Stress takes a toll on both your mind and your body, and that includes your skin. As your body’s largest organ, your skin plays an important role as a barrier between external environmental factors and internal tissues. Unfortunately, stress can weaken or impair the skin barrier’s ability to repair itself leaving it vulnerable to irritation and infection.
When under stress, your body releases stress-related hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones are meant to assist your body in dealing with stress but too much cortisol can suppress the immune system and cause an inflammatory response in the skin. This makes skin more sensitive and reactive which may show up in the form of breakouts, irritation, redness and more. If you’re already prone to inflammation and redness, stress will exacerbate those conditions, which is why you might notice an increase in breakouts or a flare up of eczema after a particularly stressful point in time.
Luckily, Sephora makes caring for your skin as stress-free as possible. These products instantly calm and soothe skin while also reducing the appearance of redness.
Laneige Cica Sleeping Mask
The new Cica Sleeping Mask soothes irritated skin and restores damaged skin barriers while you snooze! Your skin is especially in need of deep nourishment during the night, when sensitive skin is weakened due to loss of moisture and oil. Specially fermented Forest Yeast provides 11.9% faster and more effective skin strengthening benefits than madecassoside, a plant-extract with antioxidant properties. Thanks to antioxidant-rich ingredients and a deeply nourishing formula, this mask will boost your skin’s natural healing ability and strengthen it against future stresses.
Sunday Riley ICE Ceramide Moisturizing Cream
This rich but lightweight moisturizer uses beetroot and coconut extract to pull hydration into the skin. Ceramides help form the skin’s natural moisture barrier, while vitamin F and pomegranate sterols assist in strengthening the skin barrier and protecting against environmental stressors.
First Aid Beauty FAB Pharma Arnica Relief & Rescue Mask
This creamy mask cocoons skin in a protective layer of hydration with powerful botanical ingredients to relieve stressed and unhappy skin. Chill out and relax while soothing ingredients like hemp seed oil and arnica flower go to work supporting your skin’s natural healing process. Meanwhile, oatmeal and aloe help mitigate irritation and reduce visible redness, while coconut oil and natural butters rehydrate parched, thirsty skin.
Read next: Say “Goodbye” to Stressed Skin with These Soothing, Reparative Products
