How Stress Effects our Skin
Modern day life comes with an abundance of stress factors contributing to heightened anxiety, nervous exhaustion and eventually burnout. Last month I examined many of the underlying causes for stress and gave some suggestions on how to deal with chronic stress in our daily lives using aromatherapy. But stress not only takes a toll on our mental wellbeing and our body but also on the health of our skin. Since there is an ongoing relationship between our mind and body, emotional triggers like stress and anxiety influence the health of skin too and can contribute to a range of problematic dermal issues. With the arrival of the summer, we naturally tend to spend more time outdoors, strip off layers of clothing and reveal more areas of our skin to the fresh air and sunlight. This is great news so long as we feel confident about the condition of our skin, but if this is not the case, although we might welcome the warmer weather, we might literally feel more exposed.
The Role of Cortisol in Skincare
At the root of stress-related skin issues is cortisol, a hormone which is essential for our body’s daily functioning. Cortisol is the hormone that motivates and energises us to get through each day, but when our cortisol levels are consistently elevated due to ongoing stress, the same hormone can wreak havoc on our skin. Inflated cortisol levels impact our immune system exacerbating existing skin conditions and increasing susceptibility to irritation.
Cortisol is produced when the body perceives a threat, activating the brain’s ‘fight or flight’ response. This triggers the release of both cortisol and adrenaline, along with physical changes such as increased heart rate. But although these responses are vital for survival in a real situation of danger, constant activation due to everyday stresses can lead to heightened sensitivity, resulting in dermal disfunction.
Emotional anxiety and depression can also lead to imbalances in the hormone levels of serotonin and dopamine – neurotransmitters that play a crucial role in skin health by regulating cell growth and wound healing, leaving the skin more susceptible to skin rashes or infections. This can be exacerbated by poor dietary and lifestyle choices, such as eating too much sugar, drinking excess alcohol and smoking.
Treating Skin Conditions with Natural Oils
Excess cortisol triggers inflammation and weakens the production of natural oils that are crucial for skin repair and moisture retention, leading to dryness and irritation. Boosting the deep protective layers of the skin by stimulating cellular regeneration is vital for repairing and maintaining skin health. Additionally, cortisol can increase sebum production, a natural oil that can clog pores and lead to acne. This is the reason for frequent breakouts of spots or acne erupting during stressful periods.
One of the ways to reduce the signs of stress on our skin is by using natural oils that boost anti-inflammatory properties and combat excess serum.
Argan Oil: One of the best stress-fix, rejuvenating oils is our organic argan oil when used as a daily moisturiser being rich in a wide range of vitamins including A and E and packed with antioxidants. It is suited to all skin types, but especially mature complexions, because it promotes cellular regeneration and reduces the appearance of fine wrinkles. In addition, argan oil balances excessive sebum levels thus helping to regulate oily skin and prevent the occurrence of acne, blackheads or spots caused by stress. It also has anti-inflammatory properties which helps soothe skin infections and rashes while it’s healing qualities help eliminate scars, stretch marks, age spots and blemishes.
Jojoba oil: An exceptional skin care product for stress related conditions because it stimulates collagen production making it ideal for dehydrated and damaged skin. And since it is also high in proteins and minerals, it simultaneously nourishes, soothes, and heals the skin from within, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Having a composition similar to our skin’s own sebum, it is easily absorbed and penetrates deep into the dermis where it acts as a cleanser by dissolving excess sebum deposits. When the skin is well hydrated, the sebaceous glands also respond to it by reducing sebum production, which helps to clear away acne when used regularly. As a healing oil, jojoba is valuable for soothing irritated skin conditions such heat rash, eczema or psoriasis, which are often brought on by heightened stress levels.
Aromatherapy Blended Oils to Soothe & Regenerate Skin
Many natural carrier oils contain plentiful amounts of Vitamin C, a mainstay of regenerative skincare, alongside outstanding antioxidant properties. Rosehip seed oil is particularly popular today as a regenerative facial serum in this respect, being both highly nourishing and soothing. It boosts the immune system, helping to keep the skin in optimum health, and can either be applied direct to the skin or blended with essential oils for a more tailored facial serum.
Another nutritive-rich oil to help combat stress-related skin conditions is avocado oil – a deeply nourishing oil is made from the actual pulp of the fruit, which is full of natural, healthy unsaturated fats. This is the very best oil to use for areas of extremely dry skin due to its rich moisturising properties while ‘carrot oil’ – made from a Dead Sea Algae and high in carotenes – possesses potent antioxidant properties plus essential fatty acids, to radically revitalise the tissues from deep within. However, these two oils are better added as ‘boosters’ to a blended oil rather than applied direct to the skin. All the nourishing carrier oils mentioned above can also be blended with a few drops of an essential oil, which act as bodyguards against damage to skin cells.
Essential oils such as frankincense, rose and myrrh are all renowned for their remarkable rejuvenating effects while the addition of a few drops of healing essential oils, such as lavender or chamomile (German) in a blend, can help to soothe any redness caused by rashes or irritation. Rose oil is one of the best essential oils to soothe skin conditions exacerbated by stress due to its soothing, properties, while the heart-warming rose aroma also works to lower anxiety, further reducing inflammation in the body. Another calming ingredient is sandalwood oil, which has been shown to help lower cortisol levels, so provides a perfect addition to a facial serum.
The Effect of Lifestyle Choices on our Skin
Beyond treating the skin directly, there are also many ways to release tension and reduce stress. Movement is a really great way to release endorphins and lower cortisol levels – just twenty minutes of walking in a natural environment, such as in a park, can have a significant impact on reducing stress. Getting five to ten minutes of sunlight within the first hour of waking up has been shown to increase dopamine levels throughout the day and to lift the spirits. This is the ideal time of year to engage in some type of daily exercise outdoors, to enjoy nature and botanical scents and explore your local environment. These are all simple yet effective way to reduce stress and enhance well-being, as well as having a positive effect on our skin.
However, summertime also means we need to pay extra attention to protecting our skin against the harmful effects of exposure to excessive ultra- violet rays. UV light is the main enemy of youthful looking skin since it is these rays that are largely responsible for the damage to the DNA in our cells that leads to premature wrinkles, redness, brown spots or excessive dryness. Although some exposure to sunshine provides valuable vitamin D to our cellular tissue, it is important to limit time spent sunbathing and to always protect and hydrate the skin when spending time outdoors.