S04E21. Hormonal Acne & Your Cycle: Why Your Skin Changes Every Week

If your skin looks like three different people in a month, you're not imagining it, and your cycle is the reason why.

In this episode, Katie and Cris break down the four phases of your menstrual cycle and what each one is actually telling you about your skin. They cover the quick hormone 101 (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and the wildcard cortisol), what breakouts mean in each phase based on where they show up, and why the week before your period is the real stress test for your whole body. From jawline cysts to chin breakouts to that "good skin week" that vanishes, this episode will completely change how you read your cycle.

In This Episode We Cover

• Why your skin reacts to the ratio between your hormones, not just one hormone at a time.
• What's happening in your menstrual phase and why leftover cysts from your luteal phase show up here.
• Why breakouts in your follicular phase ("good skin week") are a red flag for deeper imbalances.
• How the testosterone spike at ovulation drives chin and jawline breakouts, especially with PMOS or blood sugar instability.
• Why the luteal phase amplifies every imbalance already in your body and how to support it through the week before your period.
• The hidden drivers that get blamed on hormones but are actually gut dysbiosis, sluggish detox, or blood sugar dysregulation.

Resources & Links Mentioned

• The Cycle Almanac
• Clearer Skin in 30 Dayshttps://katiestewartwellness.com/lp/acne-face-mapping
• The HTMA Testing Package
• The DUTCH Testing Package
• The GI Map Testing Package
• Acne face mapping guide

Work With Us + Connect

• Ready to start working on your skin? Clearer Skin in 30 Days is your next step.
• Follow Katie on Instagram: @katiestewartwellness
• Loved this episode? Leave us a review, it truly helps more people find the show! 🙏

If your acne keeps finding its way back no matter what you try, this one's for you. Katie's hosting a free live masterclass on the 5 reasons acne keeps coming back and the sequence that makes clearing stick.

💜 Save your spot for this Wednesday at noon EST (replay available!): https://katiestewartwellness.com/masterclass