Stress is a part of life that's here to stay. And while we don't want to concern you, this stress can show up in your skin in the form of acne, fine lines, dark circles, and more (yikes!)

The good news? While you may not be able to stop all your stress in its tracks, you can certainly keep it from leaving its mark on your face. Here’s how.

How Stress Affects the Skin

Heightened stress can not only affect your mental health, but also your skin health. Emotions like anxiety and fear, in particular, trigger the “fight or flight” response in the body - which, in turn, triggers the release of cortisol, the stress hormone.

Ove time, cortisone increases oil production in the skin, leading to clogged pores, a dull shine, breakouts and other major concerns.

And that’s not all. Stress can also compromise your immune system, which can lead to a redder, more irritated complexion. And it can be a vicious cycle: once the consequences of stress start showing up on your face, that stress causes our body to release chemicals that cause inflammation and - you guessed it - make the issues worse.

Getting on top of your skincare routine can help, not only helping you deal with the physical signs of stressed out skin but also allowing you to engage in self-care and check your out-of-control stress hormones at the door.

Ingredients and Products That Combat Stress-Related Skin Concerns

For Redness and Irritation

As we mentioned, ongoing stress will encourage the release of many inflammatory hormones that will cause redness, inflammation and irritation in the skin. To battle these concerns, you can incorporate skin barrier-building ingredients like:

• Peptides, which trigger collagen production and help boost overall skin health
• Hyaluronic acid, a powerful humectant moisturizer that can tackle a lot of the dryness that can lead to red, irritated skin
• Vitamin C and vitamin E, two powerful irritation-busting antioxidants.

Find hyaluronic acid, peptides, and vitamin C in our Night Shift hydration gel.

For Dark Circles

To fight fatigue-related dark circles, you likely want to address both purplish coloring and puffiness. That requires a mix of ingredients that will deeply moisturize and restore the skin. Look specifically for:

• Hyaluronic acid, a glycosaminoglycan that will provide effective, non-comedogenic hydration around your delicate eye area. Exactly what the doctor ordered.
• Similarly, squalane - the stabilized version of squalene, an oil found in sebum - will help moisturize and prevent trans-epidermal moisture loss. In other words, it’ll help seal any moisture in, which can decrease the appearance of sallowness and fine lines around the eye.
• With a melting point near body temperature, cocoa butter helps to retain moisture by providing a permeable barrier on the skin that both seals moisture in and protects sensitive skin from airborne pollutants.
• Vitamin C, which can reduce signs of aging, repairs damaged skin, accelerates collagen synthesis, and corrects hyperpigmentation.
• Green tea, which, used topically, has been shown to decrease inflammation, reduce the number of sunburn cells, and protect cells from UV damage.

You can find all of these ingredients in the multi-tasking All In eye cream.

If you want to know more, you can check out the blog What Actually Works for Treating Dark Circles.

For Stress Acne

If you’re dealing with stress acne, there are two primary things to consider: the spots themselves and the inflammation or compromised barrier that caused the spots (you can read more on that here). To this end, you should incorporate ingredients like:

• Salicylic acid, a powerful BHA that can actually penetrate into the pores and get any bacteria or debris that’s hiding in there.
• Again, a comprehensive, antioxidant-rich moisturizer and a non-comedogenic face oil to soothe the skin and protect it from environmental stressors.

For Sallow Skin

If your skin is looking sallow, lifeless, or dull, you’re probably dealing with a few things, including lack of moisture, lack of nutrients, and lack of exfoliation. You’ll want to deal with all three concerns. Consider incorporating:

• A gentle daily exfoliant. Here, we recommend a gentle AHA exfoliator that will even out the skin tone while hydrating with hyaluronic acid and shea butter.
• A comprehensive moisturizer with peptides, MSM, and antioxidants that will protect and rebuild your skin’s natural barrier for maximized skin health.
• A nutrient-rich face oil that will intensely hydrate, smooth lines, and lock in any other powerful actives that you’ve applied.

Make Your Routine A Stress-Buster

Remember - skincare is self-care, and the time you spend on your skincare routine can certainly have its own stress-busting benefits. And there’s science to back this up. In one study carried out by Rodan + Fields, researchers found that a 3-step skincare routine could reduce cortisol levels by a huge 83%!

Why? Well, there’s inherent stress relief in having an in-the-moment ritual that you can focus your attention on. Plus, participants noted improvements in their appearance, saying things like, “my skin looks less stressed and less reactive,” “I am less self-conscious about how my skin looks.”

The point? Lean into the ritual of taking care of yourself! It can be a major stress reliever.

Ready to get started? Find all the products you need for the ultimate stress-busting skincare routine in the Discovery Kit.