The ESK blog

Is it normal that eczema gets worse before my period?

19 August 2024

Dr Ginni Mansberg

Is It Normal for Eczema to Flare Up Before My Period? Exploring the Hormonal Connection

If you’re someone who deals with eczema, you might have noticed that your skin tends to act up right before your period. Annoying, right? Well, it turns out there’s a scientific reason behind those premenstrual eczema flare-ups.

The Hormonal Symphony and Your Skin

First off, let’s talk about the main players in this hormonal drama: oestrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. These hormones fluctuate throughout your menstrual cycle, and each has a unique impact on your skin.

Oestrogen: The good guy in this scenario. Oestrogen helps maintain your skin barrier formation and recovery. It promotes skin hydration and the production of ceramides, which are essential for maintaining a healthy skin barrier.
Progesterone: This one’s a bit more complicated. While progesterone plays a crucial role in the menstrual cycle, it can impair skin barrier recovery, especially when levels peak in the luteal phase (the phase right before your period).
Testosterone: Often thought of as a “male hormone,” but women have it too. Testosterone can negatively impact the skin barrier by decreasing the formation and secretion of crucial skin components, leading to increased water loss and dryness.

The Menstrual Cycle and Eczema

So, how does this hormonal cocktail translate to your eczema symptoms? Research shows that AD (atopic dermatitis) tends to worsen during the premenstrual period. A longitudinal study involving women with AD revealed that many experienced significant flare-ups in eczema severity and itch right before their periods.

Here’s what they found:

Premenstrual Exacerbations: Women reported a mean worsening in eczema area and severity by 17.7%, itch severity by 35.3%, and overall quality of life by 26.3% during the premenstrual phase compared to the menstrual and postmenstrual phases.
Hormonal Fluctuations: The study highlighted that fluctuations in oestrogen and progesterone levels during the menstrual cycle directly impact skin barrier integrity, contributing to these flare-ups.

Why Does This Happen?

Let’s break it down a bit more:

Oestrogen’s Positive Impact: During the follicular phase (the first half of your cycle), oestrogen levels rise, promoting a stronger skin barrier and better skin hydration. This is why your skin might feel and look better during this time.
Progesterone’s Role: As you enter the luteal phase (post-ovulation and peaking just before the start of your period), progesterone levels increase. While progesterone is essential for preparing the body for a potential pregnancy, it has been found to impair the skin barrier!

What Can You Do About It?

Managing eczema around your menstrual cycle involves a combination of skincare, lifestyle adjustments, and possibly medical intervention. Here are some tips:

Moisturise, Moisturise, Moisturise: Keep your skin well-hydrated, especially during the luteal phase. Look for moisturizers with ceramides to help strengthen your skin barrier.

B Calm

B Calm is formulated to support irritable and blemish prone skin while maintaining a healthy skin barrier. Ceramides strengthen resilience, Salicylic Acid exfoliates and calms the skin, and Niacinamide helps regulate oil and reduce the appearance of blemished skin.

Featuring:

- Ingredients to support an improved skin barrier

- Helps manage excess oil production

- Supports a clearer-looking skin

Gentle Skincare: Use gentle, fragrance-free skincare products to avoid further irritation.

Calming Cleanse

Our Calming Cleanser is a non-foaming, coconut sugar-based formula with a gentle pH of 4.5-5, making it ideal for sensitive skin types, including those with eczema and rosacea.

This creamy cleanser effectively removes impurities while preserving the skin’s natural hydration and pH balance. Its non-soap formula minimises irritation and dryness, providing a soothing cleanse without disrupting the skin barrier.

Designed for sensitive skin, Calming Cleanser avoids harsh ingredients like astringents, camphor, and menthol, which can trigger irritation. Gentle yet thorough, it supports a healthy microbiome and barrier, leaving skin calm, soft, and ready for the next step in your routine.

Featuring;

A coconut sugar base with soothing botanical
A thorough yet gentle cleanse
Suitable for daily use and even as a make-up remover

A creamy soap-free cleanser for skin that needs a gentle, silky wash.

Coconut based with soothing botanicals
Leaves skin clear & hydrated
May be used as a make-up remover

Use skin barrier builders: use ingredients like panthenol and niacinamide in your moisturiser to help repair your skin barrier.

Repair +

Repair + is a moisturiser formulated to support skin hydration and barrier function. Its combination of niacinamide, panthenol, hyaluronic acid, and ceramides is designed to help maintain skin moisture, strengthen the barrier function of the skin, reduce the appearance of redness, and support overall skin texture.

Key Features:

Ingredients to support hydration and skin barrier function
Formulations to help reduce the appearance of redness and visible skin irritation
Scent-free, paraben-free, and sulphate-free
Super effective but gentle enough for daily use

UV Radiation protection: Not only will sunscreen help protect you from skin cancer and aging but also from skin barrier disruption as well. Use a broad spectrum sunscreen 365 days a year from sun up to sun down!

Zinc Shade

Zinc Shade is a lightweight matte day cream and primer. Its non-greasy, matte finish allows for smooth application and works well under makeup.

We spent countless iterations perfecting this lightweight, non-greasy formula to avoid the typical white cast and thick feel of zinc products. The results? A matte finish that works beautifully under makeup. With well tolerated matte finish, it's also well suited to irritable and blemish and bump prone skin. With SPF 15 it also provides broad-spectrum sun protection against UVA and UVB rays.

Key features:

Lightweight, matte formula suitable for daily use
Smooth application with minimal white cast
Broad-spectrum UV protection
Tested SPF 15 with enhanced UVA coverage

Usage: Apply evenly to all exposed areas of skin before sun exposure. Reapply as needed throughout the day.

Conclusion

So, is it normal for eczema to get worse before your period? Absolutely. The fluctuations in oestrogen and progesterone levels during your menstrual cycle can have a significant impact on your skin, making eczema flare-ups more likely. By understanding these hormonal influences and taking proactive steps to care for your skin, you can better manage those pesky premenstrual eczema symptoms. Stay fabulous and take care of your skin!