How Stress Hurts Your Skin—and how to Help

Being a mom is hard work, and it’s easy to allow stress to weigh us down. And stress won’t just leave you at risk for health conditions such as heart disease and high blood pressure; it will also alter the condition of your skin. “Stress impacts aging skin in behavioral, as well as physiological ways,” says Holly Mosier, author of Stress Less, Weigh Less. Find out what experts say about the damaging effects of stress and how to combat them.

Noticing lots of premature lines around your mouth as well as on your forehead and inner arms? Stress may be to blame, in a roundabout way. “Emotional stress causes a behavior response,” Mosier says. “We overeat, we drink, we smoke.” And smoking is culprit No. 1. Whenever you sneak a cigarette, you’re dropping a bomb on your complexion. “Smoking is one of the worst things you can do for your skin, other than excessive sun exposure,” says Dr. Debra Jaliman, dermatologist and author of Skin Rules: Trade Secrets from a Top New York Dermatologist. “You may get vertical, upper-lip lines.” The nicotine in cigarettes causes a narrowing of blood vessels in the outer layers of skin, which restricts blood flow—and thus oxygen, and other nutrients—to your skin, creating lines.

Flaking, itching, splotches. Dehydrated skin not only looks bad, it feels worse. And if your moisturizer isn’t helping the problem, stress may be to blame—or at least, a way lots of women deal with stress: “Alcohol dehydrates skin,” says Mosier. Drinking in excess will suck your skin of the moisture it needs to look glowy and gorgeous. Adds Jaliman, “You may also get a red drinker's nose, as alcohol breaks blood vessels in the skin.” If you’ve had a rough day at work, and friends at the office are hitting the bar for margaritas, make sure to limit your intake. Sip smart. “A glass of wine or a cocktail a day is OK for most women,” Mosier says. “But beyond that, too much alcohol will cause damage.”

Millions of women have made Ben & Jerry’s famous by breaking out spoons when stress levels hit their peak. But consuming sugar on a regular basis can affect more than your waistline. “A Dutch study published last year in the journal Age concluded that sugar consumption may lead to premature aging of the skin,” says Jaliman. “Interestingly, the higher the blood sugar level, the older people looked.” So, watch that cake intake. More importantly, make sure to find balance. “Conversely," she said, "another recent study showed that increasing vegetable and fruit consumption can dramatically improve skin tone in a matter of weeks.”

Any woman dealing with her period will attest: Stomach bloating is no joke! It’s uncomfortable. And it’s no different in other areas of the body—puffiness under your eyes, or rings not fitting on fingers. If you’re a woman who deals with stress by hitting the potato chips or relaxing with a big bowl of canned soup, the sodium may be to blame. “A diet high in sodium causes retention of water and may cause you to look bloated,” says Jaliman. Check labels. Overly processed, packaged foods are often high in salt content, which isn’t good for your heart or your skin, and it will cause you to retain water everywhere. Not pretty.

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Noticing acne and blemishes, just like when you were a teen? It might be that pile of dishes or those work deadlines. Your skin’s oil glands also have receptors for stress hormones. So feeling the pressures of life does nothing for your complexion. Another issue? It may be the cookies and chocolate bars again. “A diet high in refined foods and high in glycemic-processed foods definitely exacerbates acne,” Jaliman says. “In fact, for severe acne cases that have not responded well to treatment, a growing number of doctors recommend a ketogenic diet, which is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that is usually sugar free.”

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When you’ve had a particularly heinous day at the office, or the baby’s been fussy for 48 long hours, the couch will call your name. But if stress causes chronic tiredness, you’ll miss the health benefits—skin benefits included—of keeping active. “Stress causes fatigue, which encourages a sedentary lifestyle,” Mosier says. “You miss out on the invigorating exercise your skin needs. Exercise not only prevents disease, which will zap the life out of skin, but it also encourages circulation for a youthful look.” Try to get in exercise as often as you can to keep that sallow look at bay.

Got a blemish? Looking pale? Seeing wrinkles? If your skin problem is lingering, stress may be to blame. Sleep is how your body heals those imperfections. So tossing and turning at night, thinking about parent-teacher conferences and your son’s looming birthday party will leave skin looking ravaged. “Collagen production is accelerated during sleep,” says Mosier. “During sleep, your skin relaxes and rejuvenates. Miss out on sleep, and you’ll miss that refueling process.”

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What’s the fix for your stress—and thus, your skin problem? How much time do you have? Little changes produce big effects. It can be as easy as breathing. “Deep breathing is the quickest and easiest way to reduce stress,” says Mosier, who is a devotee of the four-count breath technique, developed by cardiologists, including Harvard medical professor Dr. Herbert Benson. “Focus on the breath," she says. "Breathe in through your nose while slowly counting to four, then exhale slowly while counting to four. Repeat three or four times, or as often as you need to.”

Can’t get to the gym but need a quick stress-buster and relaxation method? If you have 10 minutes, you’ve got time for this. Reduce stress by having a quick yoga session in your living room. Mosier is an expert registered yoga instructor, and says that 10 minutes will transform your level of peace and the look of your skin. “It enhances stress reduction by connecting deep, focused breathing with movement, which will in turn up your skin’s circulation,” she says.

If nothing else, especially for new moms who need to multitask, get outside whenever you can. “A daily walk is essential," Mosier says. "It’s movement for better circulation, it’s getting that oxygen to your skin cells, and there is a natural endorphin release just being outdoors.” Who needs cake and ice cream for an endorphin high? All you need is exercise and sunshine. Says Mosier, “Get your stroller out, take a walk and try to continually use the four-count breath as you go.”

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