What is DIM for acne? DIM, short for Diindolylmethane, helps to rebalance hormones to improve hormonal acne. As well as DIM being a great hormonal acne supplement, it also decreases sebum production. This reduces general acne flare-ups too!
What is Hormonal Acne?
Hormonal acne is a type of acne that is linked to an imbalance of hormones, namely estrogen. Estrogen levels and acne go hand-in-hand. The hormonal imbalance occurs most prominently in women aged between 20-40, an age range where hormones levels are constantly fluctuating due to periods and menopause.
However, testosterone also affects acne. Testosterone regulates sebum (oil) production in the skin. A boost in testosterone levels during puberty leads to an increase in sebum which allows P. acnes bacteria to grow.
Hormonal Acne Symptoms:
People with the skin condition have the following symptoms:
- Pimples
- Blackheads
- Whiteheads
- Cysts
The breakouts are typically located on the lower part of the face, especially the jawline, cheeks and mouth. If estrogen levels are left unchecked, much of the symptoms will be exacerbated and will progress from mild symptoms to painful. Unchecked estrogen leads to severe acne flare-ups.
Strictly speaking, all forms of acne connect to an imbalance of hormones but can vary from mild forms of acne to severe. Blackheads and whiteheads are considered mild, whereas cysts and nodules are severe. The latter 2 often leave long term scars.
Estrogen and Acne
Changes in hormones are a leading cause of acne during pregnancy and menopause. While androgen levels, like testosterone, appear normal around these times, estrogen levels fall dramatically. This gives rise to hormonal acne flare-ups.
As a result of women generally experiencing more frequent hormonal changes throughout their lives than men, hormonal acne levels are significantly higher in women. This relates to all age groups.¹
What Causes Hormonal Acne?
Your body naturally produces a healthy amount of sebum. Sebum is an oil found in the sebaceous glands to lubricate and moisturise your skin. The oil gland connects to hair follicles and releases sebum not only on the face but everywhere on the body, save the palms and soles.
However, hormones, and in particular estrogen, increase sebum levels in the glands. This often leaves the skin feeling too oily. Besides the feeling of greasy skin, an abundance of oil plays a role in clogging the pores, especially in the chin area. This leads to breakouts such as cystic acne. Cystic acne forms underneath the skin as it is trapped in the pores. Cysts in particular contain pus. They're also the most severe form of acne.
Other factors and side effects of excessive sebum are caused by the following:
Whatever affects estrogen levels, affects hormonal ance. This means that the stress hormone cortisol will fluctuate estrogen levels.
Hormones are likely to fluctuate during the monthly cycle. This mostly happens just before the period begins because hormone levels such as estrogen and progesterone fall, hence the excessive build-up of sebum in the oil gland.
Hormonal acne can also be caused by pregnancy. This is a form of adult acne and is more common in the first and second trimesters as androgen levels vary in the early stages of pregnancy. Oral contraceptives and contraception pills also promote hormone fluctuations.
What Is DIM for Acne?
Diindolylmethane (DIM) is found in some vegatables, mainly cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower. It's proven to balance hormone levels, making DIM great for acne. Evidence also suggests that rich vegetable diets that contain high levels of DIM link to a reduced risk of breast and prostate cancer.
DIM not only maintains a healthy immune system but also balances estrogen levels. This in turn prevents hot flashes and hormonal acne from appearing. It promotes the good type of estrogen called 2-hydroxy and reduces the bad form called 16-hydroxy.
As well as this, DIM also helps to balance testosterone levels by acting as an androgen blocker. DIM helps control hormonal acne by balancing both estrogen and testosterone levels.
DIM supplements like Osmosis Skin Defense are known to improve estrogen metabolism and balance testosterone. As well as this DIM acne supplements also detox the skin from oxidative stress and free radicals.
DIM for Acne Side Effects
Unlike a lot of hormonal acne supplements, DIM acne supplements have little to no side effects. DIM acne supplements and serums are suitable for most people!
The only mild reported side effects of DIM for acne are fatigue, mild headaches and darker than normal urine. However, none of these DIM side effects are serious or long-lasting.
The Best DIM Acne Supplement
Fortunately, it has never been easier to treat your hormonal acne with DIM. At Dermoi we recommend using Osmosis Skin Defense for several reasons:
- Provides excellent antioxidant protection
- Detoxes the body from heavy metal, estrogen toxins, pesticides
- Clears the skin and restores luminosity
- Removes dead skin cells
- Boosts mood and brain health with N-Acetyl Cysteine
- Cruelty-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan
It clears excess toxins, mucus and hormones to lessen the symptoms of those suffering from hormonal acne. Skin Defense also has anti-inflammatory properties which are great if your ance causes severe inflammation.
A natural treatment is to reduce your sugar intake as increased sugar imports more insulin to the body, raising the amount of oil in the sebaceous glands. Therefore it is best to reduce sugar and insulin-rich foods like white rice, white bread and pasta.
The Best At-Home DIM for Acne Treatments
If you’re looking for a more personalised, bespoke acne treatment that is effective against hormonal acne, then we recommend our two at-home treatment options that are non-invasive: Osmosis Healing Treatment and iS Clinical Acne Healing Peel.
- Osmosis Healing Treatment uses a host of Osmosis products such as serums to balance the amount of oil produced in the sebaceous glands to reduce the effect of hormonal acne. Our treatment clears the pores while also improving the skin tone with antioxidants like vitamin A. Active ingredients like niacinamide and L-mandelic acid also battle skin inflammation and prevent future acne scarring for acne-prone skin.
- iS Clinical Acne Healing Peel uses non-invasive exfoliants like niacinamide and retinal. This at-home treatment kills bacteria related to acne which reduces inflammation, pimples and blackheads. Our peel purifies the skin and helps balance sebum secretion with blue LED lights that are proven to reduce mild to moderate forms of acne.
