Stress! Stress! Stress!

Stress, in some levels, is needed in our daily life. Stress can challenge us to do better, to improve, and even to innovate. But stress has many other negative effects on your body. Under significant physical of psychological stress, your body releases a stress hormone, called cortisol. Cortisol in the natural world, could help save your life in dire circumstances. It helps keep your blood pressure up, makes your kidneys work harder, pushes your liver to get rid of toxins more effectively, and changes your metabolism from storing energy to burning it.

How about the skin health now? How can stress affect your skin?

We can see this in the skin where elevated cortisol can change both the skin’s structure and function. Studies have shown that chronically elevated cortisol levels lead to a decrease in your skin’s natural lipid or fat barrier. These lipids are essential to keep your skin protected and to prevent it from drying out. Without a layer of lipids on your skin, it is no longer waterproof, and irritating soap and water from hand washing or bathing is able to penetrate the skin, causing inflammation. Without a protective lipid layer, the moisture in your skin evaporates easily, leaving the skin dehydrated. This dry, flaky skin is even more susceptible to damage or irritation.

Elevated cortisol also impairs your skin’s natural defense system. Your skin is constantly producing specialized protiens that act as bacterialcides, killing off unwanted intruders on your skin. Stress can lead to a drop in production of these first line defense proteins, leaving your skin vulnerable.

As conclusion, if you get too stressed out, be careful, since it sooner or later can affect your skin health, and by the end of the day, make you ugly, hehe.. So, manage your stress, and stay healthy and beautiful always!