It’s probably been over the past three years or so that I’ve been more aggressively proactive about my skincare than ever. I think a big part of the reason is because, although I really do have some pretty impressive genes as far as aging goes, I am not the person who believes that it’s impossible for “Black to crack.”
Our skin is more melanated, yes, and science backs that it causes our skin to age at a slower pace; however, if you don’t take care of your skin, it can absolutely end up with the fine lines, wrinkles, age spots, hyperpigmentation and sagging, which you want to avoid for as long as you possibly can.
As I’ve been settling into a skincare regimen that works best for me, something that has been a total game-changer is certain acids. So far, I’ve written about hyaluronic acid (check out “Why Your Skin, Hair, And Nails Need Hyaluronic Acid Like...Yesterday”), mandelic acid and kojic acid soap (check out “These 12 Things Will Make Your Skin Glow All Of The Time”) and, in a minute, I’m gonna roll up on y’all when it comes to ferulic acid. Today, though, I want to touch on another acid that has some pretty impressive benefits: mevalonic acid.
You know, something else that tends to come with aging skin is dryness. If that’s something that you’re currently battling with, this is an acid that can help to get you the moisture that you need.
Are you ready to become a fan of mevalonic acid, sis? Here’s the breakdown.
What Is Mevalonic Acid All About?
GiphyAight, so, from a scientific standpoint, mevalonic acid is considered to be a “precursor to cholesterol.” In Layman's terms, this means it’s an acid that is a natural compound in your system; one that helps to maintain your skin’s barrier by supporting the production of cholesterol and vitamin D, along with some of your body’s hormones.
And while you may already be familiar with how vitamin D benefits your skin (by reducing inflammation and assisting with skin turnover), you might be surprised by how much “influence” cholesterol has on it too. In fact, in a Women’s Health article about this particular acid, a health expert shared that cholesterol is actually “about 25% of the skin’s lipid composition and it is an essential part of the cell membrane.”
When I cross-referenced this with another article on the topic, it stated that cholesterol is found in many cosmetics because it helps to keep skin well-hydrated for long periods of time (which is hella beneficial as you will see in just a moment) without leaving behind an oily residue that could result in breakouts.
Although studies are still ongoing about mevalonic acid as it directly relates to skincare, there are some benefits that make it well worth at least trying on your skin to see if it will give you the results that you have been looking for.
Mevalonic Acid Keeps Your Skin Well-Hydrated
GiphyWater helps to protect your skin from environmental damage. Water helps your skin to maintain a soft and smooth texture. Water helps to nourish your skin’s cells.Water helps to detox your skin. Water helps to improve your skin’s elasticity. Water helps to prevent breakouts. Water helps your skin look young and glowing for longer periods of time.
So, anything that helps to keep your skin hydrated is something that you should consider applying to it — and mevalonic acid has a great reputation for doing just that.
Mevalonic Acid Protects Your Skin’s Barrier
GiphyThe outermost layer of your skin is calledyour skin’s barrier; its main purpose is to protect your skin from the free radicals, ones that could ultimately lead to skin damage and aging. Interestingly enough, these layers are made up of cholesterol, fatty acids, and ceramides, and since mevalonic acid helps with the production of cholesterol in your skin, by default, it helps to protectyour skin’s barrier too.
Mevalonic Acid Boosts Collagen Production
GiphyYour skin needs collagen for a myriad of reasons — it helps your skin to produce new cells; it helps to get rid of old, dead skin cells; it helps to bring elasticity to your skin; it helps to slow down the signs of aging, and it aids in skin hydration.
Aside from the fact that mevalonic acid is able to boost collagen production within your skin, something else that’s really cool about it is that, since its molecular size is so small, it is able to penetrate the layers of your skin better than retinol and even hyaluronic acid can.
Mevalonic Acid Is Great for Acne-Prone Skin
GiphyWith all of this talk about cholesterol, it would be pretty natural to wonder if mevalonic acid would clog up your pores. Interestingly enough, because it’s so lightweight, it actually has a pretty good reputation for working well on both acne-prone as well as sensitive skin. In fact, there is a skincare brand called Personal Day that incorporates mevalonic acid into its acne-fighting products.
You can watch a dermatologist share her thoughts on the product and why mevalonic acid is so beneficial when it comes to fighting breakouts here.
Mevalonic Acid Is a Solid Exfoliant Alternative
GiphyIf you want to unclog your pores, reduce hyperpigmentation, brighten your complexion, improve circulation to your skin, and reduce the signs of aging, you need to exfoliate your skin on a consistent basis. And although mevalonic acid doesn’t exfoliate in the way that AHAs (alpha-hydroxy acids) or BHAs (beta-hydroxy acids) do, what makes it exceptional in its own right is that it encourages your system’s natural exfoliation process to transpire. That makes it an awesome alternative if you’re looking for a gentler type of exfoliant.
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Okay, so what if, after reading all of this, you are sold on giving mevalonic acid a shot, yet you’re not sure where to find beauty products that contain it? The key is to look for serums or moisturizers that list the ingredient on their label. To get you started, do some reading up onAMEVA Mevalonic Acid Multipotent Serum (which is plant-based and vegan) and thePersonal Day line that I mentioned earlier. Remember, mevalonic acid is just (semi) recently becoming all the rage…I am sure that you’ll see more cosmetic lines catch on soon.
In the meantime, you’ve been put on alert, which makes you ahead of the curve. Something tells me that your skin will adore you for that. Report back and let me know.
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These days, it's for a completely different purpose, though. Now that I am in the hopefully latter stages of perimenopause (I’m not sure because my mother had a full hysterectomy at 29, her mother died at 53 and I don’t deal with my paternal grandmother because…chile… ) — although I have always had relatively easy cycles and I could definitely set my watch to them, about two years ago, my periods started to show up whenever they felt like it and it was damn near a crime scene once they did.
