Your skin is often a reflection of what's happening beneath the surface. While skincare products can play a role, two commonly overlooked factors that significantly influence skin health are gut health and hormones.

Dryness, dullness, breakouts, redness, rashes, and irritation are often signs that the skin barrier is struggling to keep up with underlying inflammation and imbalance. Rather than focusing solely on topical treatments or the latest skincare trends, it's important to take a step back and explore the internal factors that can contribute to a compromised skin barrier. Understanding the root causes is the first step toward achieving healthier, more resilient skin.

Hormonal Imbalance and an Imbalanced Skin Barrier

Let’s dive a little deeper into what hormones are, why and how our bodies use them, and how they can become imbalanced before we talk about their effect on skin health.

To simplify, think of your hormones as chemical messengers that communicate to skin, muscles, and tissues and facilitate bodily processes. Hormones only turn on or act if they “fits” the cells in the target tissue, commonly described as the “lock and key” mechanism.

When the hormone fits the “lock” on the cell wall, it controls metabolism, homeostasis, growth and development, sexual function, reproduction, the sleep-wake cycle, and even mood. Therefore, when hormones are imbalanced, our entire bodies can be significantly affected.

Some common causes of hormonal imbalances:

Chronic stress
Thyroid issues
PCOS
Diabetes
Poor diet
Exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals
- Read more about non-toxic living here!

Hormones and the Health of Your Skin

Hormones play a significant role in regulating the health, appearance, and function of your skin. When hormones are balanced, they help support healthy oil production, hydration, collagen formation, and skin cell turnover. However, both too much and too little of certain hormones can contribute to a variety of skin concerns.

Some of the key hormones that influence skin health include:

Estrogen: Supports collagen production, skin thickness, elasticity, and moisture retention. Low estrogen levels can contribute to dry, thin, or aging skin, while excess estrogen may be associated with increased pigmentation and inflammatory skin changes.

Testosterone: Stimulates sebum (oil) production. Elevated testosterone levels can increase oil production and contribute to clogged pores and acne, while low levels may lead to drier skin.

Progesterone: Influences sebum production and skin inflammation. Higher progesterone levels during certain phases of the menstrual cycle can increase oil production and trigger breakouts in some individuals.

Cortisol: Often referred to as the body's primary stress hormone, cortisol can have a profound impact on skin health. Chronically elevated cortisol levels may increase inflammation, impair skin barrier function, slow wound healing, and contribute to conditions such as acne, eczema, and premature aging.

Thyroid hormones: Help regulate skin cell turnover, hydration, circulation, and hair growth. Both underactive and overactive thyroid function can affect skin texture, moisture levels, and overall skin health.

Estrogen and cortisol are two common examples of how hormonal imbalances can show up on the skin. Low estrogen may contribute to dryness and loss of elasticity, while excess cortisol can promote inflammation and skin barrier dysfunction.

It's also important to remember that hormones are not static—especially for women. Throughout the menstrual cycle, hormone levels naturally rise and fall. These fluctuations can influence mood, energy, sleep, appetite, and skin health. This is why some women notice increased breakouts around ovulation or before their period, while others experience changes in skin hydration and sensitivity throughout the month.

When persistent skin issues are present, it's worth looking beyond skincare products alone and considering whether underlying hormone imbalances may be contributing to the problem.

Get to Know Your Hormone Cycle and read my previous blog!

Hormone Health Intensive

Since hormones play such a significant role in overall health, it’s important to identify the root cause of the issue. With my Hormone Health Intensive, you can get your individual, unique hormone results from the DUTCH Test and work 1-on-1 with me to create a personalized protocol to help you find balance in your body again.

Gut-Skin Connection

Our gut microbiome is a diverse ecosystem of bacteria and other microorganisms that reside in our intestines. These bacteria and other microorganisms are vital to our overall health and support major bodily functions such as digestion, immune health, mood, and metabolism. Because of the gut’s powerhouse role in our health and its influence on many bodily systems, the health of our skin relies on the health of our gut.

Leaky Gut & Inflammation:

Your intestinal lining acts as a highly selective barrier, allowing nutrients from food to enter the bloodstream while keeping unwanted substances contained within the digestive tract. When this barrier becomes compromised—a condition often referred to as "leaky gut" or increased intestinal permeability—it allows larger particles, such as undigested food proteins, toxins, microbial byproducts, and yeast, to pass into circulation.

As these substances cross the gut barrier, they can trigger an immune response and contribute to chronic, low-grade inflammation throughout the body. Because the skin is one of the body's largest organs and a major route of elimination, it is often one of the first places this inflammation becomes visible.

Research continues to highlight the connection between the gut and skin, often referred to as the gut-skin axis. When the gut microbiome is imbalanced (dysbiosis) or the intestinal barrier is compromised, inflammatory signals can travel throughout the body and contribute to skin conditions such as acne, eczema, rosacea, psoriasis, and dermatitis.

Beyond skin concerns, increased intestinal permeability and gut dysbiosis may also be associated with food sensitivities, digestive symptoms, fatigue, brain fog, joint pain, anxiety, autoimmune flare-ups, and other inflammatory conditions. Supporting a healthy gut barrier and diverse microbiome is often a foundational step in improving both overall health and skin resilience.

Read more on leaky gut by reading my previous blog, “Leaky Gut: What It Is, Why It Happens, and How to Heal It Naturally.”

Master Your Microbiome

The GI-MAP test is an at-home stool test that reveals the imbalances in the “good” and “bad” gut bacteria, digestive enzyme output, yeast and parasites, inflammation, gluten sensitivity, and more. My Gut Health Intensive program is ideal for those struggling with unexplained gut issues or looking to optimize gut health with a customized protocol.

Ways to Balance Skin

Taking care of your skin starts with taking care of your overall health, but there are skin-specific practices you can focus on to promote your skin’s resiliency. Here are my top recommendations:

Protect skin from UV damage

What you put in your body is just as important as what you put on your body for UV protection. Focusing on foods rich in vitamins A, C, and E, as well as antioxidants and healthy fats, all support the skin barrier.

When it comes to sunscreen topicals, I focus on cream-and mineral-based formulas. Many well-known sunscreens include fragrances and harmful chemicals such as oxybenzone, octinoxate, avobenzone, and other endocrine-disrupting additives.
- To learn more about skin health and holistic choices for sun protection, check out my previous blog, “Skin Health and Using the Sun as Medicine.”

supplements

One of my top supplements for skin health is omega-3s because of its anti-inflammatory properties and power in strengthening the lipid barrier. My other recommended supplement is zinc for its ability to fight inflammation and accelerate wound healing.

non-toxic skincare

For non-comedogenic face products, I always rely on EWG.org (Environmental Working Group) to check their database for harmful ingredients.

HYDRATION

Hydration is key to skin elasticity and balance!

Support gut health

Prioritize a diverse diet, fermented foods, adequate fiber, and address underlying digestive issues that may be contributing to inflammation.

Balance blood sugar

Frequent blood sugar spikes can promote inflammation and hormonal imbalances that may contribute to acne and accelerated skin aging.

Prioritize sleep

Much of the body's repair and regeneration occurs while you sleep. Aim for 7–9 hours of quality sleep each night.

Manage stress

Chronic stress can elevate cortisol levels, increasing inflammation and potentially triggering acne, eczema, psoriasis, and other skin conditions.

Consider your hormones

If you're experiencing persistent acne, dryness, excess oil production, or other skin concerns, evaluating hormone health may help uncover contributing factors.