Understanding Hormonal Acne: Causes and Treatments

Hormonal acne isn't just a teenage problem—it’s a grown woman’s reality. And if you're in your 40s or 50s, wondering why your skin is suddenly acting up again, you're not alone. Life, work, aging parents, teenagers, relationships, perimenopause… stress has a way of showing up on your face—literally.

Why You're Breaking Out—Again

Let’s get straight to it: the main culprit behind adult acne is cortisol, the stress hormone. When your body is constantly in fight-or-flight mode (thanks, modern life), cortisol levels spike, throwing your hormones out of balance. That imbalance signals your sebaceous glands to produce more oil, which clogs pores and leads to those deep, painful breakouts that seem to take forever to heal.

But it’s not just stress. Other culprits include:

• Perimenopause & hormonal shifts: Fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone can increase oil production and inflammation.
• Diet & lifestyle: Too much sugar or dairy, lack of sleep, dehydration—all common when you're juggling everything—can impact your skin.
• Product buildup or using the wrong formulas: That “gentle cleanser” your teenager uses? Probably not cutting it anymore.

Let’s be clear: this isn’t about perfection. It’s about taking back control of your skin and feeling like yourself again.

Stacked Solutions for Hormonal Acne

At StackedSkincare, we don’t believe in overstripping your skin or fighting oil with harsh, drying agents. We’re all about smart, strategic layering of treatments that work with your skin—not against it. Here's how to rebalance, repair, and glow again.

1. Kill the Bacteria and Calm the Inflammation

High Frequency Device
Use this tool after cleansing to oxygenate the skin, kill acne-causing bacteria, and calm inflammation. It delivers a gentle electrical current that helps prevent new breakouts and speeds up healing, especially helpful for those deep, hormonal flare-ups that like to linger.

2. Clear Pores and Speed Up Turnover

Multi-Acid TCA Face Peel
This gentle but powerful peel exfoliates away dead skin and excess oil while reducing the appearance of post-acne marks and fine lines. Use it 3–4 nights a week after high frequency. Follow immediately with…

3. Support Healing and Reduce Redness

EGF Activating Serum
This serum helps repair the skin barrier, fade acne scars, and calm redness. It's like first aid for your face—and essential after using peels. Especially helpful if your skin tends to look inflamed or stressed out.

4. Prevent Future Breakouts + Boost Cell Turnover

Advanced Retinol Serum
Retinol is your long-term strategy. It keeps pores clear, regulates oil production, and boosts collagen. Use it 3–4 nights a week after your EGF serum. Bonus: it also helps tackle fine lines and texture.

5. Hydrate Without Clogging

Moisture Lock Routine
Dehydrated skin leads to overactive oil production—and more breakouts. The key is balanced, layered hydration. Start with our Microbiome Moisturizer, a powerhouse formula packed with humectants, emollients, and occlusives to draw in, replenish, and seal in moisture. It’s also loaded with a potent antioxidant to help defend against environmental and stress-related damage.

Top it off with a few drops of our Shiunko Face Oil, which calms inflammation and locks everything in without clogging your pores. This final step ensures your skin stays nourished, balanced, and breakout-resistant.

6. Dermaplane Monthly to Stay Clear + Smooth

Dermaplaning Tool
If you're not dermaplaning yet, it's time. This once-a-month ritual sloughs off dead skin cells that can clog pores and dull your glow, helping prevent breakouts before they start. Even better? It allows your serums and treatments to penetrate more deeply, meaning you're not wasting a single drop of those hard-working actives.

Bonus: It removes peach fuzz and those coarser hairs that somehow started showing up around your chin the moment perimenopause walked in the door. You’re not imagining it—declining estrogen + shifting testosterone = a few surprise sprouts. Think of dermaplaning as your hormone-hack facial—smooth, glow-boosting, and satisfying.

Your Routine, Simplified

Monthly Add-On:

• Dermaplane on clean, dry skin (once per month, in the evening).
• Follow immediately with your Multi-Acid TCA Face Peel, then proceed with the rest of your stack.

Evening Stack (3–4 nights a week):

1. Cleanse
2. High Frequency Device
3. Multi-Acid TCA Face Peel
4. EGF Activating Serum
5. Advanced Retinol Serum
6. Microbiome Moisturizer
7. Shiunko Face Oil

Other nights: Skip the peel and retinol. Just cleanse, use high frequency if needed, then layer EGF, moisturizer, and oil.

Final Thoughts

You’re not breaking out because you’re doing something wrong. You’re breaking out because you’re doing everything. And your skin is asking for support. You deserve skincare that meets you where you are—smart, effective, and unapologetically adult.

Ready to stack the odds in your favor?

Shop our Acne collection now https://stackedskincare.com/collections/acne