How to Care for Your Skin When You’re Stressed

I hate to be the bearer of bad news (especially after 2020), but chronic stress can wreak havoc on your skin. Unfortunately, we will all go through times of stress in our lives, so it’s important to learn how to care for your skin when you’re stressed!Here’s a rundown of what stress can do to your skin and how you can minimize damage during stressful, hectic times.

How Stress Affects Your Skin

When we’re stressed out, our bodies produce certain hormones like cortisol, corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), and epinephrine, to name a few. These hormones can overstimulate sebum production, interrupt sleep, promote dryness, increase inflammation...and the list goes on. These effects of stress can lead to acne, uneven coloring, dryness, dull tone, even premature wrinkles!I know what you’re thinking. “Well thanks, now I’m even MORE stressed.” I hear you, but knowledge is power! You can’t always eliminate stress from your life, but you can fight back with a healthy lifestyle and the right care routine. Here are my tips for keeping your skin bright and healthy as possible when life gets extra crazy.

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate

One of the most important things you can do for your skin (whether you’re stressed or not) is drink lots of water to combat potential dryness brought on by stress hormones. If you’re not much of a water person, try cutting up fruit, cucumbers, and herbs and putting them in a pitcher of water overnight for a delicious flavored water you’ll actually be excited to drink!Now’s not the time to skimp on moisturizer either. Protect your skin with our Hella Hydration Cream or another gentle moisturizer to keep your skin plump, smooth, and healthy.

Cut back on the booze

Although a glass of wine (or a few) might take the edge off your stress, the last thing you need right now is the dehydrating effects of overindulging in alcohol. Stick to a few drinks a week, tops, and make sure to balance out your drinks with just as much water and plenty of hydrating fruits and veggies like melon, citrus, cucumber, and celery.

Clean up your diet

Speaking of fruits and veggies, how’s your diet? I know it’s tempting to dive into the sweets and comfort food when you’re losing your mind, but fried foods, sugar, and simple carbohydrates can promote inflammation, dehydration, and free radical damage, which can lead to acne and/or dryness, dull tone, and dark circles.

A quick pick-me-up for your skin is a veggie-heavy homemade juice. Think kale, cucumber, ginger, lemon, and green apple. This simple recipe will flood your system with antioxidants and hydration and your skin will love it! Sustain these results by drinking one of these juices each day! Your skin, your digestion, and your waistline will thank you. (If you don't have time to make juice every day, many health food stores have fresh juice bars where you can buy a few bottles and freeze them to preserve the nutrients and enzymes.)

If you can’t cut out the junk completely, at least work on adding more produce and healthy fats to your diet. Fill up on leafy greens, berries, fatty fish, olives, and nuts before treating yourself to that donut or order of fries!

Get some sleep

I know, I know. Easier said than done, right? If your life feels like it’s upside down, you might be having trouble sleeping, which can lead to even more stress and more skin damage! You may not have complete control over your sleep, but you can take steps to improve your chances of getting your full 7-9 hours. Make sure your room is cool, dark, and quiet at night. Turn off screens at least an hour before bed and try creating a relaxing pre-bedtime ritual like stretching, meditation, or taking a warm bath. Avoid alcohol, caffeine, or large meals less than two hours before bed.

Sleep is challenging when you’re stressed, but don’t make it even harder with bad habits!

Dance it out

One of the best activities to reduce stress and improve your skin is exercise! A good sweat prompts your body to create endorphins and other mood-boosting hormones. It also increases blood flow to your skin and decreases free radical damage, which can help regulate oil production, brighten the skin, and improve overall tone.

So squeeze in a walk on your lunch break, meet a friend for a bike ride, or carve out time for a few dance breaks each day. You’ll look and feel better in just a few minutes!

Cool your skin down

One of the best ways to soothe inflammation caused by stress and other factors is by applying something cool to your skin. I like to put my face masks in the fridge and top them off with cucumbers over my eyes to reduce puffiness. Some people also use ice rollers or jade rollers even on their faces every day after cleansing their skin.

Treat yourself

If there’s ever a time to treat yourself to a skin-nourishing facial, it’s now. Our Honey Lavender CBD Facial and Multivitamin Hydration Facials are specifically designed to combat the effects of stress and other environmental factors, and they smell great too! I can’t recommend them enough if you’re going through a hard time.

They work wonders on stressed skin and in my experience, when you feel like you look good, you’ll also feel better. Even the experience of treating yourself can be a stress reducer itself, whether the treat is a facial, a massage, or even just a date with a girlfriend. A little self-care can go a long way!You can’t eliminate stress completely, but skin issues don’t have to be just one more thing on your list of worries. Try these tips to feel and look better, and hang in there!