True Radical Honesty From Our Community

You all know how damaging the sun is to your skin, but what about all the other stuff going on around you? Here’s a look at how air pollution affects the health of your skin.

Environmental pollution: the struggle for our poor world is most certainly real. But closer to home, and to really drive that nail in the coffin, pollution also has negative effects on your skin. In fact, experts believe air pollution plays a major part in the way in which your skin looks and feels and it’s known to be a huge factor in exacerbating (perhaps even causing) concerns like dark spots, wrinkles, inflammation and many other signs of skin aging.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the United States has come a long way since the Clean Air Act was enforced in 1970 to help protect the ozone, reduce toxic pollutants and improve air quality. But despite these improvements, air pollution continues to cause harm to your health and the world in which you live.

So, what is environmental pollution and exactly what is it doing to your skin? More importantly, is there anything you can do to prevent this onslaught of damage?

What Is Environmental Pollution?

Environmental pollution encompasses any gas or particle that’s been created and released into the atmosphere by us pesky human beings. Think exhaust fumes from your car; cigarette smoke; soot and acid from power plants, even smoke from your charcoal grill or fire pit. These human activities all create microscopic specks of pollutants that are released into the air.

If you live in a city or a particularly industrial area, you’ll be hard pushed to escape environmental pollution on a daily basis, but don’t think you’re safe even if you live by the beach or in the countryside ­– the truth is, air pollution is everywhere.

What Does Environmental Pollution Do To Your Skin?

Two words: free radicals. Pollution is one of the biggest causes of free radical damage. Furthermore, pollutant particles can be 20 times smaller than your skin’s pores, which means they can really get under your skin – like, literally. 

Free radicals are unstable molecules that react with all the good stuff in your skin, stealing electrons from unsuspecting proteins and causing no end of damage to things like collagen and elastin. As you know, collagen and elastin are super important for the support, strength and structure of your skin so any damage they suffer has disastrous effects on your skin, accelerating premature aging and causing your skin to become loose, thin, saggy and wrinkled way before its time.

Gaseous pollutants are less likely to penetrate your skin, but they’re equally as evil. These work away at the surface, causing problems with your skin’s protective barrier and eventually breaking it down, allowing toxic particles to penetrate your skin and essential moisture to escape.

All in all, air pollution paints a pretty ugly picture for the health of your skin, aggravating your barrier function and compounding problems like dark spots, poor texture, enlarged pores, irritation, wrinkles and well, need we go on? Thought not.

3 Ways To Protect Your Skin From Environmental Pollution

OK, so there’s bad news and good news when it comes to battling environmental pollution. First, the bad news: you’ll never win the war against environmental pollution and protect your skin 100 percent of the time. It’s just too big of a beast. However, the good news is there are tons of way to prevent those nasty pollutants from doing their worst.

Here are three of our favorite anti-pollution skincare weapons…

Weapon #1: Detoxifying Charcoal

The best way to reduce surface pollutants is with detoxifying cleansing ingredients like activated charcoal.

Activated charcoal is a little bit like a sponge and works by binding itself to pollutants then whisking them clean away. It’s often used in medicine to remove dangerous toxins that have been ingested, but it’s also a great skincare ingredient for clearing away anything nasty from the skin’s surface. Our Skin Clearing Charcoal Face Wash is formulated with activated coconut charcoal which is produced by burning coconut, then treating it to remove unwanted substances and increase its surface area. Activated coconut charcoal is one of the best ingredients for removing pollutants, as well as bacteria, excess oil, makeup and other unwanted debris for the surface of your skin. Use it to cleanse your skin morning and night and your complexion will be much less polluted as a result.

Weapon #2: Antioxidants

Nothing fights free radicals like antioxidants, so up your intake in both your skincare and your diet to hit those FRs from all angles.

