In my first-ever beauty blast, I mentioned my experience with post-pill acne. The DMs came flooding in (I even got a FB msg!) so I wanted to take the time to put all my thoughts/tips/takeaways on paper.

For context, I was on the pill for 11 years from the age of 15. It did me wonders but at the seven-year mark I had the realisation that I’d had five… maybe six periods on my own accord. I went off cold turkey but two months in I was hit with deep, angry pimples that would. not. fucking. heal. As a beauty journalist, it was quite distressing, so I gave up and went back on.

Fast forward to 2021 and I wanted to do it again but properly; I just wanted to get to know my body a bit more, you know? I braced for oily, spotty skin and while it did happen, it was much less severe, and things eventually settled down into a (new) type of normal. I tried a lot of shit to make the process an easy one – not just in relation to my face, but hormone health in general. Some of it helped, some of it didn’t… the former is what I am sharing with you lovely people right here.

Post-pill acne… what the fuck

Basically, the oral contraceptive decreases hormonally-triggered oil production within the sebaceous gland. So when you stop taking it, this oil production turns one ON, encouraging pre-pill acne to return or minor spots to blow out (fucking rude, I know). So if you are not a pimply person to begin with, you shouldn’t really get post-pill acne… but please don’t quote me on that.

People call the pill a bandaid and while this is true to a degree, I take issue with it. It still works – albeit temporarily – and in those vulnerable early-twenty-something years I think that can be a good thing… life is cruel enough!

In my case, I had moderate acne before I went on the pill, painfully perfect skin whilst on it, and then bad breakouts once I came off (like deep, persistent mother fuckers that took minutes to form and weeks to disappear).

Now, my skin only breaks out around the time of my period, or when I’m treating my body like a garbage can. Which seems fair.

My guide

Please keep in mind I’m not an expert – I’ve interviewed a lot of qualified people but these tips and takeaways are all purely based on my individual experience. Take from it what you will and remember that everyone’s face/body is different.

Dial back your skincare

When shit hits the fan it’s human nature to use all your skincare, all at once. But please resist. By doing this you will impair your barrier and make things worse. I speak from experience! Instead, stick to a gentle cleanser, simple moisturiser, SPF and 1-2 GREAT treatment products that work for you. Personally, I love a chemical exfoliant to keep pores clear of sebum, and a gentle-but-great Retinol to minimise cell build-up. I’m also really intrigued by Mandelic Acid (dying for Sofie Pavitt’s serum but it’s not available in Australia, sob).

I found great success with Biologique Recherche P50, iS CLINICAL Active Serum, Rationale #5 Night Cream, and Biba de Sousa’s Sulfur Mask as a spot treatment. And if you can’t help but pick (guiltyyy) get yourself some hydrocolloids. I love StarFace and those Spot Medic ones you get at Priceline. A great barrier cream is also good to have. I love the iconic Cicaplast Baume from the legends over at La Roche-Posay.

The prescription route

On the topic of active ingredients, prescription Retinoids are hailed as an acne silver bullet. This is often true – they are a goddamn miracle, in fact. But personally, Retrieve (the brand name in Australia) destroyed my face. I got a script easily enough from my doctor and did all the right things – applied 1-2 times per week with moisturiser as a buffer, fuck loads of sunscreen etc etc. But all it did was make me red/flaky/insanely dry. And all that dry skin CLOGGED MY PORES EVEN MORE. I persevered for four months before giving up.

Prescription Retinoids contain Retinoic Acid, which is the purest form of the ingredient. Retinol needs to undergo a few conversions within the skin in order to become Retinoic Acid, losing some of its gusto in the process. But, I have had far greater success using a gentle Retinol every second/third night than pure Retinoic Acid. Food for thought if your skin is already in a vulnerable place. If I had my time again I’d go through someone with more of a skin focus, like Dr. Michele Squire from Qr8.

Stop clogging your pores

The last thing I will say about skincare and ingredients is to check your shit on Biba de Sousa’s Pore Clogger tool. It scans an ingredient listing and confirms whether a product is safe or not for easily-congested skin. It’s also really helpful for makeup. If you constantly get those tiny little closed comedones, get onto it. It could change your life.

Light therapy

One thing that I can vouch for is LED Light Therapy. LED lights are proven to improve cellular function in the skin – red is great for general complexion health while blue kills off acne-causing bacteria. There are countless LED masks on the market these days, but they are not all created equal. Those $79 ones that pop up as Instagram-sponsored ads? They’re shit, don’t buy them. You need something with a proven wavelength. I was gifted an Omnilux one and I LOVED it. But sadly, it broke. So, I bought the Dr. Dennis Gross Spectralite which I feel is marginally less effective, but it’s more comfortable, and combines blue/red light which I’m into. If you’re committed to it, you’ll notice fewer breakouts and a calmer face.

Herbs + Acupuncture

Truthfully, the best thing I did for my skin and cycle saw a Traditional Chinese Doctor. I started with acupuncture but kept fainting (which I imagine was annoying) so instead, she got me onto herbs. They tasted absolutely foul but within a fortnight I’d gotten my period back. I did about eight weeks of custom herbs but then switched to Zilch, you can buy it online – easier and cheaper. It follows similar principles and works to improve circulation and eliminate toxins/excess heat from the body. Again, I can’t say it will work for everyone, but TCM was a godsend for me. It also helped me get rid of my Urticaria. If you’ve exhausted a bunch of options trying to get your skin/period right, I suggest you try it.

Not All Facials

The other thing I invested in was regular facials at Belemeres. I’d never been before but so many people recommended Carina and her team, so when my skin started to break out I committed to monthly treatments (as a paying customer). I can’t say if they helped in reducing my acne, but I really do believe the signature Fairy Dust treatment is amazing for skin healing and hydration. They also do extractions which can be a slippery slope, but I found them good for clearing out deep, clogged pores.

And that’s it! I could probably bang on but these are my main tips. Also don’t let this scare you – some people come off the pill without so much as a single whitehead (bitches). But for the rest of us, I hope this is somewhat helpful. And at the very least, know you’re not alone (my DMs are proof).

Em x

Words — Emily Agar

Emily Algar’s lived-through guide for treating post-pill skin