A great skincare routine is essential, but taking care of your skin goes deeper than just the products you use!

Did you know that stress affects us on a cellular level, causing gut and skin issues?!

The main culprit is a hormone called cortisol. 

What exactly is cortisol?

Cortisol is a hormone produced by your adrenal glands, and it plays a vital role in helping your body deal with stress. It’s the hormone responsible for your “fight or flight” response!

Cortisol is produced in our bodies at various levels every day. But, the trouble for your skin starts when you experience high amounts of stress for too long (as if the stress alone wasn’t bad enough!).

Here are just a few of the ways that stress and spikes in cortisol affect your skin. Plus, some tips on managing that stress to keep your skin glowing. 

Stress can cause increased sebum production

Oily skin can be caused by several things from genetics to environmental changes, and, you guessed it - stress!

High cortisol levels cause sebaceous glands in our skin to produce more sebum (oil) than usual. This is why, during times of stress, you might deal with the additional annoyance of breakouts.

If you’re noticing more oil and acne than usual, try a gentle double cleanse to keep your pores clean! First, use an oil-based cleanser, like Clean Slate, to gently melt away excess oil, makeup, and sunscreen. Then, follow up with a second cleanser, like Clay Play.

You can also follow some of these tips to quickly reduce acne.

Stress disrupts your sleep cycle

Have you noticed yourself struggling to fall or stay asleep at night when you’re dealing with stress? Cortisol gives your body a boost of energy to keep you alert. This makes it nearly impossible to get a good night’s sleep when you’re experiencing long-term stress. I’ve almost always been a horrible sleeper. But a good night time ritual signals your body, it’s time to rest. I like a good cup of chamomile lemon balm tea, a bath with Float in the Buff, legs up the wall for 5 minutes while deep breathing helps me fall asleep a little easier.

While there’s no replacement for beauty sleep, eye serums are a great way to look more refreshed in the mornings! Rolling on our RevitalEyezing Eye Serum can help to de-puff those eyes and brighten dark circles. Plus it smells like coffee, so it’s perfect to perk you up.

Stress affects your skin barrier

Believe it or not, stress can affect your skin’s barrier function, which shields your body from environmental stressors and irritants. Your skin barrier also prevents trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL).

Strengthen your microbiome to support your skin barrier by feeding your skin probiotic-rich products like Phyto Tonic and Glow-getter for a simple morning routine. And apply a thin layer of Clean Slate as an overnight mask to lock in moisture and reduce TEWL.

Here’s why you should level up your self-care routine!

While skincare products can provide short term fixes to some of these skin concerns in a pinch, the best solution is to reduce the stress altogether!

There’s no right or wrong way to de-stress and carve out some Me Time. But if you’re not sure where to start, I’ve got you covered with 10 more Secrets to get Glowing Clear Skin here.

Sometimes stress is inevitable, but learning some ways to manage it can have a HUGE impact on your mental and physical health, and your skin! Glow on, mama!