True Radical Honesty From Our Community

Because one thing’s for sure, your skin will never triumphantly sing ‘Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.’

Whether you’re the type of person who hibernates as soon as a mere flutter of snow hits the skies, or you’re that girl who can’t wait to get outside to ski, snowboard, hike or enjoy a good old-fashioned snowball fight, there’s no denying that snow days can have major effects on your skin. Even if you’re not willing to step a foot outside, cranking up the heating is enough to send your skin all over the place. Couple with this with a few extra glasses of cab to warm your boots and, well, dehydrated skin is never more than a few snowflakes away.

Below, we impart some of our finest snow day skincare advice – because it’s nearly the holidays and we can’t have you walking around with sad skin now, can we?

Snow Day Skin Tip #1: Never Go To Bed Without Cleansing

Do we bang on about cleansing too much? Sorry, not sorry. Cleansing your skin twice daily is super important every day of the year, for obvious reasons. But in the winter, ridding your skin of surface debris such as oil, makeup, pollution and dirt isn’t the only reason cleansing is so vital. Cold, dry weather (as well as cranked up indoor heating) can be extremely drying on your skin which means your moisturizer needs to work doubly-hard. And how can it do that if you’ve not cleansed your skin thoroughly – especially at night after your skin’s been subject to a whole day of environmental onslaughts? Answer: it can’t.

Always cleanse thoroughly before bed with a gentle, but effective cleanser like Vitamin C Brightening Cleanser or Charcoal Clarifying Cleanser. Use lukewarm water so as not to upset your skin’s barrier function and pat dry (don’t scrub) with a clean towel. Then and only then can your serums and moisturizers really do their jobs properly. And, while we’re on that subject, may we suggest our super hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Facial Serum to give your skin extra hydration before bed, followed by Vitamin C Deep Hydration Night Cream? Thanks.

Snow Day Skin Tip #2: Drink A Ton Of Water

There’s little research to prove that drinking water directly hydrates your skin. However, dehydration can certainly have an effect on your skin so it’s important to note – especially on super cold days when it’s likely you drink less water due to feeling less thirsty. Dehydration can lead to dizziness, cramps, headaches and a lack of concentration, as well as less radiant skin, tired eyes and dry lips.

Word to the wise? Make sure you stay hydrated – and if it’s way too chilly for cold water, try hot water or caffeine-free herbal teas or coffee. A healthy hydrated body will always be reflected in the state of your skin.

Snow Day Skin Tip #3: Invest In A Humidifier

Not only do wind, frost and snow cause the air to be extremely dry outside, but cranking up the heating indoors does the exact same thing – zapping moisture from the air, stripping your skin of natural oils and causing it to be vulnerable to dryness and dehydration. Try to keep your heating at around 68 degrees Fahrenheit during the day, 58 at night, and invest in a humidifier for your bedroom to add moisture into the air while you sleep.

Humidifiers are awesome for balancing your skin’s natural moisture barrier and counteracting all the other winter stuff that can drip your skin dry. This not only stops your skin from becoming dry and dehydrated, but it also balances sebum production so your face doesn’t become super oily as a result. And double bonus, a humidifier will also help you sleep better.

Experts agree that somewhere around 40 or 50 percent humidity for your home is best.

Snow Day Skin Tip #4: Don’t Forget To Moisturize Your Lips

Dryness doesn’t begin and end with your face. In fact, your lips are often the first to feel dry, flaky and chapped. This is because the skin on your lips is extremely thin, fragile and contains no sebaceous glands to keep itself moisturized.

The best way to look after your lips on super cold, snowy days – and in fact, all winter long, is firstly to stop licking them. Saliva contains digestive enzymes which skin can irritate your skin. So, there’s that. Also, slather your lips in balm every night before bed and make sure you apply it just over your lip line as this is the area that’s often the driest. If your lips are flaky and peeling, you could also try exfoliating them gently with a damp face cloth a few times a week. Just remember to go gently so you don’t irritate your skin.

Snow Day Skin Tip #5: Up Your Sun Protection

The sun can be extremely powerful on bluebird days, reflecting right off that delicious white snow and straight on to your poor, unsuspecting skin. So, never forget to apply broad-spectrum SPF to all areas of exposed skin when you’re out in the winter sun. In fact, you’d be wise to up your SPF on sunny snow days because it can cause no end of damage. You have been warned.

