Let’s Talk About Stress Related Skin Problems!
Just when it feels like you have discovered the perfect combo of products for your specific skin type, you go through a stressful period and wham, your pimples start appearing again. 

Or perhaps you never breakout out and now, as an adult, you are seeing pimples that for some reason failed to make themselves known in your teen years. 


While there are a few different reasons pimples like to pop up, in this article we wanted to talk about their very real link to stress.


So if you’ve been feeling stressed out and need a break, take some time now, grab a drink and use the next few minutes to unwind while you start to put two and two together. 


You’ll want to become familiar with cortisol…

Ah, good ol’ cortisol.


If you have no idea what this is then don’t worry, you’ll know soon enough!


Cortisol is your body’s stress hormone, released by your adrenal glands (small glands located above each kidney) in response to any kind of stressful situation.


In small amounts you and cortisol can exist in harmony because it has many important functions from regulating blood pressure to reducing inflammation in the body.


Too much cortisol, from being in a constantly stressed out state, will flood your body with too much of this hormone and inflammation will actually increase.


Internal inflammation inflames the sebaceous (oil) glands and this contributes to pesky breakouts. Cortisol also breaks down collagen, a structural protein essential for taut, plump skin so a break down of this important protein puts you at risk of saggy, aging skin.


In other words, cortisol contributes to all skin care woes!


What are my options to reduce cortisol in my body?


We’re glad you asked!


Naturally, it would make sense that you need to find ways to manage your stress, but we totally get that it can be a challenge to sit down in meditation pose for 30 plus minutes when your brain is running 100 miles an hour!


Yes, deep breathing is highly effective for reducing cortisol, but just 20 minutes are enough, and you can spread it out throughout the day.


Studies have actually shown that deep breathing may help to reduce internal inflammation, as a result of cortisol, by suppressing the response of inflammatory genes.


Deep breathing also helps to stimulate lymph flow, which aids the body in flushing out toxins that may have manifested as blemishes.  


We also highly recommend that you cut back on foods that may increase inflammation and start introducing fresh, anti-inflammatory foods into your diet.


Exercise is another excellent way to manage stress, because it helps to naturally release pent up adrenaline through sweating, and it naturally decreases cortisol levels. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate activity 3-4 times a week to feel the benefits


We hope this article has helped you to make sense of those breakouts and we hope that you take more time out for yourself, not just for your skin, but for your health too. 


Using clean skin care products is another major piece of the puzzle but it’s just one piece that works synergistically with all the other tips we have provided.


Healthy skin is an inside out job!

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