Acne is frustrating, especially when you can't pinpoint what's causing it. But did you know that your hormones — and not just sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone — can be a huge trigger for acne? My guest today is Vivien Allred, NTP, CNHC, BANT. She studied to become a Naturopathic Nutritional Therapist after struggling with many health issues during early adulthood. Getting no answers from conventional medicine, Vivien decided to take her health into her own hands and is now thriving. Her passion is to help other women identify and address the root causes of their symptoms, including acne, hair loss & period problems. Vivien provides a ton of health education on her social media accounts and website. She also hosts a women’s health podcast ‘Hormones in Harmony’ where she interviews expert guests in the healthcare & nutrition industry. Join us as we talk about how hormones trigger acne. Has your acne improved with hormone support? Tell me about it in the comments! In this episode: General connection between hormones and acne Vivien's take on dairy How is cortisol involved in acne? What are androgens? In women, how do high testosterone levels contribute to acne? How is the thyroid related to acne? Vivien's tip for relieving stress Quotes “When people think hormones, they think estrogen, progesterone and testosterone, and they really do influence the skin, but there are other hormones like cortisol and insulin that can also be involved.” [1:28] “I usually see high cortisol being the most problematic because when your body is pumping out cortisol from the adrenal glands, it's also coming out things like adrenaline and some of these androgens as well, like DHEAS and these things can increase sebum production in the skin.” [11:37] Links Find Vivien online here Healthy Skin Show ep. 034: Diet Solutions For Adult Acne w/ Brie Wieselman Healthy Skin Show ep. 067: Best Stress Relief Tips For Skin Rashes (contains some different breathing exercises you could try) Healthy Skin Show ep. 183: Adult Acne: Gut, Topical Products + Nutrient Issues w/ Vivien Allred, NTP, CNHC, BANT The Upside of Stress: Why Stress Is Good for You, and How to Get Good at It by Dr. Kelly McGonigal Download Vivien's FREE guide: Acne Root Causes Jen's appearance on Vivien's podcast: Healing Chronic Skin Rashes from the Inside Out Follow Vivien on Instagram | Facebook | YouTube