Hormone Imbalance in Women: What are the contributing factors and what can you do?

Hormones, they regulate everything from our energy levels to our mood, metabolism, sleep, and even how our skin behaves. So, when they’re out of balance, it can feel like everything is out of whack.

If you’ve ever thought, “Why do I feel so off even though everything looks fine on paper?”, hormone imbalance might be the culprit.

What Exactly Is a Hormone Imbalance?

Hormones are like your body’s chemical messengers. They’re produced by various glands in the endocrine system (like your thyroid, adrenals, pancreas, and ovaries) and travel through your bloodstream to tell organs and tissues what to do.

A hormone imbalance happens when there’s too much or too little of one or more hormones. Even small changes can lead to big symptoms.

Common Causes of Hormone Imbalance in Women

Hormone levels naturally shift throughout life think puberty, pregnancy, peri-menopause and post menopause and this is perfectly normal, but certain things can disrupt the balance more than usual:

1. Chronic Stress

When stress becomes your default mode, your body pumps out cortisol, the stress hormone. High cortisol levels over time can throw off progesterone especially, as well as oestrogen, and even thyroid hormones.

2. Poor Diet

Excess sugar, processed foods, and a lack of healthy fats or key nutrients can mess with insulin, oestrogen, and more. I will cover this area extensively in next article.

3. Sleep Disruptions

Sleep is when your body resets and produces many essential hormones. If sleep is inconsistent or poor sleep, maybe you’re getting to sleep and wakening up an hour or two later or finding it difficult to switch off and get to sleep, this can lower melatonin production and growth hormone and disrupt your cortisol rhythm. Cortisol is usually lower at night and higher in the morning to help you wake up.

4. Birth Control and Medications

Hormonal contraceptives can alter your natural hormone production. Other medications (like antidepressants or steroids and many others) may also affect hormonal balance.

5. Medical Conditions

Conditions like PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome), thyroid disorders (Hypo or Hyper), endometriosis, or adrenal fatigue, diabetes and many others can all throw hormones out of balance.

So, what are the Signs and Symptoms to Watch Out For?

Everyone’s experience is different when it comes to how our hormones affect us, but here are some common red flags that could point to a hormone imbalance:

• Irregular periods or missed cycles especially if you are normally regular
• Persistent fatigue (even after a full night’s sleep)
• Mood swings, anxiety, or depression that persists more than two weeks
• Weight gain especially around the middle, or difficulty losing weight
• Acne or other skin changes

• Low libido, lack of interest
• Brain fog or trouble concentrating
• Hair thinning on scalp or other areas like eyebrows or excessive hair growth in new places
• Trouble sleeping, lying awake for hours, or getting off to sleep only to wake an hour or two later

If you're noticing several of these, it’s a good idea to check in with your doctor for testing and support. Make sure to make a list of symptoms to bring with you.

The Environment: Toxins That Mess with Your Hormones

Now, here’s where things get sneaky. There are certain chemicals in our everyday environments—called endocrine disruptors—that can interfere with our natural hormone production and function. These compounds can mimic, block, or alter hormone levels, and unfortunately, they’re more common than you might think.

Common Environmental Toxins That Disrupt Hormones

1. Parabens
   Common in cosmetics and personal care products. They can act like oestrogen in the body.

2. BPA (Bisphenol A)
   Found in plastics, water bottles, canned food linings. It mimics oestrogen and can disrupt reproductive hormones

1. Phthalates
   Found in fragranced products (like perfumes, lotions, and air fresheners), vinyl flooring, and plastics. These affect oestrogen and testosterone levels.

2. Pesticides and Herbicides
   Used in non-organic farming, these chemicals can interfere with oestrogen and thyroid function.

3. Heavy Metals (like mercury and lead)
   Found in some fish, old plumbing, and even makeup, these can disrupt thyroid and adrenal hormones

So, what You Can Do? Small Changes can make a Big Impact.

You don’t need to overhaul your life overnight, but being aware and making small shifts can go a long way. Here are a few ideas:

• Choose glass or stainless steel over plastic, especially for food and drinks i.e., avoid cling film, or oils that are in plastic bottles, as plastic can leach into the oils.
• Read labels on personal care products like shampoo, creams, lotions, foundations, tans, varnish, deodorants etc and look for “paraben-free” and “phthalate-free.”
• Go fragrance-free Avoid products that say the words “Parfum” or Fragrance as these are usually synthetic and opt for products that use essential oils instead.
• Eat organic when possible, especially when it comes to the “Dirty Dozen”. These are fruit and vegetables with the highest contamination rates of pesticides, including strawberries, blueberries, spinach, grapes, peppers, and others.  More on this in a future blog.
• Filter your water and be cautious with canned foods. Again, many have plastic interior lining.
• Support your body’s natural detox systems by drinking water, sweating regularly, eating fibre rich foods i.e., nuts, seeds fruit, and getting enough sleep all help you to rid your body of toxins which may be contributing to the hormone issues.

Final Thoughts

Hormone imbalance can be frustrating but it’s not just in your head, and you’re definitely not alone. Most people will experience issues at various points in their lives.  The mix of modern stress, lifestyle habits, and environmental toxins can make it tough for your body to stay balanced but here’s the good news: knowledge is power. With the right understanding of what is happening and a few lifestyle changes, and awareness of environmental influence on your hormones, you can begin to restore balance and feel more like YOU again.

Check out our range of Natural Skincare including La Femme Magnesium balm, wild yam cream, natural peri/post menopause supplements and natural remedies created and sourced especially for women at:

www.pinecrest.ie

Moira Fallon Mc Ginley

Certified Menopause wellness practitioner

Fertility & Hormone health coach

Owner of Pinecrest Natural Skincare, Remedies, and Therapies.