How do you avoid acne after coming off the pill? Can you beat post pill acne AND be free from all the symptoms you suffered from before and during your time on birth control? The answer is yes and I’m hoping this article will provide all the information you need to avoid acne after coming off the pill!
Thinking of going off birth control but are terrified of breaking out?
There’s so much fear about coming off the pill and what might happen to your acne/weight/hair/moods when you stop taking that daily dose of synthetic hormones… but with so many women suffering from terrible post pill breakouts, it’s easy to see where all this fear stems from.If you read my previous post, then you’ll already be aware of why the pill can cause acne but to sum up, the pill can cause acne by:
- switching off your natural hormones
- pumping your body full of synthetic hormones
- depleting you vitamin and mineral levels
- destroying your gut flora
- causing insulin resistance
- causing intestinal permeability
- messing with sebum production
going off birth control? how to avoid acne after coming off the pill
I’d been using natural and organic beauty products for about 5 years when I decided to come off the pill and was more wary of the foods I was putting in my body so I felt switching to a less hormonally invasive birth control was the right thing to do for my health. At the time I had no idea just how bad the pill was and the damage it had caused to my body, I just knew I didn’t want to be taking it anymore. Little did I know my skin would go crazy 2 months later…
During the 8 years I was on the pill, I was never completely clear of acne. My doctor kept switching me from pill to pill to try and find ‘the one’ that would clear my skin. I started on Dianette aged 15 then after 4 years switched to Microgynon, Cerazette then finally Yasmin before coming off the pill at 23. I honestly never thought within 2 months of coming off the pill my acne would be the worst it had ever been. It took me a further 2 years of dealing with constant, painful breakouts before I fully understood why I was getting acne and what I could do to heal.
Going off birth control? How to avoid acne after coming off the pillGoing off birth control? How to avoid acne after coming off the pill
So you don’t have to spent years researching and experimenting, I’ve compiled my top tips on how to avoid acne after coming off the pill:
don’t wait till you breakout before starting treatment
The best way to avoid acne after coming off the pill is to start your anti-acne treatment plan 2-3 months before you finish taking birth control. This way you can prepare your body and get it as healthy and balanced as possible so whatever post pill symptoms get thrown your way, your body is in the strongest possible position to keep things calm and under control.
Don’t worry if it’s too late and you’ve already started breaking out. Just follow the other steps as closely as possible to get your hormones and health back to peak condition.
follow a healthy, wholesome diet… but don’t restrict yourself
The two key groups that need to be cut out of your diet are sugar and dairy – specifically A1 dairy (A2 is usually fine and includes dairy from goat, sheep and Jersey cows). A1 dairy is super duper inflammatory – especially when you’re struggling with any sort of intestinal permeability. Intestinal permeability, or leaky gut, is where toxins leak out through the walls of your gut and into your blood stream causing inflammation, acne, lymphatic congestion and weight gain. Guess what one of the biggest causes of leaky gut is? That’s right. The pill! Being on the pill for a substantial amount of time will leave you vulnerable to intestinal permeability so the best thing you can do is avoid A1 dairy while you heal your gut.
Eating high amounts of refined carbohydrates and sugary snacks cause the pancreas to dump a load of insulin and IGF-1 to help maintain balanced blood sugar. However, too much insulin wrecks havoc on your skin. Not only does too much insulin and IGF-1 lead to increased sebum production but it also makes the skin extra sensitive to acne-causing androgens which will further increase sebum production, hyperkeratinisation, blocked pores and eventually inflammation. Quitting sugar is undoubtedly the best thing you can do for your skin, your periods and your overall health!