But that’s not all. Even on dull, gray snow days, the sun is still there going about its skin-damaging business. It might not be hot or look ‘sunny’ per se, but the sun’s not gone anywhere and its damaging UVA rays (they’re the ones that ruin your precious collagen and age you up faster than you can say ‘hot cider, anyone?’) can penetrate right through those clouds. Mic. Drop.

So you know that sunscreen you packed away in September? Get it back out because it should be a staple in your skincare routine all year long. Rain, shine, cloud, snow, the whole darn lot.

For even better sun damage control, apply an antioxidant serum underneath your moisturizer every morning. Antioxidants like vitamins C and E, niacinamide and ferulic acid are the cat’s whiskers at nuking sun-induced free radicals before they get a chance to do a number on your skin.

Try Vitamin C Super Serum+ which contains a curated blend of effective antioxidants, plus nourishing essential oils like lavender, ylang ylang and pink grapefruit to help seal in vital moisture.

Feel like you might be overloading and stressing out your skin? Then the best ways to get results from your skincare is to go low and slow. Say hello to skincare microdosing...

Many skincare fads come and go and oftentimes they’re not worth the time of day (here’s looking at you ‘slugging’). But every now and again, something crops up that actually does your skin the world of good.

One such thing is microdosing. To be honest, skincare microdosing isn’t a new phenomenon, but something we’ve advocated forever – it’s simply been given a name. So, what does it mean? Simple: it’s the process of using lower concentrations of active ingredients in your routine, so as not to irritate your skin with potent skin-changers like retinol, vitamin C and exfoliating acids like glycolic and salicylic. These kind of active ingredients are extremely effective on the skin, but they can be a little too effective and intimidating for some folks, causing no end of problems like unwanted redness, dryness or irritation.

Even if you don’t have sensitive skin, your skin can only take so much before it will start freaking out and reacting to this bombardment of ingredients. Take exfoliating acids, for example. Use these in high strengths every day and you skin’s natural renewal system simply won’t be able to keep up, risking flaking, peeling, redness and dryness. Continue on this ‘no pain, no gain’ road and you could even risk longer-term damage such as dermatitis and sun damage.

Applying such ingredients in smaller doses, however, is a much better way to treat your skin with respect. It’s all about paring back your regime to avoid overloading your skin with a complicated cocktail of powerful ingredients and products. This gives your skin time to accept and better tolerate these potent, active ingredients, allowing you to safely use retinol and friends more regularly while avoiding damage to your skin’s all-important barrier function.

Your skin’s barrier is the absolute foundation to a healthy complexion. This is the very top layer (the stratum corneum) which works hard to defend your skin from environmental toxins and damage, while simultaneously retaining water to keep it soft, supple and well moisturized. If you upset your barrier with a super harsh skincare routine, beware because it will thank you with dryness, redness, breakouts, itching, inflammation, sensitivities and no end of other problems. So, you gotta treat it with respect. This means gentle cleansing, no hot water, exfoliating with care and never overloading it with too many active ingredients, lotions and potions – aka microdosing.

The 3 Rules Of Skincare Microdosing

Is your skin feeling overwhelmed by an over-zealous daily routine right now? Then here’s how to cut back and nail this microdosing malarkey…

1. Refine Your Skincare Regime

Microdosing traditionally takes on the form of using low rather than high concentrations of active ingredients. This means you don’t need to waste time hunting down the latest, super potent anti-aging serum that promises a massive hit of 5 percent retinol. Instead, look for products that contain smaller amounts (even 0.1 percent of retinol can offer great benefits).

A great trick here is to try a moisturizer instead of a serum. Moisturizers usually contain less active ingredients and don’t penetrate your skin as deeply as serums, meaning they’re kinder to sensitive skin. Try our Retinol Moisturizer for a gentle hit of retinol with much less chances of causing irritation.

You could also think about swapping out some potent ingredients for their gentler alternatives. Pure vitamin C, for example, is known as l-ascorbic acid and, while this provides awesome brightening and antioxidant protection for your skin, l-ascorbic acid is extremely powerful and can irritate some skin types. Instead, we use a vitamin C derivative called sodium ascorbyl phosphate in our Vitamin C Facial Serum and, in fact, across all of our C products. Sodium ascorbyl phosphate is way kinder to your skin and much safer to use daily as long as your skin can tolerate it. Not sure it can? Then carry out a patch test first. In fact, even if you think your skin will be OK, it’s always prudent to patch test, just in case.

