Stress can affect your whole body, including your skin, hair, and nails. Stress can cause a chemical response in your body that makes skin more sensitive and reactive. These things can make it harder for skin problems to heal. You might also skip on your skincare routine when you are stressed, which can aggravate your skin problems. Stress can trigger a flare-up of fever blisters, hives, and many other types of skin rashes. Stress can also worsen eczema, rosacea, and psoriasis. Here is how competition between stress vs looks goes.
Dry skin
Cortisol, also known as the “stress hormone” decreases the skin’s natural production of a natural moisturizer- hyaluronic acid. It can damage the defending qualities of skin that allow it to keep hydration levels up. People also consume lots of caffeine or alcohol when they are under stress, which can be dehydrating. Stress reduces the lipid barrier on the skin, causing fluids to evaporate and leading to dryness. A great way to combat this is to use a night serum that will repair your skin while you are asleep.
It is recommended that you use Pilgrim Vitamin C Night Serum that has a non-greasy, easily-absorbed formula. It will be the perfect warrior in your fight against signs of premature aging and environmental damage. It contains Hyaluronic Acid that can prevent premature wrinkles and oily skin. The serum will help repair your skin while you are asleep.
Dullness
Our bodies produce adrenaline when under stress, which can decrease the blood flow to the skin, taking away important nutrients from the skin. It allows dead skin cells to build up and causes dullness. The body’s digestive system can also go a bit haywire as the blood is directed away from the digestive system, and everything becomes a little acidic. It can also lead to skin problems such as dreariness, blemishes, and oiliness.
Fine lines and wrinkles
Sugar levels in the blood decrease when cortisol is released, it can lead to glycation in the skin which damages the collagen. Collagen is responsible for skin elasticity, which makes the skin look plump and youthful, thus, a lack of collagen can increase the appearance of lines and wrinkles. As cited above, stress can cause dryness, which is also the leading cause of fine lines and wrinkles. Frequent frowning due to stress causes frown lines and deep lines that run from the nose to the mouth and the chin.
Immune-related skin problems
Poor sleep during stress can enhance the severity of inflammatory skin conditions. Increased inflammation can hamper the body’s ability to regulate the immune system, which can lead to immune-related skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. People with severe psoriasis actually have an increased risk of heart attacks, so keep your stress low and get a good quality sleep.
Dermatitis
Stress makes you more vulnerable to allergens by shutting down one part of the immune system but cranking up another. Stress, anger, and frustration can worsen the problem of atopic dermatitis, but they haven’t been shown to cause it.
Acne
Stress causes your body to release stress hormones, including cortisol and other hormones, which stimulate your sebaceous glands to produce more oil and hence breakout. What makes it worse is that people when stressed often cannot leave pimples alone and pick, squeezing becomes an obsessive way to release tension. A proper cleanser can help in avoiding acne breakouts. It is important to have a powerful yet gentle cleanser that doesn’t disturb the skin’s natural pH or takes off its moisture barrier. One such cleanser is the Pilgrim Volcanic Lava Ash Face Wash. It will penetrate deep into your skin and pull out extra sebum, grime, and dust to clean up the pores. Using this cleanser will help you get your clear, bouncy, and younger-looking skin again.
Rashes and hives
The skin cells on an outermost (epidermal) layer of your skin are packed tightly together, which forms a strong barrier that blocks the penetration of bacteria and other pathogens. Stress can cause the outermost layer of skin to break up as skin cells contract. These minuscule pops make the skin more penetrable, allowing bacteria to gain access to the deeper layers of skin. These bacteria produce a protein that stimulates the immune system, causing psoriasis and eczema.
Hair fall
This condition is known as Telogen effluvium in which hair falls out because you are sick or stressed. Hair has a fixed cycle, including growth, resting, and shedding. Stress can switch the hair follicle’s growth stage from a development stage to a resting phase. Once the follicles enter this resting phase, it stays there for about three months and causes a large amount of hair to shed. What you need is a Sulfate-free shampoo that can help you avoid hair fall and promotes the strengthening of hair strands. The Pilgrim Sulfate-Free Shampoo has Argan Oil, White Lotus, and Camellia as the main ingredients. Together, these will strengthen your hair, fight dandruff, soothe your scalp, and repair the damaged strands.
Here are a few methods that can help you with stress relief-
Relax–
Talk to your friends and family members to seek support from them. Listen to your favorite music and read your favorite books or spend some time alone to beat stress.
Sleep–
Get 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night to feel completely refreshed the next morning. Not getting enough sleep can result in poor water balance, which can cause wrinkles, dryness, under-eye circles, and puffy bags under your eyes.
Exercise–
Do regular exercise, meditation, and yoga to keep stress at bay. Physical activity boosts circulation, which stimulates blood flow to the skin, thus there are fewer toxins and hence less cellulite, giving you radiant skin.
Diet–
Drink lots of water, eat fresh fruits and vegetables, and ensure lots of protein intake. Reduce consumption of caffeine and increase the intake of anti-oxidants.
In the battle of stress vs looks, it is important for you to armor yourself with a good skincare routine and healthy habits. It is always better to stay prepared and work towards stress relief.

Sulfate Free Shampoo
Thoughtfully crafted with natures’ best, to bring you the most loving yet thorough care. White Lotus, Argan oil, and Camellia work together to soothe the scalp, strengthen the hair, repair the damaged strands and fights dandruff.