Why Does Acne Get Worse During Stress
Stress hits your skin hard, especially when it comes to acne. When you feel stressed, your body pumps out a hormone called cortisol. This hormone tells your skin’s oil glands, known as sebaceous glands, to make more oil or sebum. Extra sebum clogs your pores, trapping dirt and bacteria inside. That leads to pimples, blackheads, and worse breakouts.[1][3][4]
Your skin acts like a stress responder on its own. Stress turns on special receptors in the skin that make oil glands grow faster and produce even more lipids, the building blocks of oil. It also causes skin cells to shed in clumps instead of smoothly, forming tiny plugs called microcomedones. These are the starting point for acne.[1]
Bacteria love this oily mess. A common skin bacterium called C. acnes thrives in clogged pores, sparking inflammation that turns into red, angry pimples. Stress weakens your skin’s protective barrier too, letting more bacteria in and slowing down healing.[1][2]
Cortisol does not stop at oil. It ramps up inflammation across your body, making existing acne flare up. Doctors see this often in patients under pressure, with breakouts on the jawline and cheeks standing out.[2][4]
Things like too much caffeine can pile on by boosting cortisol even more, creating a double hit for your skin.[5]
Stress also messes with other hormones tied to acne, like those that fluctuate during periods. When cortisol stays high from ongoing worry, it throws your whole hormone balance off, keeping oil production cranked up.[3]
Sources
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12735603/
https://professionalbeauty.co.uk/skincare-chronic-stress-inflammageing-skin-barrier
https://www.minnervaclinic.com/blog/can-stress-disrupt-your-entire-hormone-system
https://www.latimes.com/doctors-scientists/medicine/primary-care/story/cortisol-face-common-causes-myths-diagnosis-treatments
https://healthyimage.ca/acne/does-caffeine-and-coffee-cause-breakouts/
