There are quite a number of reasons people break out and one of them is STRESS! When your skin is stressed, it releases certain kinds of hormones (particularly CORTISOL) which affect your body and skin. In fact, Cortisol is called the ‘PRIMARY STRESS HORMONE’ because of the way it really affects your body. Cortisol increases your skin’s dryness and causes an increase in the amount of sebum your sebaceous glands produce as your skin is now over-compensating for the decrease in your skin’s hydration. Dehydrated skin when acne prone and even otherwise will typically break out so… acne and inflammation! The spike in your cortisol levels is mostly an internal thing however, there are still things you’ll do on the outside that will make a difference too.

 

1. Keep your skin hydrated

Top up on your hydration levels as much as your can with humectant rich (hyaluronic acid, honey extracts, aloe vera) products. Dehydrated skin is potentially more acne prone than well-hydrated skin.

2. Get rest / get more sleep

Length and quality of sleep influence your cortisol levels. Sleep derivation, Insomnia e.tc. increase cortisol level. With the amount of stress and traffic in Lagos again… I don’t even know if we can ever have enough sleep when we work 8 – 5s. Just try and get as much sleep as you can. I remember breaking out a lot when I was working my last 8 – 5 and it wasn’t funny.

3. Use soothing essential oils ( lavender, chamomile)

Not only do they have the ability to treat acne, they can also induce you to relax and sleep better.

4. Exercise

Moderate exercising reduces the level of cortisol your body produces. Moreover, exercising regularly keeps you refreshed and energized.

5. Maintain a regular skincare routine

Cleanse, mask, exfoliate, tone, moisturize, protect! So that even when your skin produces more cortisol and in turn more sebum, your skincare routine will be there to really inhibit the actions of P-acne on sebum. Exfoliating regularly also helps you decongest your skin of dead skin cells that could clog pores and cause acne.

6. Engage in stress-relieving activities

It could be reading a book, ? biking, ?‍♀️ nature walks, typically anything that will really help you relax more.