I’ve struggled with acne most of my life, but it really became an issue when I switched birth control a couple years ago. I thought my hormones would regulate eventually and it would all go back to normal. But I was wrong. So, so wrong.
Six months passed. A year. Two years. No improvements on the acne front. Thankfully, my zits weren’t massive, but they were plentiful, persistent, and hard to pop (I know I’m not supposed to pick, but c’mon, get real). I had little red bumps all over my chin, jawline, even neck, and as a freakin’ beauty writer, you better believe I tried everything under the sun to get them under control: RX-strength retinol, benzoyl peroxide washes, salicylic acid toners, and sulfur masks. I also tried giving up dairy and alcohol, both of which have been linked to acne. No diff. Nada. Zilch.
But then, I had a breakout breakthrough last week.
I’ve been self-isolating during the coronavirus pandemic, and for the first time in what feels like forever, my skin is near perfect. I’m using the same products. I’m eating the same foods (a lil’ more ice cream than usual, tbh). I’m still drinking wine in moderation. Soooooo, is staying six feet away from every human the secret to clear skin?!
My acne all but VANISHED during self-isolation. Does that mean, ummm, ~people~ make me break out?
Probs not. “This time of social distancing has been stressful, but you can also take time you normally never have to care for your skin,” says Joshua Zeichner, MD, director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. “Your skin may actually be healthier without the demands of normal life.”
Here’s my derm-backed theories explaining why my skin is thriving:
I used to be an A.M. workout all-star. Now, I’m a sleep champion.
Do they give out medals for sleep? Because I deserve one. I used to wake up at 5:30am almost every morning to make it to a fitness class by 7:00, sometimes earlier. I loved this routine, but now that my entire life exists under one roof, I have no reason to wake up crazy-early. I used to dash to the gym or risk a late fee or the threat of burpees/public shaming. But the trainer in my basement (jk, it’s just me in different leggings) DGAF what time I show up to my workout. Class is in session whenever I say it is.
Coupled with super chill evenings (no happy hours or commute!), I’ve been sleeping a ton. My Fitbit data confirms that I’m logging nearly nine hours a night. One night, I even hit 9 hours and 57 minutes—almost a full ten!—a real sleep PR. (FYI: Fitbit data confirms I’m not alone in this.)
“Your cortisol levels naturally decrease when you sleep, then start to rise again when you wake up,” Dr. Zeichner says. That means your body is continuously exposed to high cortisol levels if you aren’t sleeping enough, which creates an effect similar to stress, Dr. Zeichner says. More on that next…
My stress levels are…different.
Am I stressed out that people are dying? That the stock market is garbage? That millions of people filed for unemployment? Of course. I think about these things constantly, but my general stress philosophy is to only worry about things I can change. (I know this is easier said than done, but I’ve crafted this very important skill-set during crucial developmental years as a kid with fighting parents, and it’s served me well.) So while I do worry about staying six feet away from everyone at the grocery store, a thing I can control, I generally just stay home and try to take it one day at a time. That’s all to say, my life is pretty low pressure at the moment, and I think my skin has shifted as a result.
“Your skin may actually be healthier without the demands of normal life.”
“Cortisol production is stimulated by a hormone released from your brain telling your adrenal glands to make more,” Dr. Zeichner says. “At the same time, this hormone also binds to your oil glands, turning them on so that they produce more pore-blocking oil, making acne flare up,” says Dr. Zeichner. So, less stress could indeed mean less of this hormone, meaning fewer breakouts.
The question is, can I keep this up when this is all over? I won’t be able to control the stressors that await me in the real world, but I’ll at least be prioritizing sleep…and certainly not stressing about a little ice cream here and there.
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