The Effects of Stress on Skin

Stress, Skin and How to Treat Your Stress Breakouts

The effects of stress on skin are not good. In the same way that stress can affect your mood, appetite and sleep schedule, it impacts the way that your skin functions. In order to understand the skins’ needs in times of distress, you must first understand how your skin reacts with it.

Stress, whether emotional, physical, or environmental, can manifest in a myriad of ways on our skin. At a physiological level, it triggers the release of the hormone cortisol. Elevated cortisol levels can lead to increased oil production, making the skin more prone to acne breakouts and other related conditions. Furthermore, stress can compromise the skin’s barrier function, reducing its ability to retain moisture and defend against external irritants and pathogens. This can result in dryness, sensitivity, and an increased risk of inflammatory skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. Additionally, chronic stress can exacerbate pre-existing skin conditions and can accelerate the aging process, leading to premature formation of wrinkles, fine lines, and loss of skin elasticity. Beyond its direct effects, it can also influence skin health indirectly by disrupting sleep, leading to poor dietary choices, and reducing the motivation for maintaining a regular skincare routine. Thus, managing stress becomes pivotal not just for mental well-being but also for maintaining a healthy, radiant complexion.

Effects of Stress on Skin

Studies show that psychological stress is correlated with weakened skin barrier function, meaning that when you endure stress, your skin loses its ability to properly protect your skin.

Some signs of stress on skin are:

Acne

Bacterial or fungal skin infection

Dehydrated skin

Dry/Flaky skin

Dull Skin

Eczema

Face Flushing

Irritation on the skin

Itchy Skin

Psoriasis

Redness

Rosacea

what is the skin barrier

Skin Barrier Function

The skin barrier protects your skin from infection and dehydration and needs to be kept healthy in order to do its job. The weaker the skin barrier function, the more susceptible the skin becomes to allergens, and irritants.

Transepidermal Water Loss (TEWL)

TEWL is the measure of water that evaporates after passing through the outermost layer of the skin (the epidermal skin layer). More simply, it’s how much moisture your skin is losing. When your skin loses higher than normal amounts of water, it becomes dry and dehydrated.

If untreated, this skin can develop complications that require more nuanced treatment, such as:

Redness

Irritation and/or itchiness

Flakeyness

More pronounced wrinkles and fine lines

You might be experiencing additional stress because of skin conditions you already have

Skin Problems Increase Our Feelings of Stress

Many tools, like the Acne Disability Index and the Dermatology Life Quality Index, show that there’s a strong connection between how our skin looks and feels and our mental health. A study from 1966 to 2000 found that many people don’t realize how much skin problems, like acne or psoriasis, can affect someone’s emotions and daily life. People with these skin issues can often feel really sad or anxious, and this can seriously change how they live their lives. In fact, mental health problems play a big part in about 30% of skin conditions. For some, the stress of having these skin problems can even make them think about harming themselves. It’s essential to understand how someone’s skin issue affects their overall well-being.

environmental stressors

Environmental Stressors on Skin

Environmental stressors like pollution play a significant role in damaging our skin. Polluted air contains harmful particles and toxic chemicals that can settle on the skin’s surface. Over time, these particles can penetrate deeper skin layers, leading to dehydration, inflammation, and a weakened skin barrier. The long-term exposure can accelerate the aging process, resulting in premature wrinkles, fine lines, and an uneven skin tone. Moreover, pollution can increase the production of free radicals, which further damage skin cells and diminish the skin’s natural glow and elasticity. Protecting our skin from the harmful effects of pollution becomes essential in maintaining its health and youthful appearance.

How to prevent stress breakouts

Preventative Measures

The greatest way to reduce stress breakouts is to minimize stressors. If stress breakouts are common for you, consider ways in which you can nurture your mental health. Sometimes life gets in the way and psychological concerns are unavoidable, so you should consider the following ways that you can proactively protect your skin barrier.

Hydration

Staying well hydrated is crucial to maintaining your skin’s health. When we drink water, it is distributed and used to fuel different parts of the body. If the body does not get enough water, it eventually stops functioning well (and if we spend a hot summer day under the sun, this happens even quicker!). The skin operates the same way and when it lacks hydration, so does the skin. With dehydration comes weakened skin barrier function and reparability. To avoid dehydration, be sure to drink at least two liters of water each day.

