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Stress, Skin. What You Need to Know

It’s not just our emotional state that’s affected, when it comes to stress, skin suffers too. In this post learn how to recognize the impact of stress on your skin. Plus, some tips and skincare products to help manage it. Shop Cloud Nine Foaming Cleansing Creme Shop Daily Infusion Moisturizer Shop Antioxidant Face Oil What Stress Does Whether related to our jobs, our relationships or our finances, stress is part of modern-day life. And, it’s not necessarily bad. Good stress, like the kind involved with planning a party, a trip or getting a new job that we love, usually lasts for a short time and makes us feel alive, happy and excited. Other stress, what we often call bad stress, tends to be ongoing. It’s what happens when we’re faced with things like financial stress, a relationship breakup or the uncertainty that we’re all facing due to Covid-19, right now. This kind of stress can damage our health. When we’re under stress, our bodies trigger the release of hormones like cortisol and adrenaline into our systems. These ‘chemical messengers’ lead to bodily responses including an increased heart rate, higher blood pressure and more sugar in the bloodstream. Not so bad if we experience it for just a short time, but when we’re under stress for a long period, the mental and physical impact can be harmful to our well-being. Stress, Skin Changes Beyond the changes described above, cortisol’s release also affects our skin. Oil and sebum production increase, which can result in acne or increased skin sensitivity. Cortisol may weaken the skin’s immune system and increase the breaking down and failing to repair tissues. A decrease in collagen and elastin leads to wrinkles, lines and dull looking skin. If that wasn’t enough, cortisol amps up inflammation, causing flare-ups in conditions like eczema, rosacea and psoriasis. During periods of stress, revisit your skin care routine. Put aside the harsh treatments – like stripping cleansers and exfoliants, and focus on being gentle. Try switching to a gentle cleanser, like our Cloud Nine Foaming Cleansing Crème rich in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory ingredients. In addition to cleaning, it also moisturizes and protects skin. Continue to apply sunscreen daily to defend against UV ray damage and keep skin moisturized if it is dry. Our Daily Infusion Moisturizer hydrates without greasiness and is perfect for all skin types. For a bit of a hydration boost, add in an oil, which helps to soften skin and lock in moisture. Our Antioxidant Face Oil contains fatty acids, antioxidants and skin soothing bisabolol, to help reduce inflammation. Stress Management 101 This time will pass, but it may take a while for us to get there. In the meantime, try to manage stress with a few moments of self-care: Get enough sleep, between 7 and 9 hours for most people Exercise three or four times a week – walking and yoga are fantastic! Consider meditation or deep breathing exercises Relax with a book or connect with a friend Focus on eating a healthy diet, but don’t beat yourself up if you make a slip. We have enough to worry about already! There isn’t one single method that works for everyone, but try a few different things and you’ll find what works for you. Do you have any stress management tips to share?

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Understanding Skin Inflammation

Skin inflammation is one of the most common issues experienced when it comes to our body’s largest organ. The condition may be acute (short lived) or chronic (longer lasting). Under ideal circumstances, inflammation is actually a good thing as it’s our built in defense system, designed to protect us from invading bacteria, viruses and injuries. However, left untreated over a long time period, it can cause problems. Shop All Apothekari Acute skin inflammation results from exposure to UV rays, allergens or contact with potentially irritating ingredients like soaps and other topical treatments. Inflamed skin may have a rash, and be itchy and/or red. Symptoms tend to resolve spontaneously within a couple of weeks, especially if the irritant is removed. For the most part, acute conditions leave no serious damage behind. Chronic skin inflammation is often the result of an immune inflammatory response within the skin itself. Presenting as acne, eczema, rosacea, dermatitis and psoriasis, it tends to be longer lasting and may cause significant and sometimes serious tissue damage. Acne is an inflammatory condition, often exacerbated by the presence of bacteria. Finally, rosacea is another skin condition often triggered by inflammation from stress, food or hormones. What Causes Skin Inflammation? Skin inflammation is a complex process and researchers are still trying to understand it in full. In general, a trigger results in the production of inflammatory hormones (like cortisol), which bind to receptors on target cells and stimulate the production of further inflammatory signaling hormones. Lifestyle factors including stress, lack of sleep, poor diet, second hand smoke and sun exposure can all contribute to skin inflammation. Blood vessels may dilate, nerve cells may be activated, and some cells may leave the blood and migrate to the skin, where more inflammatory hormones along with enzymes, free radicals and damaging chemicals are produced. While the response arises as a way to protect the body against a perceived threat from the initial trigger, the end result is a large inflammatory response that can actually cause considerable damage to the skin. Treatment Conventional treatments for chronic inflammation such as eczema and dermatitis often include corticosteroids. While effective in chronic cases, corticosteroids aren’t that great in treating acute inflammation. Managing lifestyle factors – watching what you eat, getting enough sleep and trying to control stress are key. Cortisol, the stress hormone slows wound healing, hastens the breakdown of collagen and can accelerate the aging progress, leaving skin looking saggy, wrinkled and less vibrant. Exercise boosts the release of endorphins, which are anti-inflammatory. Last, sleep gives your skin a chance to heal and repair. It’s not called ‘beauty sleep for nothing! Here are 5 ways you can help fight against skin inflammation: 1. Consume Foods Rich in Anti-inflammatory Compounds This includes foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids (like fish), antioxidant rich berries, nuts and leafy greens. 2. Minimize the Consumption of Junk Food Fast food, refined carbohydrates and sugar contribute to inflammation. Food allergies may also play a factor so if you suspect your diet is the cause try to identify the allergen and eliminate it. It’s definitely worth a try! 3. Be Gentle When it comes to topical treatments, go easy. Opt for gentle cleansers (like Cloud Nine Foaming Cleansing Crème or AHA-Mazing Clean Cleanser). Don’t over exfoliate or combine the use of aggressive products all at once. Space out retinoids, alpha hydroxy acids and low pH Vitamin C. Rethink feeling ‘squeaky clean’, which often results in dry and irritated skin. If skin feels itchy and irritated or appears red, take a product break. 4. Wear Sunscreen Every day. UV rays are a source of free radicals, which can lead to inflammation. 5. Sleep Well. Exercise. Manage Stress. Since stress is one of the main reasons for skin inflammation, stress reduction is key. Exercising and sleeping better are two ways to help manage stress. Whether it’s short-term inflammation (like hives, a rash or sunburn) or the cumulative effect of chronic assaults, inflammation does take a toll on the skin. A weakened skin barrier function can lead to trans-epidermal water loss, leaving skin feeling dry and more sensitive. The earlier you tackle it the better. In our next post, we discuss some of the best anti-inflammatory ingredients you can use to help skin heal. Stay tuned!

