Why Stress Might Be Affecting Your Skin
Be less stressed, they say. Whether it’s your kids, your job, or your partner’s inability to unload the dishwasher - some would argue this is easier said than done.
In this blog we’re here to tell you how stress can affect your skin. Because yes, it’s a thing! But not to worry, there are ways that you can manage your stress levels and we’re going to share some of our favourite self-care tips so you can unlock your inner zen when you need it most!
Stress is your body’s response to ANYTHING that disrupts something called homeostasis. Homeostasis is a state of balance among all the body systems needed for the body to survive and function correctly. Basically, it helps your body maintain stable internal conditions.
Homeostatic systems within your body listen for any signs of distress from other organs to know when important variables fall out of their usual healthy range. The nervous system picks up on these inconsistencies and reports them back to the brain, or the “control centre”. The control centre then tells the muscles, organs and glands what to do to correct for the disturbance.
What are some things that would set off the usual balance of our bodies? Well, consider poor diet, a big night out, strong medications, lack of sleep (hello again, big night out), poor gut function, chemicals and toxins from the environment and chemicals which disrupt our hormones called “endocrine disruptors” as well as other hormonal changes such as peri-menopause.
Whenever the triggers and sensors are set off, your body will send off these disruptive signals to the homeostatic system. Even if you may not feel stressed, if the triggers are going off - so is your stability system.
So, one can only imagine… when it comes to stress - this has a profound effect on your skin!
When the mind or body become distressed, our brain secretes hormones that induce the release of cortisol, a stress hormone. Our skin has receptors for this stress hormone and their activation results in various changes to our skin.
The changes can manifest in your skin in many ways, such as increased inflammation leading to pigment disorders, acne, dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis and rosacea.
Stress hormones including cortisol and androgens are released whenever your body’s homeostasis is triggered, which can increase in oil production. You know what excess oil means… pimples incoming!
Your body also may not be able to heal wounds as easily, which can increase your risk of infection.
Ultimately, your skin’s immune system is impaired. Like the rest of your body, having a compromised immune system means your skin can be more susceptible to other conditions and in the skin world this looks like rashes, hives, reactions and itching.
We all know how important the skin barrier is, and when we’re stressed this has a knock-on effect here too! Stress affects the integrity and protective function of the skin’s barrier which can aggravate some skin conditions including acne, rosacea, eczema and dermatitis.
Premature ageing might be the last thing you want to think about when you’re stressed, but we hate to break it to you… stress is the 2nd biggest contributor to premature ageing! Increased oxidative stress is the root of this. Oxidative stress is an imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants in the body, which can lead to cell and tissue damage.
It’s not all gloomy though. If you’re a LUMA client, you know we’re practically skin FBI. We LOVE investigating the root cause of your skin conditions and concerns!
While “holistic” has become a bit of a buzz word amongst the likes of kale and ice baths, when we use it here at LUMA - we actually mean it! It’s no longer enough to only be working topically on the skin. We need to know where you are at internally for skin revision to be really powerful.
Say it with us - EVERYTHING. AFFECTS. EVERYTHING.
Stress can be difficult to control but there are things you can do to reduce it. Did you know that your “vagus nerve” (no, not THAT kind of nerve ladies) “serves as the body's superhighway, carrying information between the brain and the internal organs and controlling the body's response in times of rest and relaxation”, according to Physiopedia.
Some of our LUMA ladies favourite things to do that can help stimulate this nervous system is to deep breathe and meditate - we love apps such as Insight Timer and Breathwrk.
Putting pen to paper journaling is another great way to unwind and connect with yourself. Why not try taking your journal down to the beach so you can connect with nature at the same time?
While it can be tempting to want to reach for the sweets and chocolate after a day of stress, eating a balanced diet can be a really great self-care practice. Nourishing your body with the fuel it needs to keep going!
Face masks, mani, pedis, reading a book, taking a bath or going for a walk are some of our other go-to rituals when we’re not feeling our best.
OR why not pop that pretty head in our doors…. and indulge in a treatment at LUMA!
With love,
From LUMA xx