When it comes to your topical skincare choices, an antioxidant treatment serum is an absolute must. Active ingredients like retinol, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and vitamins C and E all have awesome antioxidant properties. Even better, choose a carefully curated formulation that combines one or more antioxidant ingredients. All of our serums contain at least one topical antioxidant and are perfect for applying to clean skin before your moisturizer to counteract the effects of free radical damage.

Not sure which serum will suit you best? We get it, they’re all pretty darn fabulous. However, we can help you with that tricky decision, right here.

Combine an awesome topical antioxidant serum with a diet that’s rich in nuts, beans and fresh fruit and veggies such as cherries, berries, leafy greens and carrots and you’ll be well on your way to reducing the effects of free radical damage (aka oxidative stress). Oh, you might also want to treat yourself to some antioxidant-rich dark chocolate, too. Arm. Officially. Twisted.

Weapon #3: Strengthening Night Cream

Keep your barrier function strong, supple and hydrated to help shield your skin from as many airborne pollutants as you can. This will also prevent transepidermal water loss (TEWL) – the amount of water that evaporates through your skin – to reduce your chances of developing unwanted dryness, dehydration and inflammation. So, there’s that.

To maintain a healthy barrier, avoid over-exfoliating your skin and try to keep harsh chemicals, bad alcohols and fragrance to a minimum as these will strip away all of the natural oils and nutrients from the surface of your skin.

Before bed, you should also apply a night cream as the last step in your evening skincare routine to strengthen and moisturize your barrier function.

Our new Vitamin C Deep Hydration Night Cream blends antioxidant-rich vitamin C with aloe, MSM and botanical oils to deeply replenish, heal and support your skin.

Be afraid air pollution, be very afraid.

Most of you will have had the displeasure of a blackhead or two at some point in your lives. Gosh, aren’t they annoying? Here’s everything you need to know about dealing with the pesky little things…

From whiteheads to full-blown pimples, acne is the worst and, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), it affects almost 50 million Americans every year. And blackheads are right up there among the things you definitely do NOT want on your skin. Puffy eyes, dark spots and saggy jowls can do one too, but they’re topics for another day…

So, blackheads. What the heck are they? And why you?

What Are Blackheads?

Also known as open comedones, blackheads are caused by overactive sebaceous glands that create way too much oil than your skin really needs. This oil sits in and blocks up dilated hair follicles where it combines with dead skin cells, opening the pore so much that it breaks through and hits the air where it oxidizes and turns black. This means that contrary to popular belief, blackheads aren’t pores filled with dirt; their dark color is simply because of their reaction with the air. So, there’s one piece of good news, at least. Oh and btw, when all this happens, but the hair follicle remains closed, the bump becomes a whitehead (or closed comedone) rather than a blackhead. The lesser of two evils? Potayto, potahto…

Blackheads are rarely painful because they’re not inflamed like regular pimples. They usually appear on your t-zone (especially on and around the nose), but they can also crop up on your back, chest, arms and shoulders. If you have oily skin, then you’re way more likely to be a blackhead sufferer, but hormonal changes during menstruation, menopause or while taking the pill can also increase oil production and your chances of developing them. And, of course, all the other culprits that send your sebaceous glands into overdrive can also play their part – hi there stress, environmental pollution and lack of sleep.

So, How Can You Win The Blackhead War?

Keeping oil production under control is the absolute key – and you can do that through a number of ways…

1. DO Use A Detoxifying Cleanser

Cleanse your skin morning, night and always after exercising to help remove oil buildup. But remember, steer clear of super harsh products that completely strip your skin and kick-start it to produce even more oil. That’s what we call a vicious circle. Instead, look for more gentle, non-irritating cleansers that help detox your skin while helping to restore balance.

Skin Clearing Charcoal Face Wash is great for this as it contains activated coconut charcoal to mop up any debris (oil included) from the skin’s surface to help decongest your pores and clarify your complexion.

2. DON’T Squeeze Your Blackheads

As tempting as it is to prod, poke and press away at your blackheads, removing them is a fine art and best left to the professionals. Unless you love causing inflammation and possible scarring of course? No, thought not.

