to know about yourself?
Speaker 1:Totally how much information you want to know, and like what's your capacity to know, or maybe like get some support in helping you figure it out so you don't have to figure it all out yourself the first time around.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's right and that's why we have professionals like yourself who are going to help guide people, and you know, bridget is actually going to be helping me with some of my hormone issues that I have going on is actually going to be helping me with some of my hormone issues that I have going on.
Speaker 2:Welcome to almost being 41. I am not a professional when it comes to you know the actual getting down to what's going on with the body, with hormones, so I can treat the skin and I can change things with. You know the diet and all that, but really finding out what's going on, you need the professionals. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:No, I'm excited to like do your Dutch test and get everything kind of aligned, see the bigger picture of stuff. So I'm excited, but also, on that note, that's probably a good segue, a really good segue, because I want to share a little bit more about what is going on when androgen levels are high, right and like. Okay, so androgen levels are high, that can result in higher amounts of acne. So this is really common for any gals out there who have PCOS polycystic ovary syndrome but could certainly happen or apply to anybody without that diagnosis as well. And so what are things that can drive up androgen levels? We talked about inflammation a lot. We talked about sugar right and like, having stable blood sugars. That's a big factor. The other thing that comes to mind that we didn't talk on so much yet is related to stress, because stress itself, and like, of course, inflammation and blood sugar regulation those are sources of stress, but emotional stress too can cause some dysregulation in hormone balance.
Speaker 1:The fourth and last thing I'll mention in this note is coming back to ovulation and understanding okay, is my body like, am I ovulating? Because for somebody who's trying to figure out what's going on with their acne, is it hormonal? What is the driver of it. Understanding whether or not they're ovulating could be a key factor in saying okay, well, is it because my estrogen levels are like off the charts in my luteal phase or is there something else going on? So that's something I would recommend to everybody who's listening. But also, if you have acne, understanding when during your cycle does it present and focusing on where is it presenting and what factors might impact it, like diet or stress, etc.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely, you're so right. I think it's really important to and actually I'm guilty of this. Bridget just had to remind me that tracking your cycle, tracking just what's happening with your body in general, even if it's just like a quick note on your phone you know, today's day and I felt this way. Today's day I noticed this kind of breakout. Today's day I noticed anxiety through the roof, whatever it is. So that way, when you, at the end of the month or when you get your cycle, you can kind of just look at the timeline and help yourself, your therapists, your professionals, kind of put it all together with the puzzle pieces so that you can kind of see why is it happening. And so the making of the notes and tracking cycles, something I never used to do, now I'm doing. So you know, we're all just here to learn.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, it's so good, it's so good. And if you're just a nerd like me, you love to see some graphs. After a while, your app if you're using an app is going to spit out some beautiful graphs and charts for you. And well, if anybody out there got excited by charts, then we're the same.
Speaker 2:I wish I could enjoy that with you, but if you said extractions, I would be really excited.
Speaker 1:Okay, all right, I'll keep that in mind for next time I have a pimple that I want to pop, but that I don't. I did have just a couple of final thoughts on some recommendations for some anti-androgenic or, I guess, yeah, anti-androgenic well, in this case, teas. So for somebody who's like, okay, yep, I've deduced that I have hormonal acne. It's acne that's kind of hanging out all the time, maybe not necessarily just before your cycle, out all the time, maybe not necessarily just before your cycle then seeing if green tea or spearmint tea has any impact on your acne, then that would be a pretty low cost, simple way to see if that helps, because spearmint and green tea are anti-androgenic. Also, reishi mushroom, which is more and more common these days.
