You know that stressful situation you keep replaying in your mind? And the mountainous spot growing on your chin? Well, we hate to be the ones to tell you, but they might be connected… here’s how stress is affecting your skin.
How your skin is affected
- Hormones wreak havoc
When you’re stressed, your parasympathetic nervous system creates a surge of hormones that affect the whole body. The hormone cortisol causes oil production to increase which leads to clogged pores and breakouts. Therefore, the more persistent the stress, the more clogged your pores. - Inflammation station
You may have heard of the gut-brain connection, where the bacteria in your gut are interlinked with how you think and feel. Well, this also extends to a gut-skin connection too. Stress impacts the balance of bacteria in your gut which can lead to internal inflammation. This causes or exacerbates inflammatory skin conditions like eczema, acne, rosacea, and psoriasis. - Picking, popping, and scratching
When you feel anxious or stressed it’s common to feel restless. For some people, this means shaking their foot, tapping their fingers, or pulling at their hair. For others it means picking, popping, and scratching their skin which, of course, causes problems.
Hold up! It’s a two-way street
Yep. Not only does stress worsen your skin, but your skin can also worsen your stress levels. Studies show that those who feel self-conscious about the way they look are more vulnerable to mental health problems. So, how do you shift the feeling and fix your skin?
3 stress-free lifestyle habits for better skin
- Create a de-stress skincare routine
Our ultimate solution for tackling stress and skin worries is to create a routine that combats both. Taking time to go through a gentle and loving skincare ritual adds structure to your day, which has been found to improve mental health.
- Get some rest
Sleep has a profound effect on your stress levels. So take time to allow your body, mind, and skin to rest, heal, and recover. Just remember to take your make-up off before you nod off!
- Take care of the inside out
Eating well will help improve your gut health and, in turn, reduce stress-related skin problems. Try to avoid processed and sugary foods which trigger inflammation.
Follow our blog for more ways to de-stress and improve your wellbeing.