Other ways to successfully microdose? Pare down your routine to just the essentials you know are good for your skin. The three absolute musts are cleanser, moisturizer and sunscreen, then you can add in one or two treatments, an eye cream and you should be golden.

Finally, always use your products as directed and never apply too much – this is literally the opposite of what microdosing is trying to achieve! For help on how much product you need, check out our handy guide, right here.

2. Be Patient

Of course, there has to be a trade-off from using lower concentrations of active ingredients rather than going for the heavy-hitters. And this is, it will take a little longer for your products to show visible results.

But come on now, if you’re noticing some skin sensitivities, waiting a few extra weeks (around six to eight is probably the sweet spot) will be so worth it in the long-run. And hey, if your skin adapts to ingredients pretty swiftly, you can always up your dosage accordingly. It’s all about listening to your skin.

3. NEVER Microdose SPF

If there’s one product you should never scrimp on, it’s sunscreen. Too much of a good thing simply does not apply here. According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) you should apply a sun protection with at least SPF 30 to your face every morning to block a good 97 percent of the sun’s UVB rays. You must also look for broad-spectrum formulations that offer UVA as well as UVB protection. UVA rays are the ones that age you up (think A for aging), while UVB rays are responsible for burning (B for burning). And they can both lead to skin cancer, so it’s vital to protect your skin from the works.

Apply your sunscreen generously (again, no microdosing, please) and don’t give up in winter. The sun can damage your skin just a much when the weather’s lousy as when the sun is at its best. End of discussion.

Spending time on your skin reaps fabulous rewards, but the good news is you can make a hassle-free routine just as beneficial. So, for those of you wanting to look awesome without too much effort, we got you…

Oftentimes, a low-maintenance skincare routine is the best one of all. Sure, a 10-step Korean regime might work for some of you, but are countless masks, scrubs, serums, oils, tinctures, essences and balms entirely necessary? We don’t think so. In fact, overloading your skin can be disastrous – ruining your skin’s protective barrier and causing all kinds of problems with dryness, sensitivities, breakouts and more.

That being said, a quick swipe with a ‘moisturizing’ face wipe before bed is never going to give you great skin, either. Poor cleansing? Not cool. Insufficient moisturizing? Ditto. And don’t even get us started on failing to apply SPF every day…

But if you do fancy cutting a few skincare corners – without compromising the look, feel and health of your skin – you can totally do so. You just need to know a few tricks of the trade.

Double Up Your Cleansing & Exfoliating Game

Cleansing is the absolute foundation of great skin and we will never tell you to be slap dash about the way in which you cleanse. It’s simply not worth it. However, one thing you can do if you’re in a rush is to exfoliate at the same time.

Simply apply your favorite cleanser to damp skin, then grab a clean facial mitt or washcloth and massage this all over your face and neck, using small circular motions. This is a great way to gently remove dead skin cells and boost circulation without irritating your skin. Just one word of warning: don’t use an exfoliating glove – they’re way too rough for the delicate skin on your face.

To Tone Or Not To Tone?

Never sure whether to bother with toner? Well, if you like the thought of firming, refining, balancing, hydrating and reviving your skin, a toner should be an important part of your regime. However, if you can’t be doing with the hassle of applying it with a cotton pad (and hate the thought of what those white fluffy things are doing for the environment), use a spritz toner instead. Both of our Ocean Minerals and Rose Water toners come in handy spray bottles and it takes just seconds to mist them over your face after cleansing. No brainer. Oh, and if you have a toner that doesn’t come in a spray bottle, buy a little reusable spritzer from Amazon and decant yours into that. Simple.

Invest In Products That Do More Than One Thing

You’ve got to love a product that offers your skin more than one benefit. Skincare that’s both time- and cost-effective? Hells yeah! After all, why should you apply six serums when one can do the exact same thing? Plus, by using just one professionally blended formulation, you get the benefit of knowing you’re not blindly cocktailing active, potent ingredients that don’t belong together. And that’s super important for the health of your complexion – especially if you have sensitive skin that flares up at even the mention of retinol, AHAs and friends. 