When my acne got bad after coming off the pill, the first thing I did was start obsessing over my diet. I cut out gluten, then A1 dairy, then ALL dairy, then refined sugar then ALL sugar…then when that didn’t work I continued all those restriction PLUS interchanging vegan/paleo/pescatarian/grain free diets, but did those strict dietary habits improve my skin? No! In fact, my skin started getting worse and worse (more info here)! Don’t be scared of protein, healthy fats and gentle carbs (no more than 1 cup a day), without these food groups you won’t be able to rebalance hormones and clear acne. Focus on cutting out the key inflammatory foods but fill up big time at meals times with plenty of nutritious veg, nuts, seeds, organic meat and oily fish. Eating enough fat and protein at each meal is the key to avoiding post-meal sugar cravings.
sleep in the pitch dark – or invest in an eye mask
For optimal sleep, it’s advised that you nod off this side of midnight – this will help you to wake up more energised and leave you with happier hormones and calmer skin. When you sleep, your body repairs, detoxifies, regulates hormones and adjusts blood sugar levels and in order for our bodies to fulfil these functions properly, the brain must pass through four different levels of sleep cycles. My lovely friend Georgie has written a fab article on sleep cycles here. To maximise hormone function while you sleep, try to get to bed by 10 p.m. Hormone experts claim that one hour of sleep between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. is the equivalent to two hours of sleep before or after these time slots!
Sleeping in total darkness also sends important signals to the brain that it’s time to switch off and rest. Being in total darkness also improves your body’s natural melatonin production which can boost mood and help balance hormones. This means investing in some black-out blinds or an eye mask as well as reducing your exposure to blue light from TVs and mobile devices in bed. Too much exposure to blue light at bedtime can slow or even stop melatonin production causing disturbed sleep.
turn off all devices and enjoy a long candle lit bath before you go to bed. not only will some ‘me time’ dramatically reduce stress but the warmth of the bath along with dim candle light will make you super sleepy and perfectly prepped for a great night of restorative sleep.
detox those xenoestrogens – inside and out
‘Xenoestrogens’, ‘estrogen mimickers’ or ‘endocrine/hormone disruptors’ can cause us major hormone trouble. Chemicals we’re exposed to on a daily basis such as the pill, perfumes/fragrance, pesticides, cleaning products, ingredients in skin care, make up and plastic containers all mimic the functions of our natural oestrogens within the body. All these fake oestrogens increase the total amount of oestrogen in our bodies resulting in oestrogen excess, or oestrogen dominance. This condition results in an increase of androgens and can even block the effects of our own true, natural oestrogens.
where possible, switch to organic fruit and vegetables and natural cosmetics to reduce your exposure to toxic hormone disruptors.
Diindolylmethane, or DIM, is a natural, food-based supplement derived from cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower and broccoli and is great for re-balancing hormones when you come off the pill. DIM has amazing anti-androgen properties and regulates oestrogen metabolism to help you detox unwanted, toxic xenoestrogens that have accumulated during your time on the pill. Take no more than 400mg of DIM per day for a minimum of 3 months for best results. In the past, I recommend Estroblock Pro and Nature’s Way (2/3 a day) as these two brands use BioResponse DIM which is said to be the most absorbable form of DIM.
heal your gut and love your flora
Factors such as the contraceptive pill, high sugar/processed diet, stress, lack of sleep, medication/antibiotics, poor digestion, food allergies/intolerances all disrupt the bacteria population so our internal eco system becomes out of balance and leads to inflammation throughout the entire body. Avoiding the gut damaging factors listed above is the first step to healing your gut but there are some other things you should consider trying to improve gut function and reduce inflammation.
- Probiotics – Repopulate your gut with beneficial strains of good bacteria to help reduce inflammation. It’s important to get a high quality brand – I recommend Garden of Life, Prescript Assist, Epigenetic International, Natren or Symprove
- Betaine HCL and Digestive Bitters – Works really well in combination with a probiotic as it helps increase stomach acid to help you break down and digest food better. Better digestion = less inflammation!
