What is Cycle Syncing Skincare?

Is it a coincidence that every month you breakout a week before your period and get really irritable? Is it luck that your complexion glows after Aunt Flow's visit? Does everyone in Menopause get hot flashes, insomnia and extremely dry skin?

These skin and mood fluctuations, are no coincidence, they correspond to your hormones' natural cycling, over a period of 28 days and after you are done cycling. This 28-day cycle, follows the moon's 28-day cycle, so it is interchangeably referred to as your 'lunar cycle'.  

'Cycle syncing skincare' is the idea that you can optimize your skincare ritual to work with- not against- your body's natural hormone and skin fluctuations, and hopefully feel more connected to your body and the natural world's cycles.

As your hormones fluctuate throughout four phases of your lunar cycle, they impact your skin's appearance and feel. Because this lunar pattern repeats every month, it makes the way your skin looks and feels, predictable, making it easy to tailor and synchronize your skincare to match each phase.

When your cycle fluctuations are disrupted in Perimenopause, these skin changes can become a little less predictable. When the somewhat more predictable hormonal changes in menopause happen, noticing when they occur and keeping a log or journal, can help you track the new changes in your skin and optimize your skincare for your needs. Pregnancy brings a host of hormonal and skin changes on face and body as well.

Kavana's "Lunar Legend", is designed to help you find the non-toxic, hormone safe, plant powered products by Kavana Skincare, that are best suited to your cycle and/ cycles of life. 

Look for the moon or lunar symbols on each product page of the kavanaskincare.com website/shop, that correspond with each phase of your cycle and skin, to get the most out of your skincare. You can also find it on the KavanaSkincare Instagram page and bookmark it! See the explanation below for each phase, including Perimenopause, Pregnancy and Menopause.

 

Menstruation/ Period phase: Focus on upping your moisturizing ritual for face and body in this phase. Increase hydration internally and externally and incorporate moisturizing face mists, thicker face creams and face nectars (oil blends), and eye cream. Avoid harsh ingredients and overly exfoliating or retinol-inclusive products. 

 

 

Follicular phase (the week after menstruation): Yes, you woke up like this! Best skin ever! As estrogen rises in this phase, it helps promote the skin's moisture retention, plumpness and elasticity, making people feel their skin appears more luminous looking.

Focus on maintaining glow with humectant  (Glycerin and Hyaluronic acid) rich products, is best and gently exfoliation can help fortify skin too.

 

 

Ovulation (ovulatory phase): This mid-cycle point—around day 14 before the start of the next period,—is when an egg is released from the ovary into the fallopian tube. In addition to estrogen, testosterone levels are at their peak, and ovulation follows this spike.

When estrogen and testosterone levels are high enough, they signal a dramatic increase in the luteinizing hormone (LH). This surge typically occurs directly prior to the onset of hormonal acne.

Focus on preventing breakouts with deep cleaning products like Kavana's Foaming Face Polish, and keeping skin cool with Kavana's anti-bacterial skin Saver Mist and Mattifying Niaouli face mists in this phase, when body temperature can rise by as much as one degree celcius, is key.

 

Luteal Phase (pre-menstruation): As progesterone and rising testosterone take over, and estrogen drops, the luteal phase begins and acne, inflammation, clogged, congested pores and face puffiness, can accompany excess oil production. Focus on eliminating excess oil and pollution with Kavana's Purifying Cream Cleanser and Mask and Niaouli Mattifying Mist and Moisturizer/Primer. De-puff eye area with the Luminous Eye Gel.

 

Perimenopause and Menopause:  As estrogen begins it's steady decline, collagen production is most affected and causes fine lines and wrinkles to start looking more pronounced. Because of higher levels of androgens, relative to estrogen circulate, adult, hormonal acne can also rear it's ugly head.  Focus on finding what works best for you, using specific products that will offer more hydration, like Kavana's Phyto-5 Blue Moon Rich Night Cream and Phyto-5 Cacao and Immortelle Nectar, and for adult acne, the Purifying Cream Cleanser and Mask or Foaming Face Polish and Niaouli Mattifying Mist and Balancing and Nourishing Niaouli Nectar.