How does stress affect your skin?

Mental, emotional, and physical stress is inevitable for most people these days. It’s the
persistent
chronic kind of stress that is shown to have damaging effects, which eventually shows up on your skin. With
advances
in neuroscience, the intimate connection between the brain and skin is showing that the skin really does speak
for
what the mind and body feels.

How are the brain and skin connected?

The human body has both a central nervous system (brain) and a peripheral nervous system (nerves and sensors
including those found in the skin) which enable it to react to its environment. These two significantly vital
organs
are constantly communicating to synchronise external and internal danger signals. To understand this intimate
connection, we must go back to the start – in utero.

The brain and the skin originate from the same embryologic tissue, the ectoderm. A mass of cells develops,
divide,
and then differentiate from one single layer of embryonic tissue into two separate but intimately connected
systems
– the neurectoderm (the brain, spinal cord, and nervous system) and the epidermis (skin). The epidermis is
richly
innervated with nerves which enables the brain and skin to constantly communicate via neurotransmitters and
hormones.

The brain and skin are connected for life. When the brain senses embarrassment, the skin responds by blushing.
When
brain senses excitement or fear, the skin may respond with hair-raising goose bumps. When the brain perceives
persistent threat, fear, worry or anxiety, the body responds by releasing stress hormones such as adrenaline and
cortisol which results in a fight response (a positive reaction to stress and adaptative reaction). Because the
body cannot keep this state for long periods of time, a feedback mechanism returns the body to normal
physiological
conditions (elimination of stress hormones and their consequences), thus maintaining homeostasis. The skin acts
the
same way in response to stress and stressors. Keratinocytes secrete cortisol too. The skin is an immediate
stress
perceiver as well as the target of stress responses.

What are the effects of cortisol on the skin?

Cortisol is the primary stress hormone in humans and works to regulate a wide range of stress responses. When it
comes to skin, high concentrations of cortisol are shown to have extensive, disruptive, and potentially damaging
effects:

How to support your skin from stress to strength?

1. Using the correct skincare ingredients can help the skin become stress resistant.
   Replenishing the skin with vitamin A and antioxidants is a vital starting point to normalise skin
   functioning.
   Find out more about Environ’s Essential
   Care ranges enriched with vital vitamin A, antioxidants and other essential skin nutrients which work as
   the
   critical foundation for healthy-looking, resilient skin.

   Environ’s award-winning Seriénce™
   Night Serum is a powerful overnight booster formulated with intelligent ingredients to counteract the
   effects of stress and stress-induced ageing.

2. Take a few extra minutes during your head-to-toe skincare ritual to massage your ingredients into the
   skin.
3. Book a facial. Your skin needs the power of gentle touch to counteract the effects of stress.
   In the hands of a Skincare Professional, skin can benefit greatly from the enhanced effects of potent
   ingredients optimised with powerful skincare technology, and targeted facial massage which is
   shown to
   reduce cortisol levels in the skin as well as trigger feel good relaxation responses.
4. Mindful beauty tips
   • If you cultivate the simple habit of regular exercise, as well as improved periods of rest and reflection, it will
     go a
     long way help to de-stress and balance the hormones responsible for the negative changes. Focus on
     deep
     breathing, stretching, and toning to activate powerful relaxation responses
   • Meditation is known to have great benefits on skin stress management through the activation the
     body’s
     parasympathetic nervous system which is known to help decrease the effects of cortisol and inflammation.
   • Beauty sleep is real – your body’s circadian rhythm (biological clock) goes into repair mode at
     night.
     When it comes to your skin, life’s commitments or mental stress can mean lower-quality sleep which
     is
     known to increase cortisol, free radical damage, and inflammation.

Environ promotes a progressive and integrative approach to counteracting the harmful effects of stress offering
the
best opportunity for improvement in the quality of skin and life.

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