WORDS CHARLOTTE HAIGH
You may spend a fortune on skin creams, carefully massage oils into your face and take vitamins to keep your complexion clear. But there’s another cornerstone of skincare you may not even be aware of – and that’s emotional wellbeing. ‘Emotional stress can be involved in lots of skin conditions, including acne, psoriasis, eczema and rosacea,’ says psychodermatologist Dr Anthony Bewley. ‘We know it can trigger a condition in the first place, and is also linked to flare-ups, plus stress slows skin healing, making it harder for your skin to recover from any outbreak.’ And, even if you don’t have any of these conditions, you haven’t necessarily escaped – according to Bewley, stress also encourages faster skin ageing.
You don’t need to worry too much about everyday stress, such as work deadlines. We all experience that short-term pressure and there’s no evidence to show it affects your skin.