Speaker 1:If you, I think, rise, you know that mushroom coffee has reishi in it, or you could just get reishi and put it into your coffee and mix it on up. That's another good anti-androgenic one. And then I'll also mention zinc, because zinc can be really helpful with anything. You want to make sure that there is balance. So we're not balling out on the zinc. But I just wanted to mention those four things that are kind of accessible for all and maybe will help somebody else who's trying to figure out how to troubleshoot their acne and bring their androgen levels down.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's a really good suggestion and recommendations. I also will recommend spearmint tea and zinc as well. The zinc supplement can really help with wound healing, so it's not going to clear up your acne necessarily. What it's going to do is it's going to speed up the life cycle of the acne, so instead of it lingering around on your face for days and days, it's just going to help heal it up much faster. So that's a really good thing that you're recommending to people to use, because that can help a lot, and these are things that are within your control, that you can start right away.
Speaker 2:One thing that you know is a hot topic for a lot of estheticians in the last two or three years is social media really kind of taking over with influencers. You know them trying to make recommendations about, specifically, skincare treatments, and when you're feeling self-conscious about something with your skin, you're very willing to spend money and believe what worked for somebody else. So I think it's really important to remember that we are all unique individuals and that you can't just see what was posted on TikTok or Instagram. Remember that there could be filters. It could have worked for them, but that doesn't mean that it's going to work for you.
Speaker 2:So, you know, trying to experiment with, minimizing your exposure to refined sugar and gluten and dairy and all of those things, those are things that you really should have no issues doing. Um, there's really no downside to doing that. Drinking experiment tea, increasing a zinc supplement, those are all good things, as long as it doesn't uh, you know? Um, uh. What is the word that I'm looking for?
Speaker 1:Um, uh like, take away from the track.
Speaker 2:No, oh my goodness, what's that contraindicates? That's the word. There we go, as it doesn't contraindicate anything that your doctor is uh putting you on, uh, but really getting with a professional and working with.
Speaker 2:You know specific treatment plan for topical agents for the skin, topical products for the skin that you want to. You want to really leave to an esthetician or your doctor, whichever route you go. But, like Bridget was saying, you know the teas and the tinctures and the supplements. You know you want to start trying those. You know it can't hurt to try, unless of course they have biotin in them.
Speaker 1:Okay, well, stay away from biotin. I think that's a really good point, though I mean, we could probably do a whole nother episode. Kate on, like just talking about TikTok trends. Well, actually I don't know. I'm not on TikTok, so I don't know the trends, but anyway, you see what I mean. There's a lot of material for that. As we get ready to wrap up, though, how can listeners connect with you? How can they find you?
Speaker 2:Oh, you can find me on my Instagram, which is skin tuition SD is in San Diego, and then my website is skin tuition sdcom. And, yeah, I would love for any of you to reach out about any questions. I do consultations free of charge, just to kind of make sure we're a right fit for each other, because there are a lot of amazing estheticians out there and if I'm not a good fit for you, there's going to be another one who will be. That's in your, your neighborhood, and I also do virtual as well. So, even if you might not be going to be another one who will be, that's in your neighborhood, and I also do virtual as well. So, even if you might not be able to physically get into my treatment room, we can still customize and curate a home care routine for you so that you can still get a head start on your results and clearing your skin.
Speaker 1:Thank you, Okay, well, thanks so much, kate, this has been really fun.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it has been really fun. Thank you so much for having me on.
Speaker 1:Yay, thanks, okay, alrighty, we did it, we did it, we did take right up until four, despite my best.
Speaker 2:I tell you, girl, I mean I could just keep talking and talking about this. There's so much to talk about there is.
Speaker 1:Yeah, there is. Is there any? Well, um, per your earlier recommendation too, if you, in a couple months, want to do another episode, that sounds amazing to me. Yeah, it's like we're never going to reach the max for how many questions people have about skin, so absolutely, yeah, let's uh definitely do a part two sometime in the near future, for sure.
Speaker 2:Thank you for having me on. That was fun. Never done a podcast before, so I was like, oh, I don't really know, you also feel kind of like, um, you really have to utilize your words very well well, words, words are helpful on podcasts.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, it's tough man actually. I feel like I normally say so a lot, so I put on a sticky note so so that I would not say I didn't look at the sticky note a single time until just now. So I wonder how I did yeah.
