By now, almost all of society has acknowledged and accepted the mind-body connection that rules us all. But how, exactly, does stress affect the skin? Let’s investigate. (Hint: like everything in Ayurveda, there’s no one-size-fits-all).

The skin is essentially a reflection, a mirror, of what is going on inside of us. It is a physical indicator of whether our internal state is of health and harmony - or, stress and imbalance.

Anything that you experience through the mind or the senses has the potential to balance or imbalance you. And any skin problem or condition is simply a result of an imbalance in the mind or body that is showing up on the skin.

The skin cells can be considered mirrors to several systems in the body: the nervous system, the brain, and the immune system. In fact, the skin maintains very intimate contact with the entire body. Because stress is created in the mind, and because of skin’s direct contact with the brain, we have this tremendous mind-body exchange occurring on the surface of our bodies.

Here is how stress typically manifests on the skin for each mind-body type:

Vata stress: premature aging, excessive dryness, wrinkles

Pitta stress: rosacea, eczema, acne, rashes, other flare-ups

Kapha stress: excessive oiliness, cystic acne, lack of skin tone

Our skin is the only living organ that is exposed to the environment - all of our other organs live inside of us. Because skin is exposed to environmental effects like sun, pollution, chemicals, it requires special attention and care in the form of skincare and daily oiling, to counter these effects and keep it healthy and in balance.