Stress Is Not Your Skin’s BFF
Stress is an inevitable part of life. We all go through periods of stress, whether it’d be acute or chronic. But cheese and rice, 2020 really did a number on all of us. Can I get an “ugghhhhh”?!? In true 2020 fashion, we talked about Maskne, “Maskne: What Is It & How DO We Treat IT,” but we didn’t talk about how stress can influence our largest organ – the skin! So allow me to break it down for you now, in 2021.
The skin can’t tell what type of stress you’re under (physical, emotional, environmental, or psychological) – it simply assumes you’re under attack. When we experience moments of elevated stress, our bodies release excess Cortisol and Adrenaline to help us in our “fight-or-flight” response. A wonderful thing for our caveman ancestors; that were fighting off wild animals and had a life expectancy of 35, but in the modern world, it’s less than ideal.
When our cortisol levels are higher than usual, it triggers our oil glands to produce more oil. This build-up of oil can clog pores and feed acne-causing bacteria in our skin, hello acne flare-ups! Another side effect of higher levels of cortisol is a weakened immune system and an increase of sugar in our bloodstream. When these things happen, that’s when a domino effect of skin inflammation flare-ups can occur, such as eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, contact dermatitis, rosacea, and other inflammatory responses. Of course, everyone is different, and each body will respond in its unique way.
Higher levels of adrenaline in our system raise the blood pressure, which can activate our sweat glands causing us to sweat unnecessarily. This, in turn, can potentially leave the skin feeling dry and dehydrated.
As if those weren’t bad enough, stress-induced anxiety can manifest into “face picking.” Did you know you’re more likely to pick at that zit, pimple, and blackhead while under stress than you would if you were in a more calm mental state? An impulse such as this can leave your skin with acne scars and popped blood vessels, generating more stress that will lead to more anxiety – a vicious cycle.
Sorry to be bumming you out, my bad. Now for some good news! There are steps we can take to help alleviate stress in our lives. There are also steps we can take to prepare our skin for those not so easy days.
Alleviating stress in your life:
Try adding meditation or breathing exercises for about 10 minutes a day. Schedule out a moment of your day to pay attention to your breaths and thoughts. Now, more than ever, we have so much information about meditation available to us. Do some research about it; you’ll be amazed at what you find.
Being active 3 or more times a week will also have phenomenal effects on your stress levels.
Don’t forget that you’re not alone out there. Talk to your friends, family, or a professional about your problems. Your mental health is so important, and you deserve to feel happy!
Prepping your skin:
Give your skincare routine a boost before a stressful event, whether it’d personal, professional, financial, or miscellaneous.
Add a cleanser with salicylic acid into your regiment to keep those pores clean and those oil glands at bay.
Use treatment masks for your specific skin concern before the stressful day.
Build up your skin barrier by keeping it well hydrated. Use your moisturizer and always layer on your SPF.
There’s no way to change our biology or to live a stress-free life, but we can implement things into our routine and lifestyles that can make our lives much simpler!
Did this blog resonate with you? Have you experienced any skin-related issues while under a lot of stress? Have you tried meditation and exercise to alleviate your stress? Let me know in the comments below!!
XO – Pachee