- Berberine – A fantastic supplement for acne – it helps improve intestinal permeability, reduces inflammation, reduces testosterone in women, improves insulin sensitivity and is also a natural antibiotic. Berberine is a potent herb so it’s important to pulse your dose – I take it for 1 month then break for a week, then take for a month then break for a week etc.
take these essential acne-clearing supplements
Whatever’s causing you acne, there are three supplements that can really make a difference. Whether you acne is caused by coming off the pill, insulin resistance, PCOS or gut dysfunction these “key three” supplements can help restore hormone balance and promote clearer, calmer skin.
The contraceptive pill can seriously deplete you of important vitamins and minerals, especially B-vitamins, zinc and magnesium – all key nutrients for healthy skin so it’s really important you address these deficiencies!
zinc for post pill acne
Zinc is vital for wound healing, inflammation control, metabolism of testosterone and vitamin A function, so it plays an vital role in hormone management and acne. In a 2010 study, zinc showed promising results in a 12-week study. Patients reported a big decrease in acne – almost 79% of the patients had an 80-100% improvement! Zinc Picolinate is the most absorbable form of zinc and experts recommend 30-50mg of Zinc Picolinate per day.
b complex for post pill acne
B vitamins, particularly B6, are excellent if you’re prone to bad PMS, acne and irregular periods after coming off the pill. I’ve had great success with vitamin B complex for balancing hormones and bringing back natural periods. I’ve coached women who had cycles of 40+ days with terrible PMS symptoms who managed to get their cycles down to a 28-32 day cycle in just 1 month by supplementing with a B complex. My favourite brands are Thorne and Epigenetics International.
check the label and always avoid B12 from cyanocobalamin as it can cause acne – look for methylcobalamin instead!
magnesium for post pill acne
Magnesium is considered the most critical mineral required within every cell of our body and when our bodies are deficient, it can spell trouble for our hormones and our skin. It’s known as nature’s chill pill and helps our hormones by improving sleep, regulating blood sugar levels and reducing stress yet so many of us don’t get anywhere near enough. Why? Aggressive farming methods, soil depletion, poor gut health and the pill are just some of the factors that make magnesium deficiencies so, so common. Not only that, a deficiency often goes undiagnosed in standard blood tests as only 1% of the body’s magnesium is found in the blood. Magnesium Glycinate is said to be so effective for insulin resistance it’s performed BETTER in trials than Metformin – an insulin sensitising drug prescribed to those with diabetes. I take 300-400mg a day split between 3 doses for maximum absorption.
what happens if my periods don’t come back and I still breakout after coming off the pill?
Sometimes you can follow the rules to the T and yet 3 months post pill, you still run into trouble. If your periods haven’t come back after 3 months or are really irregular, heavy, painful or you’re dealing with awful PMS and acne after coming off the pill, then you should consider taking the herb Vitex (also know as Agnus Castus or Chasteberry/Chaste Tree). Vitex works by preventing your pituitary gland from producing too much prolactin. High prolactin can cause reduced FSH levels which then results in ovulation problems. No ovulation = no progesterone, and low progesterone can cause all the symptoms listed above.
It’s important to leave at least 3 months after coming off the pill before trying Vitex/Agnus Castus. This is because you want to give your body a good chance of producing it’s own hormones on its own accord. Taking Vitex if your body doesn’t need it can lead to imbalances further down the line. You will need to take Agnus Castus consistently for 3-4 months before you start to notice improvements.
never take vitex while you’re are on hormonal birth control – it’s a very potent herb and can reduce its efficiency!
can I eventually go back to a regular diet?
Yes! Once you repaired your gut, your skin is clear and your periods back to normal (normal meaning regular, painless and no PMS) I wholeheartedly believe that you can go back to enjoying the occasional treat without it affecting your skin. Just don’t go crazy as sugar will always have a negative effect on your health. Once you’re skin is clear you can start reducing the supplements (although probiotics and magnesium will always be staples in my daily routine!)
So, if you’re thinking of going off birth control or have already come off birth control and want to know how to avoid acne after coming off the pill, then these tips should help you get through the danger zone with as minimal damage as possible. I’d love to know hear your thoughts, has coming off the pill effected your skin badly? Did you find any natural remedies that helped clear your skin after coming off the pill? Let me know in the comments below!