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Stress and Skin: 5 Signs to Watch

Stress and skin; is this something you’re concerned about? If you follow us on social media, you may note that we often post about relaxation, zen, work/life balance and looking after yourself. It’s a well-known fact that stress affects your overall health, including that of your skin. Wellness is something that I feel deeply about so it’s a topic that won’t be a stranger to this blog. Shop A Is for Anti-Aging Serum (Our Retinoid Formulation) Shop Bespoke Vitamin C 15% In today’s post, we’ll look at the connection between stress and skin along with 5 signs to watch out for. First, it’s important to acknowledge that stress isn’t always bad. There is good stress and then there is bad stress. Good stress happens when we are busy doing things we love – planning a big event – a holiday, a party or a wedding. Good stress may also be found in the workplace, when we win a big project, receive a promotion and throw ourselves into our jobs. This kind of stress helps keep us happy, engaged and excited with life. However, when work takes over and we can’t come up for air, we find ourselves struggling about how to pay the bills or if you or someone you care about are faced with a serious illness, bad stress can step in. What Does Stress Do To The Body? When we’re under stress, our body copes by releasing a number of hormones, including cortisol. In short bursts, cortisol helps us cope with stressful situations, which is fine if levels are elevated temporarily. Continue the stress long term, however, and high cortisol levels start impacting our health in a number of ways, lowering our immune function, increasing weight gain, increasing the potential for depression and interfering with our memory. When it comes to stress and skin, here are 5 signs that should encourage you to pay attention: 5 Skin Signs of Stress 1. Dryness/Dullness Cortisol can damage the skin’s ability to hold on to water, resulting in moisture loss. Skin may appear dull. Avoid hot water and fragrances and seek out hypoallergenic products to help prevent further dryness. 2. Itchy, Ugly Rashes The loss of moisture explained above can also damage the skin’s natural barrier which is in place to keep out bacteria and other harmful substances. When this protective layer is damaged, harmful bacteria may penetrate through to the deeper layers of skin. These bacteria produce a protein that may activate the immune system, leading to eczema and psoriasis. Additionally, cortisol acts as a powerful steroid that shuts down one part of the immune system (making you more susceptible to colds and flu) but cranks up another, making you more susceptible to allergens, which can lead to itchy and inflamed skin. 3. Cold Sores The impact of stress on the immune system not only increases the risk for flare-ups of cold sores but also shingles, and viral warts. 4. Fine Lines Cortisol. Again! This time, it adds to fine lines by triggering elevated blood sugar levels via a process known as glycation. Ultimately, glycation damages collagen and elastin, two fibers that help to keep skin smooth, plump and firm. Retinoid treatments as in Apothekari A is for Anti-Aging Serum along with antioxidants (try Apothekari Bespoke Vitamin C Serum) stimulate collagen production and can help to diminish the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines over time. 5. Acne Stress triggers the release of androgens (male hormones) like testosterone which are responsible for the production of sebum. The resulting blocked pores provide a perfect breeding ground for acne. Try incorporating treatments with salicylic acid or retinoids, which help to control bacteria and clogged pores. Living a full life inevitably comes with stress. The key is in how you manage it. What’s your strategy?

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