Apply Sunscreen Daily

Wearing sunscreen daily ensures that your skin is protected by harmful UV rays which further weaken your skin barrier function. UV light damage can also lead to discoloration of the skin, pronunciation of dark spots, and worsened skin texture. Adding sunscreen to your routine not only protects your skin barrier from these visible effects but also fuels your skin’s ability to repair itself from damage.

Cut out Physical Stressors

While psychological stress is sometimes unavoidable, there are physical factors that can be impacting the way your skin reacts to stress. Consider switching to a gentle, fragrance-free cleanser, or a creamy cleanser. When possible use a humidifier in your home to add moisture in a dry climate. Small adjustments like these can help your overall skin health in the midst of psychological distress.

treating stress breakouts

Treating Stress Breakouts

Stress breakouts are inevitable and while we can do our best to prevent these break outs, we need a plan of action for treating them when they flare up. You should continue preventative measures even after a breakout occurs, most importantly keeping yourself well hydrated.

Re-Hydration

Psychological stress has been linked to the loss of moisture in the skin, particularly on the face. If you’re experiencing a stress breakout on your face, increase your daily water intake. Aside from water’s role in strengthening your skin barrier function, studies show that dehydration can lead to impaired mood/concentration, and general mental performance, which suggests that hydrating can actually curb thinking patterns that lead to psychological issues.

Moisturizing

Moisturizing is equally as important as drinking water to keep skin hydrated. Be sure to pick moisturizers that contain barrier repair ingredients.

Antioxidants

When we feel stressed, our body releases chemicals that can harm our skin. One of these chemicals is called free radicals, which can speed up aging and make our skin look tired or dull. Antioxidants are like our skin’s superheroes. They fight against these free radicals, helping to keep our skin looking fresh and young. By using skincare products with antioxidants or eating foods rich in them, we can help protect our skin from the negative effects of stress. This means fewer wrinkles, a brighter complexion, and healthier skin overall.

Bottom Line

Hydrate, moisturize, and nurture (your skin and your mind!). If you find yourself dealing with breakouts often, consider changes you can make to your day-to-day to mitigate stress or consult a medical professional to explore adjustments that can help. To curb and treat the breakouts you can’t avoid, be sure to drink enough water and make sure you are using the best skin care products for your Baumann Skin Type.

