How does stress affect your skin?
We all know the impact that stress can have on our mental health, but in today’s fast-paced world, stress can also take a serious toll on our skin health, leading to breakouts, premature ageing, sensitivity, and a compromised barrier function.
In this article, Clare and Rebecca, the founders of natural, sensitive skincare brand Balance Me, explore the deep connection between stress and skin health, unpacking how cortisol, poor sleep, and oxidative stress may impact your complexion over time. They also share practical solutions, both skincare and lifestyle habits, to help you manage stress and keep your skin feeling healthy, radiant, and resilient.
How does chronic stress impact skin health over time?
If the body is in constant distress, it will continue to try to repair itself and this has a negative impact on skin health over time.
- It can exacerbate existing skin conditions such as acne, eczema, psoriasis and rosacea
- It can impair the skin barrier function, which may lead to increased water loss and heightened sensitivity.
- It can also accelerate ageing, leading to visible signs such as wrinkles and loss of tone.
- It can make the skin more susceptible to infections.
Balance Me skincare is all about creating rituals. We believe in five minutes of self-care at the beginning and end of the day to help promote balance and calm. During our morning clean, treated and moisturised skin is prepped for whatever the day will throw at it both environmentally and internally. And then at night, when we sleep, skin can repair itself, so our skincare is designed to allow the skin the optimum opportunity to rejuvenate.
Can stress cause premature ageing of the skin? If so, how?
Yes. Chronic stress can lead to premature skin ageing as it disrupts normal cellular function. Cortisol levels will increase, which may damage collagen and elastin activity. This in turn leads to loss of tone, reduced elasticity, fine lines and wrinkles. It can also disrupt the skin’s barrier function, leading to increased water loss and a dull, dehydrated appearance. Oxidative stress allows free radicals to damage healthy cells, again resulting in visible signs of ageing such as fine lines and wrinkles.
And finally, poor sleep has a huge impact on skin health. Studies show that low-quality sleep makes skin cells age faster.
We pride ourselves on the plant-based, natural active ingredients that we blend into our formulations to help target premature ageing, such as Hyaluronic Acid, peptide-rich collagen, Vitamin C and Azelaic Acid. We chose our ingredients intelligently, using optimal levels that have gone through rigorous clinical trials to ensure efficacy, which in turn will deliver consistent results if used regularly.
How does cortisol affect skin hydration and barrier function?
The skin barrier is designed to trap moisture in and keep irritants and pollutants out. Cortisol depletes what the skin barrier needs to stay healthy, causing trans-epidermal water loss and impaired barrier function. We created our Ceramide Barrier Booster for this very purpose. A lightweight, reparative gel cream to comfort, calm and strengthen sensitive skin.
Why do some people experience breakouts during stressful periods?
During stressful periods, some people experience breakouts due to the body's release of stress hormones like cortisol, which can increase oil (sebum) production by the sebaceous glands in the skin. Increased oil production, combined with inflammation can lead to clogged pores (a breeding ground for bacteria), often resulting in acne flare-ups.
We created our Congested Skin Serum, blended with Kanuka, Moringa oil and May Chang as an ‘on the spot’ soothing gel to gently calm inflammation and speed away blemishes without causing dryness or irritation.
Are there specific lifestyle or skincare habits that can lessen stress-induced skin problems?
We know firsthand that 21st century, fast-paced living takes its toll on our skin. It’s the reason we created Balance Me in the first place to address our own skin needs and wellbeing. We believe in creating skincare everyday rituals to help keep skin healthy, happy, radiant and rejuvenated. We pay particular attention to our textures, and each of our products is a pleasure to use, as well as delivering our naturally actives effectively and optimally to the skin. Our aromas are blended for fragrance; their skin benefits and also their mood-boosting properties and again, they are designed to lessen stress and heighten skin health.
Additionally, activities such as yoga, meditation, mindfulness and regular exercise not only alleviate stress but also improve circulation, enabling more oxygen and nutrients to be delivered to the skin. And a balanced diet rich in antioxidants can counteract the damage caused by stress-induced free radicals. We believe in a holistic approach to wellbeing where skincare is a sum of the overall parts.
What skincare products would you recommend to help calm down stressed skin?
Firstly, establish a simple daily skincare routine, as regular use will lead to long-term benefits and help to keep skin in balance. And over and above skincare we’ve already highlighted above, we recommend skincare that features hydrating ingredients such as Hyaluronic Acid. Our Hyaluronic Plumping Mist, TriMolecular Hyaluronic Serum and Tripeptide Plumping Cloud Cream will plump, hydrate and boost collagen activity. And don’t forget about your eyes. We have our multi award-winning Wonder Eye Cream and Vitamin C Brightening Eye Serum to keep weary eyes bright, soothed and calm. Other skin-calming favourites are our rosehip-rich Rose Otto Face Oil and our Super Berry Cleansing Balm packed with super fruits and skin-soothing conditioners.
Discover Balance Me’s range of award-winning skincare, or take their skin quiz to learn more about your skin’s needs right now.
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