In our humble opinion, the best products that work overtime and serve more than one purpose are face serums. Light and fast-absorbing, serums are made of smaller molecules than regular lotions or moisturizing creams which means they're not only packed with active ingredients, but they’re able to deliver them right where your skin needs them. Of course, you can choose a serum to target one main concern, but any serum worth its weight should offer more than one benefit.

Take our Tea Tree Super Serum+, for example. Supercharged with a whole bevy of skin-loving ingredients, this serum deep cleans your pores and wallops excess oil, yet won’t dry out your skin like other tea tree oil products. How so? Because it’s also packed with hyaluronic acid and aloe to hydrate, niacinamide to soothe and botanical oils to strengthen and heal your skin. Even better news? You need only apply it two or three times each week, making it a mightily quick fix for your weekly routine.

Our Vitamin C Super Serum+ is another multi-correctional gem of a serum that’s packed with antioxidant properties thanks to vitamin C and retinol which together fight the signs of aging from all angles. It also contains salicylic acid to regulate oil production and boost cell turnover. Great for all skin types, it’s another serum you need only apply two or three times a week, yet it still manages to do so much for your skin.

No, this is not a drill.

Make Your Skin Work Hard While You Sleep

You’ll love this one, girls, because one of the most important things you can do for your skin is the least taxing activity of all: sleep. The National Sleep Foundation recommends between seven and nine hours of sleep every night, so try to hit that sweet spot of eight hours as often as you can.

Also, while you’re catching your zzzs, this is the best time to help your skin renew and regenerate itself. Skin goes into overdrive while you’re sleeping: blood flow increases, cell turnover almost doubles and your natural antioxidant defense system amps up to heal and repair your skin from the daily onslaughts of environmental damage.

To help these functions work like clockwork, make sure your skin is fully cleansed before you hit the hay and apply a serum and/or moisturizer like our Vitamin C Deep Hydration Night Cream. Enriched with vitamin C, aloe, cocoa butter, botanical oils and vitamin B5, this rich moisturizer works hard to restore your barrier function to help heal, hydrate, strengthen and support your skin – while you do absolutely nothing at all.

And frankly, that’s got to be the BEST, most effective lazy girls’ skincare money can buy.
 
 
 
 
 
 

June 20 marks the official start of summer, so let’s make sure your skin is 100 percent sunshine-ready, shall we?

The days are longer and the temperatures are rising. Yes, summer is here, people, so can we get a ‘hurray’ for arguably the best season of the year? 

Actually hold on a second, because heat and humidity aren’t always good news. In fact, they mean big (often bad) things for your skin. If you have an oily complexion, for example, summer can play havoc with a greasy forehead (not to mention sweaty bangs and annoying breakouts). And if you’re sun-sensitive, you'll know full well how tricky it can be to protect your delicate skin from that powerful ball of fire in the sky.

Want to get ahead of the game and ensure your skin is summer-ready, like now? Then here are five rules you need to get on board with.

1. Be Better At Cleansing

Do you often go to bed without cleansing your skin? Or maybe you’re a face wipe addict and simply don’t have the time for anything more than a quick swipe-and-go after getting up in the morning. Well, you might (and we stress the word ‘might’) get away with this every now and again in the winter months, but poor cleansing is seriously bad news in summer.

As temperatures and humidity increases, your skin’s sebaceous glands produce more oil to help protect it from environmental stressors. Couple this with an excess of sweat, dirt and goodness-knows-what-else and by the end of the day, your skin is pretty much covered in grime. And you think it’s OK to go to bed like that? Not cool. 

Instead of all this nonsense, cleanse your skin effectively but gently every morning and night. Use lukewarm water so you don’t dehydrate or irritate your skin and avoid harsh cleansers that strip your skin of moisture. Skin Clearing Charcoal Face Wash is an awesome choice in the summer, especially if you have oily or congested skin, or try Vitamin C Brightening Cleanser which is a great all-rounder for all skin types.

2. Lighten Up Your Moisturizing Routine (But Don’t Dismiss It Altogether)

Chances are you already switched out your winter moisturizer for a lighter formulation this spring, but if you’re still slathering your skin with rich butters, balms or creams, now’s the time to opt for a more lightweight lotion or gel. More humidity means your skin is less likely to dry out than in the colder months so, unless your skin is naturally super dry or dehydrated, it requires much less moisturization.