Book yourself in for an extraction facial instead of attempting to squeeze them out at home.

3. DO Embrace Salicylic Acid

One of the most effective ingredients for tackling oil production is the mighty salicylic acid. Salicylic acid is a beta hydroxy acid (BHA) that works like a chemical exfoliator to dissolve the bonds between dead skin cells which makes them fall off to reveal the fresh, new skin underneath. Unlike alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) like glycolic and lactic acids, however, salicylic acid goes one step further, penetrating deeper into your skin to target and remove excess sebum.

Our Tea Tree Clear Skin Super Serum harnesses the powers of salicylic acid, combining it with hydrating hyaluronic acid and free radical-fighting niacinamide to help unblock pores and heal your skin. It’s perfect as an all-over treatment, two or three times a week, or use it nightly to spot treat specific areas that are prone to blackheads and other breakouts.

4. DON’T Forget To Moisturize Twice Daily

Keeping your skin as balanced as possible is vital if you want to reduce oil production and maintain healthy skin. Yes, it might feel weird to put something on your skin that has the potential to block your pores, but as long as you choose wisely, your skin will be fine. In fact, more than fine: better. So, never skip moisturizer. It’s important, OK?

Just make sure to avoid occlusive ingredients which really will block your pores. Occlusives create a physical barrier on your skin’s surface to help prevent moisture loss and they’re great for dry, sensitive or dehydrated skin… but they’re terrible for oily or acne-prone skin types as they’re far too thick and heavy. Instead of occlusive ingredients like cocoa butter and mineral oils, choose formulations that contain a blend of humectants (eg. hyaluronic acid and glycerin) to draw in water and emollients (eg. jojoba oil and squalane) to seal it all in.

5. DO Apply Retinol Before Bed

Retinol is considered the cream of the crop as an anti-aging ingredient, but it’s also pretty kick-ass when it comes to tackling breakouts.

It works by speeding up cell proliferation to make dead skin cells get out of town quicker. This, of course, means retinol is ideal for helping to keep your pores clear, allowing your skin to stay smooth and blackhead-free. Not only that, but studies show retinol also has the potential to decrease sebum production. Win-win.

Retinol is a pretty potent ingredient, however, so you should always introduce it slowly into your skincare routine. After patch testing, begin applying it just once or twice a week to clean, dry skin. Then, as your skin acclimates, you can move to three or four times a week, gradually building to every night.

Finally, If your blackheads are seriously getting you down, it might be worth coupling a great skincare routine with a trip to your derm’s office. There are many powerful medications and treatments like dermabrasion and chemical peels that can help keep severe breakouts under control.

So, the moral of the story? Don’t let blackheads get you down. Simply get even.

When your skin has seen better days, the simplest changes to your routine can reap awesome rewards. Here are 10 easy skincare hacks that promise to up your complexion game in super-fast time.

Looking for ways to tweak your skincare that a) don’t cost a small fortune, b) don’t add hours onto your routine and c) make a real, visible difference to your complexion? How about we raise all that and give you ten? 

1. Always Patch Test Your Skincare

Patch testing any new skincare product is one of the most important ways for you to avoid irritation, redness and inflammation. Sure, it means you’ll have to be patient and wait a day or two before using your product all over your face, but it’s so worth it in the long run.

Not sure how to perform a patch test? We can help with that, right here.

2. Moisturize From Head-To-Toe

We think by now you understand the importance of moisturizing the skin on your face twice daily (yes, even if you do have extremely oily skin). But can you say, hand on heart, that you treat the skin on your body with just as much care and attention? We bet that's a big fat 'no,' but the thing is, your skin is your largest organ and needs looking after from head-to-toe.

Your body actually contains fewer sebaceous (oil-producing) glands than your face, scalp, neck and chest, and certain areas like your shins, for example, are severely lacking in their own natural moisturizing system. Therefore, always moisturize your body with Vitamin C Brightening Moisturizer, as soon as you step out of the shower to help lock in water.