Peace, Love & Clear Skin
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Hi Amy!
I’ve been following your plan for the last 3 months while I have come off of my birth control. While my face does break out a little bit here and there, I have been so pleased with how awesome my skin has been following your regimen. I was wondering how long you recommend I continue these supplements? I’m just about out of my 3rd cycle of them and wanted to ask before I make the investment to re-order vitamins. Thank you!
Hey Kelsey! I’m so glad I’ve been able to help 🙂 The danger zone is 3-6 months so I would continue the plan for 6 months just to be on the safe side! 🙂
Good Luck!
x
Hey so I’ve stopped taking the pill and after 3 months I have systic acne. I’ve gone back on the pill and I’m just wondering how long it will take to clear my skin up again? I’m eating as healthy as possible and avoiding dairy an sugar! I just really need to know how long it takes for the pill to start working again so the acne will clear up. It’s given me severe depression and I don’t even want to leave the house because I feel like people are just staring. Please help me! 🤦🏼♀️
Hi Indiana,
Unfortunately it can take up to six months for the skin to clear, and even then it may not be consistently clear. Many people find that when they come off the pill it creates a hormone imbalance that makes it hard to correct by going back on the pill and needs diet and lifestyle changes along with supplements like omega-3, probiotics, zinc and magnesium to bring things back into balance.
Good luck!
Amy
Hi Amy,
Thank you for this article. I’m searching for answers as I came off the pill in February and about a month after, my skin started breaking out worse than ever in my life. I had started to change my diet at the same time of coming of the pill in an effort to manage my endometriosis symptoms more naturally. So for the most part, I’m off dairy, gluten, soy among other things. My sugar intake is a little concerning but only because I have a lot of fruits. Does this matter?
Also, what’s the daily recommendation for the B vitamins? I need to check my supplements and see how much I’m getting from them.
I’ve also seen a few articles that say magnesium is better absorbed through the skin. What are your thoughts?
Do you also have any topical recommendations for treating the acne such as cleansers, toners, moisturisers, etc?
Hi Trudy-Mae! I have a tonne of skin care recommendation on the My Loves section of the blog 🙂 Magnesium is sooo important so I recommend getting it topically and through supplements – I love Epsom baths! Most fruits are fine but avoid very sugary fruits like dates, bananas and mango – also eating fruits with fat helps slow down the sugar absorption! X
Hi,
I’ve never had acne, and after coming off the pill, I’ve had to deal with terrible body acne. It’s been extremely psychologically draining. Doctors keep telling me to start taking the pill again. I do not agree with covering up the symptoms and would prefer to address the cause.
I have been pleasantly surprised by the amount of advice in this article. I will attempt all of it and see if it makes a difference. Thank you.
Hi Amy,
I’m so thankful that I came across your blog, you know what you’re are talking about! I’m seeing a naturopath but it seems like you already know much more than she does! I started to wean myself off of Yasmin about 6 months ago, but i’m now at my 2 months mark completely pill free! My chin is breaking out with no suprise (it’s the second time that i’m trying to stop birth control, last time I went back on it and had to do Accutane). My skin was completely clear for the 10 years I was on the pill, but now I’m trying to heal naturally and i’m not ready to give up. I went through your supplement recomandations, I don’t have PCOS but I think I might have an excess of Androgen since yasmin is pretty much only Estrogen. My question is, if I take Cod Liver Oil do I still need to take another type of omega 3 supplement?
Thanks!!!!
Hi Gabrielle! No, CLO contains omega-3s as well as beneficial vitamin A and D so you would only need to take CLO! Good luck with your journey and let me know if there’s anything else I can help you with 🙂 A x
Is it safe to take 10,000 IU of vitamin A and cod liver then? Because vit A is fat soluble, too much is dangerous right?
