Stress takes a toll on beauty. Many of us take complicated steps in order to look younger and retain our youth. However, many of us overlook one important step: reducing our chronic stress, which can have great consequences on our appearance.

The worldwide cosmetic industry is worth about $382 billion. While this is a staggering amount, it comes as no surprise. Mint.com reports that 85 percent of the cosmetic industry’s consumers are women and it’s estimated that the average woman will spend $15,000 on beauty products in her lifetime. Many consumers turn to makeup and other beauty products in order to continue to look young and fresh, but there is a cheaper, more natural solution. Reducing stress is important for inner and outer beauty as stress can take a toll on our looks.

The mind-body connection is a scientific fact that has been replicated in thousands of scientific experiments over the last 30 years. Every thought, emotion, and feeling you have, including stress, creates a chemical release into your body. Chronic stress is prolonged and persistent over a period of time and increases levels of cortisol in the blood. This severe stress makes our “information substances” in the body go haywire. This stress can affect our immune, nervous and endocrine systems, causing emotional, mental, and physical illness and aging us in the process.

Does Stress Make You Ugly?

Listed below are three ways in which stress can impact our health and the way we look.

1. Stress and aging. Stress ages us prematurely. A study from the University of California at San Francisco has proven that stress causes premature aging. This study found that stress could take as much as 10 years off of your life. The good news is that this same study also found that this damage is reversible.
2. Stress and skin problems. Stress takes a toll on the way you look. Stress can make your complexion become lackluster. Stress triggers just about every skin condition you can think of: stress acne, dryness and flaking, psoriasis and eczema, rosacea, and even under eye bags. You could also begin to lose your hair. Your entire mind and body ages much faster than normal when you live plagued by stress.
3. Stress and weight gain. Stress makes you gain weight. Research at Stanford University shows stress changes your metabolism and causes you to store increased fat around vital organs in the center of the body. Your body needs more nourishment and your appetite increases under stress. You eat to satisfy your appetite and the serotonin makes you feel calm and satisfied. But as soon as that food is digested, your cortisol level rises again, your appetite is stimulated and the cycle continues.

So, if you would like to lower your stress while nurturing your physical appearance consider having a stress-busting, all-natural spa day at home.