All of us are familiar with the unpleasant experience of being stressed out. What fewer may know is that stress is becoming more common and more severe nationwide. In 2020, the American Psychological Association deemed stress a “national mental health crisis.” It’s easy to understand why: between world events and our individual tasks, plans, and commitments, it’s easy for adult life to leave us feeling overwhelmed. 

 But the experience of stress is by no means limited to adults: in its survey, the APA found that Gen Z reported the highest levels of stress in the prior month than any other age group. Given the clear picture that stress is a widespread and worsening phenomenon, it is important to consider the effects of stress and what can be done to lessen them.

 Stress isn’t just a mental experience: it can have bodily effects as well (aside from pulling your hair out)! “Research shows that stress can trigger and/or exacerbate multiple conditions, including cardiovascular disease, asthma, migraine, and neurodegeneration,” writes Dr. Sivak, PhD, in her technical blog on the topic. Stress can also manifest on the skin, which is why it’s a matter of concern for us at Skin Actives. Let’s take a look at the ways that stress can impact the skin and measures we can take to control those effects. 

Consequences of Stress on the Skin 

Unique among organs, the skin plays a dual role in our stress response. On one hand, it detects stress factors in the environment, like excessive heat or the presence of allergens. On the other, it reacts to the hormones released by the brain during stressful moments, changing its behavior and function as a barrier. This is an important dynamic to understand because it can lead, as we’ll see below, to a vicious cycle of stimulating and responding to stress at the same time—an effect best mitigated with smart choices for your skin care products.

Acne

Acne is a stress-causing factor all its own, due to its effect on outward appearance. But aside from the superficial blemish, acne can raise more serious concerns of “skin picking, secondary infection, scarring, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and acne recurrence,” Dr. Sivak says. While the direct mechanism by which stress can lead to acne is not precisely understood, research has shown a firm correlation between stress and flare-ups. So, for the best acne-fighting outcomes, try keeping your stress levels down.

Healing

Experiments have shown that stress has a measurable impact on the skin’s response to a wound. However slight, this impact can become a significant consideration when, for instance, recovering from a surgical procedure. While it might seem like a wound heals at a fixed rate regardless of external circumstances, stress can prolong the time needed for tissue regrowth. As such, it may be important to minimize stress to achieve the fastest recovery times. 

 Atopic Dermatitis 

Atopic Dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory skin condition associated with redness and itching. Often, environmental factors such as allergens or microbial organisms can trigger this reaction. But psychological stress can play a role as well. “Stress can negatively affect the skin’s permeability barrier function and homeostasis,” Dr. Sivak writes. “In atopic dermatitis patients, skin barrier dysfunction could lead to increased sensitization to allergens and microbial organisms, increased transepidermal water loss, and a lower threshold for itching.” Here we see a vicious cycle develop, with atopic dermatitis causing stress, which in turns worsens the atopic dermatitis. 

Aging 

Hormones released during stress episodes have been shown to damage DNA and interfere with DNA replication. Over time, these small disruptions of the skin cells’ reproductive process can accumulate into visible signs of aging, including “the formation of lines and wrinkles, increased pigmentation, and loss of elasticity,” Dr. Sivak writes. Needless to say, these are the same skin concerns that Skin Actives has been working to reverse. Cutting down on stress in your daily life will help prevent signs of aging before they happen. Remember, this is a cumulative process that happens over years, so every little bit counts. 

How to Reduce The Effects of Stress on Your Skin

As we have seen, the consequences of stress on the skin can be severe. The first step in avoiding them is simply to de-stress. Commonly recommended practices for reducing stress include meditation, exercise, conversation with a supportive person, and expressing creativity. But in modern life, we don’t always have time to put stress factors on hold in order to meditate or express our creativity. So, when stress takes over, do what you can to ensure that it’s an isolated incident. 

Additionally, arming yourself with knowledge about the science of the skin can be crucial to managing its responses to stresses both internal and external. Dr. Sivak’s book The Scientific Revolution in Skin Care, 2nd Edition, does a wonderful job cutting through the confusing terminology of skin care and delivering actionable information on the botany, molecular biology and biochemistry of modern skin care. The recently released second edition covers even more up-to-date topics, including key ingredients that have gained prominence in the skin care community since the launch of the first edition. We highly recommend reading it and applying its messages to your own skin care approach. After all, settling down with a book can be one of the most powerful de-stressing techniques.

Skin Actives is here to help you with all of your skincare concerns. Here are some of our favorites that can help to soothe, protect, and clarify your skin:

• Consistent use of Anti-Aging Day Cream with SPF 30 may help reduce environmental stresses on the skin, such as UV damage from sun exposure.
• Target itchy skin with Sea Kelp Coral, a powerful antioxidant moisturizer with potent soothing properties.
• High Potency EGF Serum can be effective in promoting cell division in damaged skin, such as following chemical peels or laser treatments.
• Ultra Clarifying Blemish Oil may help reduce stress-inducing blemishes.

REFERENCES:

American Psychological Association. Stress in America™ 2020: A National Mental Health Crisis. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2020/report-october 

Sivak, D. H. You are stressed. Will your skin be stressed too? If yes, how will it show? https://hannahsivak.com/blog/you-are-stressed-will-your-skin-be-stressed-too-if-yes-how-will-it-show/