DQH Knowledge drop: In your 20s, your skin cell turnover decreases. (Cell turnover is a key component in keeping your skin youthful.) You know what else slows down? Your collagen production. Starting in your 20s, collagen decreases by about 1 percent per year. Should you want to prevent fine lines and wrinkles, start by eliminating behaviors that contribute to premature aging. “If it’s bad for you, it’s bad for your skin,” says dermatologist Michel Somenek. “Cigarette smoking reduces blood flow to the skin and causes premature wrinkling and a dull skin texture. Making the repeated pursed motion to inhale can also cause smoker’s lines. Alcohol and recreational drugs are toxins for the skin that damage its cellular structure and DNA,” Somenek tells us. “The faster you eliminate vices while you are young, the better chance your skin and body have to recuperate.” Also, adopting an anti-aging routine in your 20s is key. After all, the best offense is a good defense. We spoke to Somenek and experts Joshua Ross and Audrey Kunin to find out more. Keep reading for the best anti-aging products for your 20s, according to skincare professionals. Sunscreen “We all know that the sun is the number one cause of skin aging and starting the prevention in your 20s is very important,” Ross says. “The majority of your sun damage won’t start to appear until you’re in your 30s, so don’t wait until you see it surface or you’ll be behind the curve. Stay ahead of it with a good-quality zinc-based sunscreen worn daily.” Farmacy Green Defense Daily Mineral Sunscreen An invisible sunscreen with SPF 30, plus botanical extracts meant to protect skin with tons of antioxidants. Bonus: It’s clean and fine to use under makeup. Bareminerals Complexion Rescue™ Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Although we recommend you use your SPF and moisturizer separately, we also understand moments when you don’t have time or energy for that extra step. For those times, this bareMinerals moisturizer is a great thing to have on hand. Vitamin C Serum “A great introduction to anti-aging is to start with a vitamin C serum in your morning skincare routine,” Ross says. “It’s a powerful antioxidant that will neutralize free radicals and brighten the skin.” He adds that it’s a great way to counteract the effects of the sun’s harmful rays, which, as previously mentioned, are among the biggest causes of premature aging. Drunk Elephant C-Firma™ Vitamin C Day Serum The Drunk Elephant C-Firma is a lightweight serum that promises to give skin a glow by combining the brightening powers of vitamin C with ferulic acid, l-ascorbic acid, and vitamin E. The included sodium hyaluronate is meant to replace hydration loss, so you shouldn’t have to deal with any irritation. Sunday Riley C.E.O. Rapid Flash Brightening Serum This potent serum is jam-packed with vitamin C (15 percent, to be exact), which means it’s a potential superstar at both brightening skin and dousing it in antioxidants. Peptides Using peptides on your skin has many benefits, says Somenek. “The skin barrier is what defends the body against pollution, UV rays, bacteria, and toxins. It can be damaged by several everyday factors. Using topical peptides aids in building a stronger barrier,” he says. “Peptides comprise elastic fibers, which are a type of protein. These fibers help to make skin appear taut and firm. Peptides can also help repair damaged skin, relieve inflammation, and even out skin tone. Some peptides can kill acne-causing bacteria that is common in 20-somethings.” Kunin agrees, saying, “Peptides are an excellent entry point for supporting collagen.” She recommends looking for face and eye treatments that contain these collagen-boosting powerhouses. Charlotte Tilbury Magic Eye Rescue Cream This Charlotte Tilbury super-emollient eye cream has a base of coconut oil and shea butter (read: it’s incredibly hydrating). Botanicals plus peptides are meant to help reduce dark circles and boost collagen, respectively. This creamy moisturizer serves up potent collagen-boosting peptides and pycnogenol, and antioxidant-rich vitamin C. “Instead of sitting on top of the skin, peptides penetrate the outer layer so they go deep. The ‘signals’ they send tell the cells to produce elastin and collagen, which are needed for youthful-looking skin,” explains Somenek. At-Home Peel Pads Remember that skin cell turnover fiasco we talked about earlier? One way to help support it is by exfoliating. “Exfoliation is important to help keep skin fresh and luminous,” Kunin says. She recommends using at-home peel pads as an easy and effective way to exfoliate. “The goal in your 20s is to fight the slowing pace of cell turnover. It is wise to use products that gently exfoliate, yet still remove oil and other impurities. Products that have Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA) or Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHA) are a good choice.” According to Somenek, you should only exfoliate two to three times a week. “People of all ages are guilty of over-exfoliating and that can be too much of a good thing,” he says. Dermadoctor Kakadu C Intensive Vitamin C Peel Pad A few swipes of this Derma Doctor powerful peel pad promise to leave your skin glowing and smooth, thanks to the seven (yes, seven) types of chemical exfoliants, including AHA and BHA. It also contains vitamin C via Kakadu plum extract for added brightening and antioxidant protection. KEY INGREDIENTS Kakadu plum extract is sourced from the Kakadu plum, a fruit grown in northern Australia. It contains vitamin C, which restores the skin’s natural barrier, increases collagen production, and soothes irritation. Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Universal Daily Peel Pads These are the gold standard of peel pads, with a cult following and over 900 five-star reviews on Sephora. They’re easy to use and contain a blend of anti-aging exfoliating acids. Emollient Night Cream “In your 20s, you need to start upping the hydration in your skincare routine. You may have been cautious of over-moisturizing because of acne in your teens, but as you enter your 20s, your skin transitions and becomes drier,” Ross says. “I recommend an emollient night cream added into your evening skincare regimen.” “Twenty-somethings need to make sure that they are not using creams that will clog their pores and cause excess oil production,” says Somenek. Opt for non-comedogenic products. Cerave Skin Renewing Night Cream One great choice is the CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream, which is a non-comedogenic night cream that leaves skin soft and glowy. It combines the moisturizing powers of ceramides and hyaluronic acid. RoC Retinol Correxion Max Hydration Creme “The best night cream ingredients contain retinol, benzoyl peroxide, and/or salicylic acid or hyaluronic acid. The goal is to moisturize, yet remove excess oil,” says Somenek. This Roc Retinol Correxion cream fits the bill as it contains both hyaluronic acid and retinol so it promises to moisturize while also being non-comedogenic.

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