Stress is often spoken about as an emotional experience, something we feel in moments of pressure or overwhelm. But in reality, stress is deeply physiological, influencing everything from our nervous system to our skin health.
This Stress Awareness Month, we have partnered with Nature’s Energy to come together to explore a more holistic perspective: one that recognises the intrinsic connection between internal wellbeing and external skin health and the importance of restorative rituals that support both.
Stress Is More Than a Feeling
Stress doesn’t just exist in the mind, it is a full-body response. When triggered, the body activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and sympathetic nervous system, increasing cortisol and placing the body in a heightened state of alert. Prolonged stress can disrupt sleep, digestion, immunity and hormonal balance, creating a ripple effect throughout the body.
The skin is often the first place these effects become visible. Maria Enna-Cocciolone, Founder & CEO of GINGER&ME, explains that the skin has its own HPA-like response system, making stress visible through inflammation, sensitivity, breakouts, redness and delayed healing. From a wellness perspective, Andrew Bovill, Managing Director of Nature’s Energy, observes that chronic stress keeps the body in a state of ongoing inflammation, reinforcing that the skin reflects deeper physiological imbalance.
The Aging Effect of Stress
Over time, chronic stress contributes to inflammaging, a low-level inflammation that accelerates ageing. Collagen breaks down, cellular repair slows and the skin barrier weakens, leaving skin reactive and less resilient. At the same time, the body’s capacity to recover is diminished while it remains in a constant “fight or flight” state. Restoration, therefore, is essential, not only for the skin’s appearance, but for overall wellbeing.