It was driving me crazy, and so, my nurse practitioner recommended that I take progestin-only pills to shorten, if not completely stop, my cycle: “After a year or so, we can wean off and see if you are entering into menopause on your own.” (Whew, perimenopause, chile.)
Although the first five months of being on this particular pill made me wonder if it was worth it to take this approach, I actually re-upped for another 12-month cycle because the extra progestin (a synthetic form of progesterone) has benefitted me in other areas as well because I am sleeping more soundly and my weight is more stabilized (by the way, when these things are “off,” they are signs of low progesterone levels). However, I did ask my nurse practitioner if, once I do decide to wean off of the pill, would there be any issues.
Her response is what inspired me to write this article because, until she said “post-birth control syndrome” to me, I had no idea there was such a thing. Anyway, if you give me a sec, I’ll explain to you what it is and why you should care if hormone-related birth control is currently a part of your life.
Yes, Post-Birth Control Syndrome Is a Very Real Thing
GiphyOkay, so it’s important to always remember that the way that birth control works is it “manipulates” your hormones so that you can significantly reduce your chances of conceiving. This means that taking them could result in some side effects including nausea; weight gain; headaches; irregular periods and/or spotting; increased stress; depression; blurry vision; breast tenderness, and/or a lowered libido.
That said, even though birth control pills are basically 99 percent effective (when taken correctly and consistently), if the side effects that you are experiencing are making you close to miserable, you should absolutely share that with your healthcare provider because…what’s the sense in preventing pregnancy when you don’t even feel up to having sex because you don’t feel good or your sex drive is shot? More times than not, your provider can find you another pill brand or option that will help you to feel more like yourself.
With that out of the way, think about it — if going on the pill can produce side effects, why would going off of it…not? And this is where post-birth control syndrome comes in.
For the most part, it’s what can happen to your body once you decide to come off of birth control. Typically, the symptoms will last anywhere between 4-6 months and, although the symptoms seem to present themselves most intensely as it relates to going off of the pill, any hormone-related birth control (like IUDs, injections, patches, the ring or implants) could produce similar outcomes.
Outcomes like what?
- Irregular cycles
- Breakouts
- Excessive gas and/or bloating
- Weight gain
- Anxiety and/or depression
- Fertility issues
- Migraines and/or headaches
- Shifts in your libido
- Sleeplessness/restlessness
- Hair loss
Whoa, right? And if a part of you is wondering, “Okay, if this is indeed the case, why have I not heard of this syndrome before?” It’s because it’s not a term that conventional method uses nearly as much as alternative medicine does. Still, it makes all of the sense in the world that if your body has to adjust to an uptick in hormonal intake, it would also need to adjust to removing those extra doses of hormones from your system as well. COMMON. DAMN. SENSE.
Anyway, if you were thinking about taking a break from birth control and taking all of this in has you feeling a bit…let’s go with the word “trepidatious” about doing so, I totally get it. There are some things that you can do to make experiencing post-birth control syndrome either a non-issue or a far more bearable one, though.
7 Home Remedies That Can Make Coping with Post-Birth Control Syndrome Easier
Giphy1. Take a multivitamin.Something that’s fascinating about what going off of birth control can do is it sometimes has the ability to lower your nutrition levels as it relates to certain vitamins and minerals; this is especially the case when it comes to vitamins B, C, E and minerals like magnesium, selenium and zinc. So, if you don’t currently take a multivitamin, now would be the time to start (along with consuming foods that are particularly high in those nutrients as well).
2. Up your vitamin D intake. Speaking of nutrient levels, a vitamin level that commonly drops after going off of birth control isvitamin D. This is hella critical to keep in mind as a Black woman since many of us tend to be naturally deficient in the vitamin as-is and vitamin D is important when it comes to fighting off diseases, regulating weight and keeping your moods stabilized (for starters). So, make sure that your multivitamin has vitamin D in it. Also make sure to consume vitamin D-enriched foods like fatty fish, eggs, mushrooms, yogurt and fortified orange juice.
3. Drink herbal teas. Since going off of birth control will cause your hormones to be all over the place for a season, consider drinking some herbal teas that will help to stabilize them. Black cohosh contains phytoestrogen properties, Chasteberry can help to level out your prolactin levels and green tea can help your hormones out by helping to balance out your insulin (which can sometimes directly affect them).
4. Keep some ibuprofen nearby. The headaches and migraines? Until those subside, you and ibuprofen are probably going to become really good friends; although I will add that ginger tea and inhaling essential oils like chamomile and lavender can help to ease migraine-related symptoms too.
5. Do some meditating. Waiting for your hormones to get back on track can be stressful as all get out. That said, something that can get your cortisol (stress hormone) levels to chill out is to meditate. If meditation is new for you, check out “7 Meditation Hacks (For People Who Can't Seem To Do It).”
6. Get massages. As if you needed an excuse to get a massage, right (check out “12 Different Massage Types. How To Know Which Is Right For You.”)? However, there is some evidence to back the fact that regular massages (somewhere around once a month) can help to lower your stress, boost your dopamine, increase blood flow and drain your lymphatic system so that you will have more energy.
7. Sleep/rest more. There is plenty of scientific research out here which says that sleep deprivation can throw your hormones out of whack — and since your hormones are already trying to stabilize themselves, you definitely need to get 6-8 hours of sleep and not feel the least bit guilty about taking naps sometimes too.
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Post-birth control syndrome may not be the most pleasant thing about getting off of birth control yet it is manageable. So, now that you know all about it, you can feel more confident about taking a birth control break (or getting off altogether) — without the surprises that can come with doing it. Give thanks.
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