But, and this is a big but, don’t think you can skip moisturizer entirely, just because the weather’s heated up. This is asking for trouble – especially if you have oily skin. Dial it down, for sure, but if you leave it completely out of your routine, your sebaceous glands will go into overdrive, producing more oil and leaving you with super slick skin.

3. Exfoliate – From Head-To Toe

Gently exfoliating your skin with a light scrub or chemical alpha hydroxy or beta hydroxy acid (think salicylic, lactic or glycolic) is a fabulous idea all year round. And you could try our Vitamin C Super Serum+ if you’re looking for the perfect facial serum, btw. But what about your body? Sun’s out, legs out and all that…

Come the summer, it’s super important to regularly exfoliate your body, especially your arms and legs which are going to be exposed much more often than they were during winter. Exfoliating your legs also helps give you the perfect shave and stops those ingrown hairs from upsetting your perfect pins game. Try applying a small amount of Skin Clearing Charcoal Face Wash to an exfoliating mitt or loofah, then work this in circular motions all over your body in the shower. How frequently you exfoliate your body will depend on your skin type, but two or three times a week should do it. Just remember to go gently over your chest and décolletage as the skin here is very delicate. Oh, and always follow with moisturizer.

4. Amp Up Your Antioxidant Game

You know that protecting your skin from the sun is almost as important as the air that you breathe (you DO know that, right?). Well, research shows that topical antioxidants are another way to counteract sun-induced free radical damage that totally ruins your skin’s essential collagen and elastin supplies. Antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin E, retinol and niacinamide work hard to neutralize cell damage therefore reducing inflammation and helping your skin repair and correct itself.

If you don’t have an antioxidant facial serum in your routine, check out our guide to help you find one for your skin type. Then layer it underneath your moisturizer every morning or night – don’t worry, our serums are super light, so they won’t weigh down your skin.

And of course, always follow with a broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least SPF 30.

5. Pare Back Your Makeup

Finally, summer is the perfect time to lessen your makeup load. Summer beauty trends always dictate barely-there, glowy skin and 2021 is no exception. This season’s skin is natural, fresh and radiant – as it should be – which means you should pack away your heavy foundations for the next few months and try tinted moisturizer or BB cream instead. Use clean fingers to apply it all over your face and neck, or try blending it with a foundation brush for a flawless-looking finish.

For an extra pop of color, apply cream blush over the apples of your cheeks and if you want to nail one of summer’s hottest makeup trends while simultaneously celebrating not having to wear a protective face mask 24/7, orange is officially THE color to wear on your lips.

Skipping your zzzs is a one-way ticket to tired, dull skin. So, if you’re thinking of burning the midnight oil – perhaps with a little help from your vodka/wine/hard seltzer buddies – you’re going to need a few post-party skin tricks up your sleeves. 

It may seem like a great idea at the time, but no sleep, coupled with way too many cocktails, not only equals a banging headache and zero energy for the next 24 hours, but it spells disaster for the state of your complexion. We’re talking puffiness, dullness, dehydration, maybe even a little irritation if you’ve a) eaten your weight in fast food and b) finally rolled into bed without taking off your makeup.

Thankfully, there are many ways to cure your skin’s hangover and counteract all those nasty effects of a late night. In fact, if you’re smart you can even go so far as to take a few precautionary measures the night before. Don’t fret, you don’t need to be dramatic and avoid late, boozy nights altogether, but if you swap out high-sugar cocktails (one word: glycation) for hard seltzers, or alternate every alcoholic drink with a glass of water this'll go a long way to preventing your skin from looking lousy the next day.

Too late for that? Then here are five of the most effective, post-party skincare must-dos – and trust us, we’ve tried them all ;)

1. Cleanse & Detox BEFORE Bed

You’ve heard it before and you’ll hear it again: DO NOT go to bed without first taking off your makeup. Overnight is when your skin goes through its most important healing and regenerative phase, but clogging up the surface with oil, bacteria, sweat, makeup and goodness-knows-what-else ruins your skin’s chance to renew itself. Makeup also clogs up your pores – especially if it contains oil or silicones – and you all know what clogged pores leads to (*cue Jaws music)…

So, before your head hits the pillow, wash your face and neck with a gentle, but deep cleansing face wash like Skin Clearing Charcoal Face Wash which also helps detoxify your skin and draw out impurities. And if you really are too beat, at the very least grab a biodegradable cleansing cloth. Just this once, of course.