10,000iu a day is safe and the required dose for healing acne – how you take it is up to you – you could get 5,000iu from CLO and 5,000iu from vitamin A drops or softgels or whatever ratio works best for you! 🙂 A x
Hi,
I am soooo glad I have come across your blog! I came off the pill in January after finding out the pill had caused a large cyst to develop in my liver! Since then my skin has been awful, I have repeatedly told people it is since I stopped talking the pill but nobody seems to believe me! Can you recommend a foundation to use that won’t make my spots any worse?
Thanks.
Hi Sarah, yes – if you check this post out it contains all my favourite make up products: http://skyntherapyblog.com/best-natural-make-up-for-acne/ My absolute favourites are Sappho liquid foundation, Hynt concealer and Alima Pure powder foundation! 🙂 Amy x
Hi Amy,
I went off my birt control (yaz) 8 months ago. I’ve been having horrible breakouts around my mouth ever since. I never had acne before taking the pill so I’m really frustrated. I take zinc and b12 but I don’t see much of a difference. Should I get my hormones tested? Is it normal to have this after being 8 months without the pill? Thank you!!!
Hi Alex, unfortunately what you are experiencing is very very common! The good news is that it generally passes within 18 months IF you never suffered with acne prior to going on the pill. Things that can speed up healing are a high quality multi-vit instead of isolated zinc and b12, omega 3, probiotics and eating lots more healthy sources of fat and reducing refined sugar intake! Recommendations for supplements can be found in the My Loves section via the main menu 🙂 Good luck! Amy x
Hi,
I just ordered all your recommended vitamins and then some. I have already been taking probiotics, I’m vegan, and the whole lot. The only vitamins that are new to me are zinc and DIM. I want to stop taking my pill next week which is the start of my placebos. Should I still take DIM right away? Even if I’m taking my non placebo pills? Love your blog!
Hi Amanda, DIM doesn’t effect your contraceptive and can be taken whilst you’re still on the pill. Ideally, to prevent post-pull acne, you want to be taking the recommended supplements 2-3 months prior to coming off the pill to give your body time to heal and rebalance. X
Hi Amy,
Wondering if I could get some advice? I’m currently finishing up my 3rd month of Lolo (and seeing my dr again next week), Needed a BC method and acne wasn’t great before so doctor put me on this. My skin is worse now than before and still hasn’t cleaned up at the 3month mark. Do you know if going off the pill will make my skin worse even though I haven’t been on the pill that long? If I do go off I will for sure follow all of your advice!! Just went out to get some multivitamins to start the process. I really wish I did more research before going on the pill. The doctors just make it sounds like it is a great idea but now I feel like I am in a downward spiral.
Hi Georgi,
If you had acne before going on the pill then it’s likely it will go back to how it was before, or potentially even worse – even if it’s just for a few months! I would definitely start on the multi-vitamin and check out this blog post for more ways to balance things out with supplements 🙂
Hope this helps!
Amy x
Hi Amy,
I went on the pill to clear my acne face, chest and back when I was 15 and I am now 26. I have come off the pill (yasmin/dianette) 6 weeks ago after being on it ten years and I have started your regime of taking b wit complex, zinc, magnesium and probiotics about ten days ago. I am also thinking off adding in cod liver oil to this. Recently I have had very severe cystic breakouts around my mouth, chin and jaw and also started to see lots of small spots on my forehead which I never normally had, I was just wondering whether taking these supplements cause an adverse reaction at the start of taking them and then things settle down? I’m hoping they will start to work and my skin will clear up. I understand that I will have to be taking these for a long time at least 6 months to see a definite change.
Hi Emily!
Thank you for your comment, the skin can start to go a bit crazy anywhere from 4-12 weeks after coming off the pill. The most important thing for you is to boost progesterone and reduce excess oestrogen – I would also recommend taking 10,000iu of vitamin A. It can be done with CLO but it often ends up expensive so I actually recommend taking high quality synthetic vitamin A like Now Foods or BioCare. If after 3 months of taking vitamins/minerals and probiotics you are not seeing improvement you may benefit from starting DIM to clear out excess oestrogen and Vitex/Agnus Castus to kick start progesterone production!
