Did you know that April is Stress Awareness Month?

I know, with everything going on right now, you probably don’t need another reminder about how stressed you are. But that’s exactly why Stress Awareness Month is so important. As the world around us gets more hectic on top of everything we have to manage in our daily lives, it can be easy to see coping with high-level stress as just the way it is. That also makes it easy to ignore warning signs from our body that high stress levels are wearing us down. Skin challenges can be one of those signs.

How stress can impact the skin

As our minds go through psychological changes, like depression, stress, and anxiety, our bodies have physical responses to these changes. For example, when you are stressed, your nervous system releases a hormone called cortisol into your bloodstream. Cortisol causes your skin glands to produce more sebum (oil) than usual, which can clog your pores and cause acne breakouts.

Stress registers in your digestive system as well, which can also impact the skin. Stress can cause an imbalance in the bacteria in your stomach, causing internal inflammation. This can show up as chronic-inflammatory skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis.

Treating stress-related skin conditions

No, I’m not here to tell you to relax (LOL), not that you shouldn’t. Stress happens. Even the most calm person you know feels stress--they probably just manage it well. Here’s how you can manage stress when it appears on your face.

Don’t skimp on washing your face. Stressful times can mean oily skin. Wash your face twice a day, every day, even on the long days. It’s the only way to ensure excess sebum isn’t piling up in your pores. Besides, washing your face is self-care. Visualize your stresses washing away as part of the process.

Don’t pick at pimples. Just don’t. When you have a breakout or blemish, that skin needs to heal. Picking at it slows down the process. Instead, use something cold like our cryotherapy ball to massage the area and reduce inflammation. Cold helps the skin to heal faster and reduces the chance of scarring later.

Make better food choices. Our stomachs and skin are connected, so it’s logical to heal our skin challenges through our diet. Definitely enjoy a treat here and there, but make it a priority to limit these acne-triggering foods for the sake of healthier, glowing skin.

We can’t eliminate stress totally, but we can better prepare ourselves by acknowledging its presence and building a game plan to treat it, especially when it shows up on our faces.