Formulas that contain a blend of humectants, emollients and occlusives are fantastic and don’t be scared of rich butters and balms, either. These are great for the skin on your body because fewer sebaceous glands mean less pore blockages and a lower risk of breakouts.

3. Workout Your Face

Skin feeling a bit meh? Facial exercises are an easy, quick and totally free way to boost circulation and stimulate collagen for a more youthful glow. One of our favorites is to push out your lips as if you’re about to kiss someone, hold this for a few seconds, then smile as widely as you can, again holding this position for a few seconds. Repeat these movement five times a day.

PS: Flipping your head upside down for a few minutes each day will also boost circulation to your skin, helping add radiance to a dull complexion.

4. Exfoliate With A Facecloth

Looking for an easy way to boost cell turnover and gently rid the surface of your face from all those dead, pore-clogging skin cells? Worried that scrubs and chemical exfoliators like AHAs are a tad potent for your skin? Then try using a damp facecloth when you cleanse. Apply your cleanser (we love Vitamin C Daily Facial Cleanser) as normal to damp skin, massage it all over with your hands, then use your washcloth to gently rub your cleanser all over. Rinse, pat dry and you’re done.

5. Go Easy On The Makeup

Many dermatologists agree that clients who wear little or no makeup have much clearer, brighter skin than those who regularly pile it on. We know going makeup-free may be easier said than done, but try toning it down for days when you’re not at work or socializing (isn’t it nice to say that again?). Swap out heavy foundation for tinted moisturizer and avoid powders which can instantly age you up.

6. Show Kindness To Your Eyes

The skin around your eyes is ridiculously thin and fragile, so if you fail to treat it with the respect it deserves, it will punish you with sagging, dark circles, puffiness and wrinkles quicker than you can say “pass the eye cream.”

No matter how young you are, looking after the skin around your eyes is priceless. And it’s really no biggie. Simply invest in a moisturizing eye cream like our Hyaluronic Acid Eye Cream and use your ring fingers to pat or gently smooth a small amount around your eyes, morning and night. Using your ring fingers stops you from applying too much pressure or unnecessarily dragging the skin.

7. Be Patient With Your Skincare

Swapping and changing products week in week out because you think they're not working is a sure-fire way to irritation, dryness and sub-par skin. So, don’t be mad when your new facial serum doesn’t immediately give you the skin of an angel. Just give it some time. Adult skin has a lifecycle of around 28 days which means any product that works on a deep, cellular level (eg. serums) also need the same amount of time to do its best work.

8. Embrace Retinol

If you’re concerned about aging skin and are looking to up your anti-aging skincare routine with just one new ingredient, it has to be retinol. Proven to be one of the most effective ingredients for stimulating cellular turnover and increasing the production of collagen, retinol is the undeniable king of age-defiers. It not only helps treat and prevent skin aging, but many experts believe it can also reverse the signs of visible aging. Strong claims, right there. Try our lightweight Retinol Facial Serum which is a big fan favorite.

9. Keep Your Pillowcase Super Clean

A dirty pillowcase is a breeding ground for dirt, debris, oil and bacteria which can equal serious breakouts on your skin if you leave them to their own devices. Yes, you might be super strict when it comes to cleansing your face before bed, but what about your hair? Exactly.

Clean your pillowcase at least once a week (preferably twice) and live by the same rules for anything else that touches your skin on a regular basis, eg: face masks, makeup brushes and your smartphone.

10. Sleep On Your Back

While we’re on the topic of bedtime, make sure you don’t sleep on your belly. Smushing your face into your pillow folds up your skin, etching in fine lines and wrinkles just where you don’t want them. Continue to do this for years and years and those creases could become a permanent fixture. Eek.

