Question Peri.d 2: Why do I feel so hot during ovulation?

Ovulation occurs in the middle of a woman's monthly cycle- between the follicular and luteal phases.

It's the time of the month, during which, a woman's basal body temperature can rise by as much as one whole degree, resulting in her feeling hot, feverish, sweaty, and possibly flushing more than usual.

But why does this happen and what can one do to support this generally uncomfortable feeling hot hot hot, in the skin and body? 

The hot feeling that occurs during ovulation makes sense if you know that ovulation is the time of the month when an egg, is released from it's follicle- the fluid sac in the ovary that holds each egg- and propels it out into the fallopian tube, so that it can either be fertilized by sperm resulting in pregnancy or not get fertilized, in which case menstruation will occur, unless a person is taking hormonal birth control, which can completely alter natural hormone fluctuations and even stop menstruation from happening, for three months at a time, if not more. 

The phase where the body selects an egg from the ovary to be released from it's follicle in the ovary and into the fallopian tube, is aptly called the follicular phase.

How a follicle is selected out of all the other follicles to release the egg within it, is still somewhat mysterious, but that's what happens!

Once it happens, this is called ovulation and it can lasts anywhere from about 12-24 hours. The days leading up to this and after- roughly a 6 day window, are called ovulation, as this is the time during which a woman can get pregnant.

Now the released egg travelling along the fallopian tube, causes a whole cascade of hormone fluctuations to take place in the body, notably the release of progesterone from the corpus luteum in the ovaries. Progesterone, the pro-gestation hormone, so called because it is responsible for preparing the uterus for potential pregnancy ie: the gestation of a foetus- baby for 9 months, has many different effects on the skin. 

It's important to remember that the body's "default factory setting" is to prepare for pregnancy, and this is where the basal body temperature rise can happen, rising by about four-tenths of one degree, which can cause the skin to feel flushed and the woman to feel feverish.

Think of a hen laying on her eggs or an incubator for premies. Keeping the body warm seems to be a universal animal behaviour to promote life.

If the egg does not get fertilized by sperm then the luteal phase kicks in- the second half of the monthly cycle. 

The 'luteal phase', is the body's way of undoing all the work it did in the first half or follicular phase, should the egg not be fertilized by sperm. Interestingly, 'luteal' comes from the word 'lutum' a word of unknown origin, which is the name of a weed used in dying yellow. Unsurprisingly, 'luteum' is the latin word for yellow and 'egg yolk', so how cool is that?!

But where was i?

Right! The luteal phase undoes everything that happened in the follicular phase. So when the egg is not fertilized by sperm, the endometrial lining that was thickened to prepare for implantation of the fertilized egg, gets signalled to shed, which then leads bleeding  or menstruation, as the endometrial lining is expelled from the body.

One important thing to remember is that the luteal phase cannot last longer than 16 days, unless pregnancy has occured. This is because the corpus luteum's lifespan, is only about 10-14 days. The corpus luteum (CL), is a collection of cells that forms in the ovary once the follicle has released the egg. The CL acts like a temporary endocrine gland, producing progesterone, to help prepare the body for pregnancy, thickening the lining of the uterus and more. Now, if the egg is not fertilized, the corpus luteum's got no job to do- no pregnancy to prepare for and it has it's own break pedal- and it sort of shrivels up and turns into a scar in the ovary called the corpus albicans. Sexy.

If you're someone with irregular periods, what that's really about is actually irregular ovulation. That is, if ovulation is delayed, the period will also be delayed, meaning it will occur later, resulting in a longer monthly cycle. One way of knowing when ovulation occurs, is by tracking your basal body temperature with an accurate thermometer at the same time of day every day and recording it. Tracking the length of time between ovulation and or just tracking when you get your period, can also be a helpful indicator of health, just as blood pressure, heart rate, temperature and breathing rate are. 

So that's what happens during ovulation and why. Now what can you do about it with Kavana? Stay cool! The ultimate hack is to take a bath with Kavana's Sunday Salt Soak or Sensual Salt Soak and luxuriate as your body does all this heavy lifting!

Ice baths may be beneficial for some, but can also act like a physical stressor, signalling the body to increase cortisol, which can have detrimental downstream effects on ovulation and hormone fluctuations and balance in the short and long term, so that's not what I'm recommending here. 

Another way to stay cool, is to keep your Kavana Skincare mists in the fridge for an ultimately refreshing, midday-slump, supportive spritz. Try the Reviving Rose Glow Mist or Niaouli Calm Mattifying Mist and see which one you prefer. 

Finally, my go-to cool-off game changer, is the Kavana Peppermint Perfume Poem. Menthol in peppermint, triggers cold-sensitive receptors in the skin, resulting in a cooling sensation that feels super fresh. You can apply it on the back and sides of the neck, behind the ears, on the inner wrists and inhale, even on the soles of the feet! 

You can find all of these right here at kavanaskincare.com So let me know which one you're trying first and if it helps you, please leave a review at the bottom of the product page!

Thanks for tuning in!