Saturday, April 18, 2020
If you clicked on this article, chances are you’re stressed — even if it’s only a little bit.
And you’re not alone.
It may be your work, it may be your family, or it may be something completely unique and personal to you.
But whatever it is, I totally understand!
Unfortunately, your skin doesn’t.
If you’ve read my blog before, you know that stress releases a hormone called cortisol, which wreaks havoc on your skin.
But why? Today, we’re getting into all the dirty details of why stress causes skin problems — plus, how to alleviate stress and save your skin!
What Is Cortisol?
Many of us have heard of cortisol, but many of us don’t know what it actually is.
Cortisol is a hormone that can be classified as a “steroid hormone” or a glucocorticoid.
Cortisol is produced in the adrenal glands (the ones right above your kidneys) and released into your bloodstream, which means it is transported throughout your body.
Nearly all of your body’s cells have receptors that can absorb cortisol, which is why cortisol can have such a major effect on us.
Some of the areas that cortisol can affect include your blood sugar levels, your metabolism, your water balance, your memory, your blood pressure, and more!
For most of us, cortisol production is at its highest when we wake up in the morning, so that its release is linked up with when we’re going to be the most active (if you have a wonky schedule, your body will likely sync your cortisol production to whenever you do most of your activity).
Your body also releases extra cortisol when you’re stressed to help your body respond, which is where we may run into some problems.
Keep reading to discover how this stress-induced cortisol production affects you and your skin!
How Does Cortisol Affect Your Body (and Your Skin)?
Now that we all know what exactly cortisol is and where it comes from, it’s time to dive into how it affects our bodies and our skin!
Cortisol is good for you when it’s regulated.
After all, that’s why your body produces it!
Unfortunately, sometimes the body mistakenly produces too much cortisol.
This can be due to stress, certain medications, or other hormonal issues.
If your body produces too much cortisol consistently, you can develop a condition that’s known as Cushing’s Syndrome.
While Cushing’s Syndrome is very rare, high cortisol levels can lead you to experience many of the same symptoms.
However, don’t get confused — cortisol is not bad!
We just need it in moderation.
In fact, too little cortisol can lead to a disorder known as Addison’s Disease.
However, too little cortisol is rare and is generally only seen in those with hormonal disorders.
Overproduction of cortisol is more common.
When it comes to your skin, overproduction of cortisol for a prolonged period of time can similarly cause pesky problems, even when you don’t actually have Cushing’s Syndrome.
If we’re constantly stressed, we’re more likely to face these issues.
The main negative effect of too much cortisol on our skin is acne.
The reason this happens is that high cortisol levels cause our skin’s sebaceous glands to produce more sebum (otherwise known as oil).
As many of us know by now, too much oil production in our skin can clog our pores and lead to breakouts.
Other ways cortisol shows up on our skin is through signs of aging.
Increased cortisol production can accelerate the aging process, leading to the appearance of lines, wrinkles, and age spots.
Lastly, if you have skin conditions such as rosacea or psoriasis, you might experience flare-ups when you have high cortisol production (although you’ve probably already figured out that stress causes flare-ups).
But cortisol, when produced in excess by the body, can be detrimental to your skin thereby causing acne and other inflammatory problems. Want to know more on how cortisol affects the skin? Scroll down.
1. Ageing
Cortisol can accelerate the ageing process as it breaks down elastin and collagen. Moreover, when you’re stressed, you also make certain facial expressions that can cause wrinkles, especially on the forehead. When you keep doing this, the skin cannot bounce back and this leads to permanent wrinkles.
2. Dryness
When your body starts producing excess cortisol, it loses its ability to retain water. This is what leads to dehydrated skin where your skin lacks moisture in the absence of which your skin starts to turn flaky. Worse, dry skin often accelerates the appearance of dark spots and wrinkles.
3. Acne
Stress has a direct impact on your skin. When your cortisol levels go up, it prompts your skin to produce excess sebum. This is when the oil clogs the pores and causes inflammation—something that leads to acne.
4. Redness
Your blood flow increases when you are overly worried. This can lead to expanded capillaries—something that can cause your face to turn red and puffy. For those with a skin concern like rosacea should try to keep their cortisol levels in check.
5. Get More Sleep
Time, length, and quality of your sleep all affect your cortisol levels.
Even if you don’t think it’s possible to sleep for more hours, it might be possible to sleep better!
One easy trick is to eliminate screen time before bed (and definitely don’t use any screens while the lights are out — it strains your eyes).
I like to put my phone on airplane mode to ensure no late night vibrations will disturb me from my slumber.
Exercising during the day has also been proven to help you sleep better.
As a bonus, exercise will also help to improve your mood and reduce stress on its own by increasing your endorphins.
6. Eat Less Sugar (And Drink More Water)
We know that too much sugar is bad and too much water is good, but they both can directly affect your cortisol levels.
Dehydration and high sugar intake can both lead to increased cortisol levels.
And just like with stress, if you consistently eat sugary treats or don’t drink enough water, your cortisol levels will remain elevated as their “new normal.”
Double check your go-to snacks to ensure they’re not packing a sugary punch.
Unfortunately, lots of on-the-go snacks such as protein bars are loaded with sugar. I like to pop a banana and a bag of almonds in my bag instead!
No matter what kind of lifestyle you live, stress is inevitable.
However, if we take a step back and look at what we can control, stress becomes much more manageable and life becomes more enjoyable!