2019-10-01 Cosmopolitan

Follicular

phase

days^6 through 12

As your ovaries begin

prepping an egg for release,

your estrogen levels start

to creep back up.

Overall, things are pretty

chill (bless up). Your skin is less

sensitive, red, and reactive.

“If you’re going to use strong

treatments, now is the time,”

says functional nutritionist Alisa

Vitti, author of WomanCode.

Slather on a peel (like Estée

Lauder’s) to get rid of any dead

skin cells, then follow up with

an overnight brightening

mask (like Olay’s). P.S. If you

wax, book your appointment

now. “As estrogen rises, so

does your pain tolerance,”

says Dr. Zeichner.

Hormone hack

Olay Masks

Overnight

Brightening

Gel Mask, $20,

drugstores

Estée Lauder
Perfectionist Pro
Instant Resurfacing
Peel, $75,
esteelauder.com

estrogen

The female sex hormone responsible

for certain female body parts—like

boobs—and reproduction (it’s critical

for triggering the release of an egg).

testosterone

A male and female

(surprise!) hormone that

contributes to your sex drive

and vaginal lubrication.

progesterone

The hormone that preps

your uterus every month for

potential pregnancy.

Luteal phase

days^16 through^28

This pre-period phase—

in which estrogen and

progesterone rise, then

plummet—is the longest and,

annoyingly, when your skin

is most likely to freak out.

“This hormonal imbalance

triggers inflammation and even

thicker sebum production,”

says Vitti. That can spell a-c-n-e.

Use a salicylic acid treatment

(Murad’s contains a solid

1 percent) to dissolve excess

oil in your pores and reduce

redness. Oh, and one more

thing: Your current hormonal

seesaw can also seriously mess

with your sleep—hi, dark

under-eye circles. Don’t forget

to pat on some caffeine-

packed eye cream.

Hormone hack

Dior Capture

Youth Age-Delay

Advanced Eye

Treatment, $78,

dior.com

Murad

Outsmart Acne

Clarifying

Treatment, $44,

murad.com

Ovulation

days

(^13) th
rough^15
Estrogen and testosterone
levels continue to climb
as that egg matures and
eventually gets pushed out
into your fallopian tubes.
Good news: You’ll look your
glowiest during this part of
the cycle. “Estrogen boosts
collagen production, which
keeps skin plump and firm,”
says Dr. Zeichner. And
testosterone increases your
sebum production, which acts
like a natural moisturizer
to make you soft and dewy.
The only issue? If your skin is
on the oily side, that uptick in
sebum can cause breakouts.
Add an oil-absorbing clay
mask or a gentle scrub into
your routine.
Hormone hack
Cetaphil Pro
Dermacontrol
Purifying Clay
M ask, $15,
drugstores
L’Oréal Paris
Pure-Sugar Purify
and Unclog Kiwi
Scrub, $13,
drugstores
YOUR HORMONE CHEAT SHEET
October 2019 Cosmopolitan 73