A brief YouTube short by Shereene Idriss in which a board-certified dermatologist explains the luteal phase (the ~two-week period after ovulation before menstruation) and attributes premenstrual skin changes to surging progesterone, listing increased oil production, clogged pores, flushing, acne flares, and worsened melasma; the speaker advises avoiding sun/heat during this time and invites viewer questions.
Chapters
Oh, the joys of being a woman. She is absolutely correct. I'm a board certified dermatologist. My focus is on cosmetics. And in the long term run, you are going to age overnight and this will hit you in your early to mid-40s. But every single month, us lucky menstruating females get to experience what is known as the luteal uglies in my book, which is the period two weeks before you get your period after you've ovulated. The luteal phase. Why do we get so ugly? Because progesterone is surging and with progesterone comes increased oil production, increased clogged pores, increased blood flow. So we look flushed. A lucky few might look glowy, but most of us just look flushed and oily and clogged and we're breaking out with acne. Plus, if you have melasma, you're gonna hate your life during this period. So definitely avoid the sun or heat in this period. No pun intended period. Get it.
Anyway, if you guys have questions about luteal phase, let me know below.