Finish with Vitamin C Deep Hydration Night Cream to help hydrate and moisturize your skin as you sleep and come the morning, that old saying ‘prevention is better than cure’ will never be more true.

2. Massage Your Skin

The next morning you might want to do little more than lie on the sofa with just Netflix and coffee for company, but if you can face it, a cleansing massage will do wonders for depuffing and reenergizing your skin by boosting circulation and promoting lymphatic drainage.

First, grab a brightening cleanser like our Vitamin C Daily Facial Cleanser (side note: vitamin C also helps reduce damage from alcohol-induced free radicals) and apply this to damp skin, using the pads of your fingers. Press your fingers into the brow area and slide them up to your forehead a few times, then concentrate on your cheeks and work from each side of your nose, out towards the hairline. Do this a few times, then do the same over your chin and jawline before smoothing your fingertips up your neck. Just a couple of minutes doing this in the shower will really boost your glow. Promise.

3. Reduce Redness

Alcohol causes your blood vessels to dilate which is why drinking a tad too much often results in red, flushed skin. To balance tone and reduce inflammation look for soothing ingredients in your morning-after skincare. Our Daily Facial Rose Water Toner is a great place to start, followed by Niacinamide Facial Serum. Niacinamide, a form of vitamin B3, is awesome for reducing redness and blotchiness. It also strengthens your skin’s barrier function to reduce moisture loss as an added bonus.

After cleansing, spritz your face with Rose Water Toner, then immediately apply a couple of drops of Niacinamide Serum all over your skin. Applying serum before your toner dries helps lock in moisture and counteracts the dehydrating effects of alcohol, fast food, zero zzzs and so on.

4. De-Puff Your Eyes

A big night out inevitably results in dark, puffy circles under your eyes. Why? Because all that bad stuff causes the blood vessels under the thin skin around your eyes to dilate, increasing blood retention and causing darkness and swelling. Lack of sleep also makes your levels of cortisol – the ‘stress hormone’ – go sky-high, altering the salt balance in your body and forcing it to retain water and cause unwanted swelling.

A great pep-up for your eyes is to pop a couple of cooled tea bags over them for five minutes. This might sound like an old wives’ tale, but caffeine has been proven to narrow blood vessels to help reduce swelling and dark circles. To further de-puff, brighten, moisturize and reduce redness, follow with Hyaluronic Acid Eye Cream. For an extra cooling boost, you could even stash it in the fridge.

5. Most Important Of All, Rehydrate

Dehydration is the biggest issue for your skin (and in fact, your whole body) after pulling an all-nighter, and when your skin is dehydrated it looks dull, sallow and so much older (hello fine lines and wrinkles).

Drinking plenty of water is a great move for your internal hangover, but it’s not going to immediately benefit your skin. Dang. Instead, douse your face and neck with a serum containing humectant ingredients to draw water to the surface of your skin like a sponge. We love Hyaluronic Acid Facial Serum which has been formulated with three super effective humectants: glycerin, aloe and hyaluronic acid. It also contains green tea, plus vitamins C and E to help reduce oxidative stress from damaging free radicals.

Finish your post-party-pick-me-up routine with Vitamin C Brightening Moisturizer to seal in all that goodness and add a final boost of radiance… and bam. Late night, what late night?

April is Stress Awareness Month and it’s no surprise that stress can be a real bummer when it comes to the health, look and feel of your skin. Here, we take a look at exactly how stress messes with your complexion…

This past year has seen a massive rise in stress levels across the entire world. Covid-19 has not only severely disrupted global health, but work, education and relationships have also taken a massive hit. According to a recent report by the APA (American Psychological Association), almost eight out of 10 adults say the coronavirus pandemic has been a significant source of stress in their lives. And that’s a lot of stress for the nation to deal with.

There are two types of stress: acute and chronic. Acute stress is the short-term stress that makes your blood boil when your significant other doesn’t stack the dishwasher or your BFF is late AGAIN. It’s also the kind of emotional pressure you feel before a job interview or heck, when trying to create that flawless Insta post. These are the things that affect everyone at some point during their lives; the kind of stress that’s there… and then (hopefully) is gone. The good news is that acute stress is usually manageable and can actually have a positive impact on your health and wellbeing, heightening your senses and enhancing your mental state.

