Stressed Skin

How Stress, Cortisol and Inflammation Affect Your Skin

What Is Stressed Skin?

Stressed skin is not a skin type. It is a state.

A state where your skin is responding to internal stress signals rather than external products.

When the body experiences stress, whether emotional, physical, hormonal or blood sugar related, it releases cortisol. Cortisol is a survival hormone designed to protect us in short bursts. When cortisol remains elevated, it creates inflammation throughout the body, including the skin.

This is when skin begins to feel unpredictable and reactive.

Common signs of stressed skin include:

Sudden breakouts or flare ups
Redness, itching or burning
Tightness alongside oiliness
Increased sensitivity to products that once felt fine
Slower healing

At Menteath, we approach stressed skin by addressing inflammation first, before chasing surface symptoms.

Cortisol and the Skin Barrier

Cortisol directly affects how your skin functions.

When cortisol stays elevated:

Inflammation increases
The skin barrier weakens
Transepidermal water loss rises
Oil production becomes dysregulated
Skin repair slows

This is why stressed skin often feels dry and irritated while still breaking out. The barrier is compromised, leaving the skin in a constant state of defense.

Calming cortisol driven inflammation is essential for restoring balance and resilience to the skin.

Skin Conditions Linked to Stress

Stress does not usually cause skin conditions, but it can trigger and worsen them.

Many inflammatory and chronic skin conditions are closely linked to stress and elevated cortisol levels.

Inflammatory and immune linked conditions:

Eczema or atopic dermatitis
Psoriasis
Rosacea
Seborrheic dermatitis
Contact dermatitis
Lichen planus
Urticaria or hives

Acne and oil related conditions:

Acne vulgaris
Hormonal acne
Stress induced breakouts
Fungal acne or Malassezia

Sensitivity and barrier disorders:

Sensitive skin syndrome
Perioral dermatitis
Neurodermatitis

Pigmentation and healing issues:

Post inflammatory hyperpigmentation
Delayed wound healing
Stress related hair shedding

Across all of these conditions, inflammation is the common thread.

Sugar, Stress and Skin Inflammation

Stress does not only come from emotional pressure. Blood sugar spikes are a form of internal stress on the body.

High sugar intake can:

Increase insulin and cortisol levels
Raise systemic inflammation
Damage collagen through glycation
Feed acne causing bacteria and yeast

For stressed skin, sugar can intensify:

Acne flare ups
Eczema and psoriasis symptoms
Rosacea flushing
Premature skin aging

This creates a cycle where stress raises cortisol, cortisol affects blood sugar, and inflammation worsens skin symptoms.

Skincare alone cannot override this cycle, but it can help calm and support the skin while balance is restored.

How to Care for Stressed Skin

Stressed skin needs calm, not correction.

A supportive routine focuses on:

Strengthening the skin barrier
Reducing inflammation
Minimal stimulation
Consistent, grounding rituals

Aggressive actives, over exfoliation and frequent product switching often worsen stressed skin by increasing irritation and barrier damage.

Gentle, intentional care allows the skin to move out of survival mode and into repair.

The Menteath Approach

Menteath was created for skin under stress.

Our smoke infused skincare ritual is designed to:

Calm inflammation
Support barrier repair
Reduce reactivity
Encourage slower, more intentional care

Smoke infusion is an ancient botanical process that extracts grounding and anti inflammatory compounds from plants. These compounds help support skin that is prone to irritation, flare ups and sensitivity.

When inflammation calms, the skin can begin to heal.