Is your skin stressed? Here’s what you need to know.

We don’t want to stress you even further, but yes, stress will negatively impact your skin too! At this point it seems like stress is becoming more usual, considering current events. When we are feeling stressed, a hormone called cortisol, is increased and it affects every organ of the body, including our skin. A 2013 study shows that there is a correlation between brain and skin. Let’s see how stressful situation affect every skin type.

Stress on oily and acne prone skin.
Elevated stress hormones send signals to sebaceous glands (glands on your skin that produce natural oil) to produce more oil than usual. That’s why during stressful periods, your skin may look oiler. This overproduction of oil can lead to clogged pores and new breakouts. Yes, stress acne is a real thing. For people who already have acne, the situation can become worse. New zits can pop up, and the existing ones can be more painful than usual and take longer to heal due to inflammatory substances that can be released because of stress.
What can you do?
The first thought would be to bring out heavy acne-fighting ingredients like salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide to combat the zits and oiliness. But, take a step back. Your skin right now is very sensitive and these active ingredients will make everything worse. Instead, focus on hydrating and calming ingredients like hyaluronic acid, probiotics, aloe vera etc.

Product recommendations by Lorde+Belle: Hydrating Cleanser, HA3 Serum, Hydra-V Moisturiser, HydraPure Mask.

Stress on dry skin types.
You may have noticed that during stressful periods of time, your skin looks dull, pale and dry. That’s because stress compromises your skin barrier. Cortisol levels can affect skin’s moisture retaining abilities. At the same time, your skin relies on moisture to keep the barrier secure so that it’s functioning properly. A broken skin barrier will allow more water to evaporate and all of this turns into a vicious cycle that leaves your skin with dry patches, looking dull and with more wrinkles.
What can you do?
Since your skin is lacking moisture, all you can do is to replenish it. Layer you hydrating products, use nourishing moisturizers with ingredients like ceramides to repair skin barrier.

Product recommendations by Lorde+Belle: Hydrating Cleanser, HydraMax Booster with Repair Serum, Hydra-V Moisturizer

Stress on sensitive skin types.
For people with sensitive skin, stress can make matters worse. Those who have skin conditions like eczema, rosacea, or psoriasis, high cortisol levels can, unfortunately, trigger flare-ups and itching due to increased inflammation throughout the body.
What can you do?
In a nutshell, just follow all the advices above. Be patient and take it easy on your skin. But, keep in mind that the best thing is to relax and ease your mind. Try meditating and eat good food.