Chronic stress, however, is a whole different beast because this is the kind of stress that builds up over a prolonged period of time, making you feel constantly anxious, depressed, exhausted or frustrated. Issues like health, money, your job or a bad relationship are the main causes of chronic stress and your entire body can be affected by it, causing strain on your digestion, mental wellbeing, energy levels and not least of all, your skin.

So, how does stress specifically affect your skin? Well, most problems arise due to your body producing way too much of the ‘stress hormone’ known as cortisol. Stress-induced spikes in cortisol upset your skin’s barrier function, cause an overproduction of sebum, break down collagen, decrease your levels of hyaluronic acid and screw up your skin’s natural pH levels. All very bad in their own, skin-wrecking way.

Herein, the most common signs that stress and its evil side-kick cortisol could be seriously messing with your skin…

1. Dryness & Dehydration

Cortisol upsets the natural protective layer on your skin’s surface, causing an imbalance in pH and a depletion of good oils. Without the correct acid balance and essential lipids, your skin’s protective barrier becomes compromised and it’s less able to lock in moisture and keep irritants and pollutants away. All this causes your skin to feel dry, dehydrated and itchy. Which is super annoying.

Skincare Solution: Switch out harsh toners and cleansers for gentle formulations that help balance and care for your skin’s barrier function. Also, look for moisturizers that blend humectants like glycerin with emollients and/or occlusives like jojoba, evening primrose and rosehip oils. Our awesome NEW Vitamin C Deep Hydration Night Cream contains all these – and more.

2. Bags Under Your Eyes

The skin around your eyes is very thin which means your blood capillaries are right there for everyone to see. More bad news: stress can cause these tiny capillaries to break, leaving you with even darker circles to contend with. Stress also comes hand in hand with a poor diet and cruddy sleep which can cause fluid retention and puffiness around your eyes. Dang.

Skincare Solution: Up your eyecare game with our effective Eye Gel which strengthens and hydrates the skin around your eyes while targeting dark circles and puffiness. Apply it twice daily, using the pads of your ring fingers for a super gentle touch.

3. Breakouts

Research shows that stress is a killer when it comes to acne-prone skin because cortisol makes your sebaceous glands go into overdrive, causing sebum to block your pores and trigger blackheads, whiteheads, pimples and even worse, cysts. These spots will also heal much more slowly due to a weakened immune system.

Skincare Solution: Help fight acne by introducing anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory ingredients into your routine like tea tree oil and salicylic acid. Tea Tree Clear Skin Super Serum is an ideal, twice-weekly treatment for acne-prone skin and can also be used daily to spot treat specific problem areas.

4. Fine lines & Wrinkles

Not only does stress make you frown more (hello lines between the eyes), but it also causes your body to produce skin-damaging free radicals which break down essential proteins in your skin such as collagen and elastin. Collagen and elastin are the main ‘bones’ of your skin, giving it strength, structure, firmness and flexibility, so when you start to lose it thanks to free radical damage, lines and wrinkles settle in like there’s no tomorrow.

Skincare Solution: Antioxidants are always a must for combating free radical damage. Try our Niacinamide Serum which contains niacinamide, hyaluronic acid and vitamin E. These are ideal for stressed out skin as they’re less irritating than some of the more potent antioxidants like vitamin C and retinol.

5. Flare-ups In Existing Skin Conditions

Stress is a well-known trigger of skin conditions like eczema, rosacea and psoriasis because too much cortisol suppresses your immune system and causes an inflammatory reaction in the body. This can manifest itself through many avenues but often causes skin rashes, redness, irritation and flare-ups. These flare-ups then cause more stress… and straight away you have a vicious circle of skin woes on your hands.

Skincare Solution: Seeking advice from a skincare professional is your best bet if you suffer with rosacea, psoriasis or eczema. It’s also wise to avoid overloading your skin with unnecessary chemicals and synthetic fragrances. Instead, stick to a simple, gentle skincare routine.
 
Of course, managing and understanding your mental health is the most important step for keeping on top of stress. How you tackle this entirely depends on you, but evaluating your lifestyle, knowing your triggers, taking up yoga and eating a healthy diet are all great places to start. If you’re feeling seriously stressed and are finding it hard to cope, however, call the NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) helpline at 1-800-950-6264.