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Monthly hormone surges stimulate sebaceous glands to secrete oil and can wreak havoc on your skin. To keep skin breakout-free, follow this advice from dermatologist Janet Hill Prystowsky, M.D., and female-hormone specialist Geoffrey Redmond, M.D., both based in New York City.

THE BASIC FACTS

Your cycle starts on the first day of your period--and lasts anywhere from 21-40 days. Ovulation (when an egg is released, awaiting fertilization) occurs on or around day 14 of your cycle. In the first week after your period, estrogen increases, keeping skin clear (this hormone helps keep oil glands in check). But once ovulation occurs, your blemish potential increases, peaking in the days before your period. The result: oily skin and breakouts.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Clues that your complexion problems may be hormonal:

* You usually get breakouts the week before your period concentrated on the jaw line, chin and neck.

* Your skin is more sensitive during the fourth week of your cycle. Skip waxing and facials now.

* You have irregular periods and/or excess hair on the face or body in addition to acne. You may have a hormonal disorder and should consult your doctor. Polycystic ovary syndrome, a treatable condition affecting 4-6 percent of American women, could be to blame.

SIMPLE SOLUTIONS

Get smoother, more glowing skin all month long. Beauty Rx:

1. Choose your cleansers wisely. When your skin is at its most difficult, use cleansers with a powerful pore declogger like salicylic acid (try L'Oreal Pure Zone Skin Balancing Cream Cleanser, $8; at drugstores).

2. Add a gentle exfoliator to your regimen once or twice weekly. It can help loosen the cells within the hair follicles that trap excess oil. Try Clean & Clear Blackhead Clearing Scrub ($5; at drugstores).

3. Don't skimp on your moisturizer. Opt for an oil-free or noncomedogenic (non-pore-clogging) moisturizer like Chanel Precision Hydramax Oil-Free Gel ($40; gloss.com).

3. Use anti-blemish products faithfully. We like Stri-Dex Fruit Therapy ($4.79; at drugstores) and Origins Spot Remover (S 10; origins.com).

WHAT WORKS * Stick with your skincare routine. "I tell my acne patients not to abandon their routine when their skin is clear," says Janet Hill Prystowsky, M.D. "There's a tendency to stop treating something when it looks good. But you still need to follow your regimen so you won't have a problem when your hormones kick in later in the month."