I got diagnosed with PCOS at 16 years old and was fortunate enough not to have many of the nasty side effects, just irregular periods- no complaints there! I was put on the combined contraceptive pill and told to look up Polycystic Ovary Syndrome at the library (yes seriously- this was pre Google *insert Granny Face emoji here*).

Fast forward a few years; I came off the pill and my skin went wild! I’m not going to talk too much on the medical side of PCOS, it can be a serious condition in some cases and should be monitored by a medical professional, but I now have my skin under control (95% of the time) so I wanted to share what works for me (I realise that the skin issues associated with PCOS are not necessarily the most serious side effect but it can have a massive impact on self confidence and how we feel so it should be addressed).

There are varying degrees of skin problems for PCOS sufferers but they generally all stem from the same thing- blocked sebaceous glands. The sebaceous glands are the hair follicles/pores that house oil to keep our skin supple. PCOS can cause excess oil production, increased facial hair (hirsutism) and abnormally fast skin cell turnover, all of which block the pores. The oil and hair are self explanatory as to why they block the pores- the pores are only small and don’t need excess of anything to overcrowd them! But it is the cell turnover that causes the biggest problem; new cells are layering up before old cells have had time to shed- this creates a thicker and rougher feeling complexion. Therefore the blockages become much deeper and all the oil and dead skin cells have a more difficult time trying to escape, causing painful spots and bumps under the skin.

A natural instinct is to use a strong, oil removing cleanser and toner, but this can have an adverse effect; if the skin surface is stripped of oil, the receptors in the sebaceous glands send out an alarm to produce more oil! Thus adding to the problem. Cleansing is a very important first step though (in all skin care regimes), I like balm cleansers as the oil in them attracts the oil from your skin without stripping it but cleansers are very much a personal choice of what you like and what works for you.

For me, the most important part in my defence against PCOS is Retinol. Retinol exfoliates from the inside out! It uses vitamin A to push dead skin cells up and out (rather than removing the surface layer) this prevents that thickness in the skin. Retinol should be introduced VERY slowly to the skin; only1-2 times a week to begin with. I use La Rosche-Posay Redermic R every other night. Pregnant women should steer clear of retinol, although ironically (despite PCOS making it difficult to get pregnant) pregnancy actually counteracts the side effects of PCOS. Very funny Mother Nature.

With all these dead skin cells being pushed to the surface it is important that they are gently sloughed off at this level too. I don’t want to overstimulate my skin with a scrub so 1-2 times a week I use Ren Wake Wonderful Night-Time Facial, this is a night lotion that contains a small amount of lactic & glycolic acid to remove the dead skin- it is dreamy! Now with all this exfoliating it is essential that I use an spf daily, whatever the weather! Without it I would be leaving myself exposed to free-radical and pigmentation damage. At the moment I’m using Skinceauticals Mineral Radiance UV Defence, it’s lovely and light so it’s fine to use under makeup.

It’s also really important to keep your skin as supple and nourished as possible (especially when it comes to skin healing if you’ve had a nasty breakout), and I’ve recently discovered the B range at Superdrug- it’s amazing! Think of it like Superdrug’s version of the Boots No.7 range. I’m using the B. Renewed Night Cream, it melts into the skin and leaves it so soft and moisurised- I’m really impressed! It contains hyaluronic acid and shea butter for moisturising, and peptides for improving elasticity, and it doesn’t have any nasty perfumes in it!
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The last thing I do, which is more of a general pick me up, is to use the Ren Flash Rinse 1 Minute Facial. Regardless of how well you look after your skin, we all have days where we need that something extra to put the glow back in our cheeks and the flash rinse does that for me! It contains water activated Vitamin C to totally brighten and revitalize the complexion, it’s great for anyone but particularly city skins and fatigued/stressed skins. Like an SOS in a bottle! Save Our Skin!

So that’s how I try to combat my PCOS skin, it may not work for everyone (age can be a factor, I am 35 so somebody younger will probably want to use a slightly lighter night cream) but I hope it will help because painful, bumpy skin is not fun for anyone.

Danielle x

Redermic R, £29.50 www.laroche-posay.co.uk

Wake Wonderful Night-time Facial, £32.00. Flash Rinse 1 Minute Facial, £32.00 www.renskincare.com

Mineral Radiance UV Defence, £39.00 www.skinceuticals.co.uk

B.Renewed Night Cream, £11.99 www.superdrug.com