Hope this helps,
Amy x
Hi Amy!
Thank you for your incredible blog! It’s been very helpful and informative! To give you a quick run-down: I never suffered from acne, then got on the pill, had no issues with it, and was on it for about 5 years. Then I switched to the Liletta IUD, which gave me acne. I got the IUD removed almost a year ago, and immediately got back on the pill (hindsight is 20/20, am I right?!) Ever since them I’ve had break outs. I clearly have a hormonal balance and would like to get off the pill, but want to give it enough time/follow your 2-3 month regimen. For the past month, I’ve only eaten organic meat and eggs, veggies, healthy fats like avocado and olive oil, and quinoa. I’ve completely cut out alcohol, dairy, gluten, sugar, and anything processed/with pesticides. I’ve also been taking probiotics, eating sauerkraut, and taking Vitamin D. I have definitely seen an improvement in my skin, although it’s not what it was before the breakouts began, and they still occur because of the hormonal imbalance/detox.
With that in mind, I want to start taking a lot of the vitamins you recommend to help avoid breakouts post pill. I noticed the ingredients: Vegetable Magnesium Stearate, Vegetable Searic Acid, and Vegetable Cellulose in a few of the Vitamin, such as Zinc Picolinate, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin A. Because those are derived from Vegetable Oil, which is high in Omega-6, are they safe to take in my case? Also, does that count as magnesium, or would you recommend taking a separate Magnesium supplement?
Also, once I come off the pill, do you recommend staying on such a strict detox. In other words, do you recommend not drinking alcohol or caffeine or having any gluten/dairy in the 3-6 months after I’m off the pill?
Thank you so much for your time and wonderful guidance! I look forward to hearing from you!
<3
Jennie
Hi Jennie! Thanks for your comment! The vitamins are safe to take and the omega-6 content would be so small it wouldn’t be an issue. I would recommend taking a separate Magnesium – citrate or bisglycinate as these are best absorbed by the body! I always say follow the 80:20 rule! Be good and follow a hormonally optimal diet 80% of the time and enjoy yourself the other 20%! Being too restrictive can have a negative impact on the health and skin. I recommend checking out these resources for some more info:
http://skyntherapyblog.com/supplements-for-acne-prone-skin/
http://skyntherapyblog.com/best-supplements-for-acne/
Good luck!
Amy x
Hello,
I was on the pill for years and bad lovely skin. I came off and broke out in the worst spots I have ever had so have been back in the pill for a week now.
Which vitamins do you recommend I buy for skin supplements? Is there one that had all the vitamins my skin needs or do i need to buy individual ones? I dont know wbere to start!
Thank you
Hi Ellie! Post-pill acne is extremely common! I really like the Life Extensions and Thorne multi-vitamins. They are very high quality and contain all the right types of nutrients. However, you may also benefit from DIM, NAC, vitamin A and probiotics to start balancing your hormones from the inside out – I have lots of recommendations on the “My Loves” section on this website! 🙂
Amy x
Amy
Hi,
I came off the pill over a year ago and within 6 months my skin starting getting these red bumps all over my cheeks and very oily skin.. I panicked and went back on the pill it’s been a year now and still no change?! I feel so depressed with this. Is there anything I can do to fix it? Without coming off the pill again. I really thought it would just go back to how it was when I was on the pill. Thankfully there not painful anymore but they are red bumps that come up nearly every day but go down by the next day! Strange!? Waiting for my dermatologist appointment which is in a couple of months.. is there anything I can do to help my skin x
Hi Charlotte – I would look at balancing your blood sugar – 2-4g of Inositol a day could be good and 100-200mg of DIM can help your body to metabolise the synthetic hormones from the contraceptive pill. Amy x