According to sleep.org, the best way to avoid ‘sleep lines’ is to sleep on your back. If you couldn’t think of anything worse, invest in a silk pillowcase as these are much smoother and create less friction against your skin. Oh, and don’t forget to help your skin revive itself overnight with a nice slathering of Vitamin C Deep Hydration Night Cream.

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?

Understanding whether you have normal, dry, oily or combination skin may sound simple enough, but do you really know your skin’s inherent type? Here, we break down the four basic skin types – because yes, there really are only four. Gasp.

Everybody’s skin is different, we know that. Your skin might be fairly normal most of the time, but flares up every now and again due to hormones, diet, stress, whatever. Or your skin could be oily, but hold on because sometimes it feels kind of tight and flaky in certain areas. What the….?

The thing is, while your skin can take on many different guises and needs throughout the various stages of your life, there are only four true skin types: normal, dry, oily and combination. Dehydration? Aging? Sensitivities? Breakouts? Contrary to popular belief, these are skin conditions, not skin types. And skin conditions are super important when determining your skincare routine, for sure, but they’re not your true skin type.

So, what’s the difference between skin types and skin conditions? Well, your true skin type is what’s predetermined by your genes, not a result of other factors like your age, hormones, stress levels or the products you put on your skin. Take dehydration, for example. Dehydrated skin is skin that’s lacking in water (unlike dry skin that’s lacking in oils). This can be due to any number of reasons like changes in the weather, stress, lack of sleep and sun damage. But, it's rarely a genetic disposition which means you can have dry skin that’s dehydrated, but you can also have oily skin that’s dehydrated. Makes sense? We hope so.

How To Check Your Skin Type

Now we’ve cleared that up, are you 100 percent sure of your genetic skin type? Well, one of the best ways to determine yours is to study your skin when it’s completely free of any product or makeup. Wash your face with a mild cleanser, then gently pat it dry and leave it for an hour or so. After this time, study and feel your skin with clean hands. What does it look like? And what about the texture? How does it feel? These questions will all help you understand your skin type – which will fall into one of the following four categories…

Dry Skin

If, after it's left clean and unmoisturized for an hour, your skin feels tight and itchy, and looks dull or flaky in certain areas like around your eyebrows, mouth and nose, it’s likely to be dry. Dry skin has fewer sebaceous glands than other skin types which means it produces less sebum (oils and lipids) to protect and naturally moisturize the uppermost layers of your skin.

Oily Skin

At the opposite end of the spectrum is oily skin. Oily skin will start to look shiny and feel greasy an hour after cleansing, especially around the t-zone area (your forehead, nose and chin). This is the result of having overactive sebaceous glands which produce too much sebum than your skin really needs. Due to the excess sebum, you may also notice enlarged pores over the nose and cheeks which have become stretched and clogged with oil and dead skin cells.

Combination Skin

Combination skin is undoubtedly the most common skin type of them all. There’s much debate over whether it’s a true skin type, but just like dryness and oiliness, it’s something you were born with, so we believe it is. The problem is that unlike dry and oily skin types which are easily defined, combination skin is not a ‘one symptom suits all.’

Combination skin is characterized by unbalanced sebum production, meaning different areas of your face produce different levels of oils. Most people with combination skin tend to have an oily t-zone and dry cheeks but this is not always the case. You might simply have dry patches around your mouth, for example.

Normal Skin

Does your bare-faced skin look the same an hour later as it did immediately after cleansing? Kind of balanced with no shine, no dry patches and very few visible pores? Then you hit the gene jackpot and are one of the very few lucky ones graced with normal skin. Normal skin is neither oily nor dry, but is able to maintain just the right level of sebum-to-water ratio to keep it soft, supple and healthy. The rest of us are so happy for you. No, really ;)

PS...

Knowing your skin type is only the first step to achieving an awesome complexion. But we believe it’s the best step. After all, this fundamental knowledge is the basis for your entire skincare routine. Then and only then can you start to understand your skin, react to its wants and needs, and learn how to care for any conditions you experience as a result.

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.