Stress is a part of life. But have you ever felt like every time you’re stressed out life just piles on with the worst-timed (and placed) zit ever? Turns out, there may be a connection between the two.

Stress affects our bodies inside and out and, unfortunately, that includes our skin. Stress is known to affect all components of skin (i.e. elasticity, complexion, texture, and more) potentially leading to a number of issues.

Stress can trigger our bodies to change what and how much we are producing of certain hormones, like cortisone. This can then change how our skin reacts to anything including our tried and trusted skincare routines. Read below for the most common stressed skin symptoms and how to fight them.

With cortisone, comes oil. With oil, come clogged pores. With clogged pores, come whiteheads, blackheads, and, well…you get it and are probably getting stressed just reading this. Our apologies.

We recommend having a stressed skincare routine that you can quickly whip out to fight any acne that may pop up under trying times - or add in a few stress-fighting products that will soak up that excess oil.

The best skincare for stressed skin should definitely contain a toner. We recommend our Coast Is Clear Seaweed Toner. It clears the pores of oil without losing moisture and contains a ton of vitamins and minerals to even out your complexion. It can also be applied midday as a quick refresh and help with any oil that may come up the more stressed you get.

When all else fails and that zit still pops up, hit it at night with Quality Control. This easy-to-apply acne spot treatment contains 2% botanical salicylic acid, which starts working in seconds to clear up blemishes by getting deep into the skin to dissolve skin debris that clogs pores while reducing inflamed pimples. Another star ingredient, witch hazel, reduces oil production and lowers redness and inflammation.

Too stressed to sleep? Although we hope everyone is getting a full eight hours and sleeping like babies every night, we also understand that this is usually not the case. Lack of sleep can cause puffiness, bags, and dark circles under the eyes.

We recommend tackling this with our All In Eye Cream. It contains all 8 of our namesake natural & organic ingredients. Vitamin C brightens the skin while caffeine from green tea gets rid of puffiness. It has cucumber hydrosol in it too, which cools the skin and gives it a great, soothing scent. Pro tip: pop your eye cream in the fridge for an hour or so and then apply – it will soothe your under eyes but also, hopefully, help alleviate some of your stress. Anti-stress skincare activated.

When we are stressed, we tend to not take the best care of ourselves. This includes the not sleeping mentioned above and the dreaded dehydration we all know and don’t love. Passing on the iced coffee for a glass of water isn’t easy (because coffee is life). A better solution is to apply a serum that provides an instant surge of hydration, banishing dry skin to high heavens.

Pep Rally is our lightweight hyaluronic acid serum that quickly brightens skin tone, plumps the skin, and protects against free radicals. It works actively for eight hours after application so it can tackle the stress of any day right along with you.

Follow this with a natural moisturizer like our Daydreamer to truly lock in hydration and look stress-free on the outside, no matter what is happening on the inside.

As much as we wish we could take the stress out of your life, the best we can do is give you all the tools you need to ensure skincare isn’t ever a stressor in your life. Continue your daily skincare routine as a proactive skincare for stress and use the tips above when needed.

Many believe inner peace leads to outer beauty. So, we wish you peace and happiness as you go on with your day. And if all else fails, fake it till you make it with a glowing complexion, no matter what you’re feeling inside.