Speaker 2:No way, Always a work in progress, but you speak very eloquently, you can tell that you do podcasts. You know and are comfortable being on a microphone. So that's, that's really good, oh thanks.
Speaker 1:Are comfortable being on a microphone, so that's really good. I did my best. I thought that you sounded also like very natural and like you know how to use words on a regular basis, so yeah, I thought that you did great.
Speaker 2:Thank you, until I couldn't think of the word contraindicate, which is a word I use pretty much every day.
Speaker 1:Oh well, it is like a $20 word, so it's a big one.
Speaker 2:So hopefully you can edit it to where I just say the word.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'll, I'll see if I can do that. I got you. Um, I think you know I might actually just go ahead and edit it and then put it out, post an audio clip to my story to save to my highlights, and I'll also just text you the video, um, in case you want to like post the whole thing to your story or whatever you want to do.
Speaker 2:um, yeah, yeah, I mean, the audio clip is great. Uh, the last video.
Speaker 1:I hate being on camera, um, oh yeah, no, no, don't worry, I'll just at. At some point in my life I'll be fancier and like actually do video stuff, but I just mean like the video of the audio, basically. So, yeah, don't worry okay yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 2:And then when you, when you post it like, do you have because I've already had, when I posted your story about us together, a couple of my clients had had seen the story Do you do it? We're like, I mean, I guess, if I'm reposting on my story, they can just click on your page, but I have some clients that aren't on Instagram page, but I have some clients that aren't on Instagram. Yeah, so is there like a where you would have like your, your business name and your website or something at the bottoms? You know what?
Speaker 1:I mean, um, in like, in the show notes for each episode there's always like contact information for me. So if they listen to the episode then they'll see all that in there. Is that? Is that what you mean?
Speaker 2:yeah, exactly okay yeah, we're good there then and if you need anything from me, like I don't know if you want a photo of me or actually, yeah, that would be a good point, and I meant to check, because did you send me your bio? No, I don't think I did.
Speaker 1:I can get it if you want, or if you want to just like tell it to me right now or send it to me whatever is best for you. Actually, if you could just tell me the main points right now, that'd be good Cause. Then I'll just record this right away.
Speaker 2:Yeah, hold on. Let me just um hold this up. I have a really good bio on my website.
Speaker 1:Okay, perfect. Oh, I could just check out your website, if that's easier.
Speaker 2:No, it's okay, I have it right here. I licensed esthetician for over 15 years with a distinct passion for the beauty and wellness industry. From my passion I developed skin tuition, which has given me the freedom to customize my treatments, centered solely on the needs of my clients and their skin.
Speaker 1:Okay, sweet. And then I'll mention or is that a? I'll mention? Oh, nope, that's it. Okay, sweet, I'll mention that. Or is that a I'll mention? Nope, that's it. Okay, sweet. I'll mention that you are located in San Diego. And okay, great man, I spelled so many words wrong in that sentence. I'm like am I okay? Do I need a snack?
Speaker 2:Yeah, it might be time. It might be time.
Speaker 1:Okay, and then can I pull a picture from your website, or I could pull your Instagram by a picture. Whatever is your favorite.
Speaker 2:I can send you a picture too, as I don't know I don't really know if I have anything on my Instagram, I can text you a photo of like me with a client or something, okay.
Speaker 1:Perfect.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Alrighty Well, um, I will let you know. I will be in touch with you with links and some things there soon, and then let me put a reminder on my calendar for later in the month to touch base with you ahead of your test day. But, um, yeah, if feel good, though, I think I'm all set too.
Speaker 2:Amazing. Thank you, that was so fun. And then, yeah, let's maybe one day do it again in the future.
Speaker 1:Totally yeah, I'll put a reminder on my calendar now for like February or something we can jump in.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that sounds perfect, and I hope you have a great rest of your night and then I'll be excited to hear what the episode sounds like yeah, yeah same, enjoy your night and um, yeah, I'll send you.
Speaker 1:I'll send you all the links once they're up all right, sounds good girl, have a good one.
Speaker 2:Thanks you too. Bye.