Ever notice how you break out right before an important meeting? Strong emotions like stress, anxiety and sadness can all affect the skin. For proof, just think back to a time when you felt particularly embarrassed or were startled by something scary. It’s likely your cheeks flushed, and you might even get goosebumps at the very memory. Sure, this is a rather simplistic example, but it shows how what goes on in the mind can cause a reaction in the skin, even on the most basic level. In the past 20 years, the emerging field of psychodermatology has confirmed that stress leads to reactions in our skin. The good news? A less stressed, more peaceful mind may have the power to transform your complexion.
What Is Psychodermatology?
Psychodermatology is a field of study that’s situated squarely between psychiatry and dermatology, and it’s all about exploring the link between the mind and the skin. This holistic approach favors stress-reducing therapies like meditation, positive thinking and mindfulness, in addition to conventional treatments, all in service of achieving a radiant, healthy glow.
The Mind-Skin Connection
When we feel stressed, our body goes into fight-or-flight mode, triggering the release of cortisol (aka the stress hormone), which slows the production of beneficial oils. The skin starts to lose water in a process known as transepidermal water loss. This can lead to a breakdown in your natural barrier, resulting in a whole host of stress-related skin concerns, including acne and premature aging.
How to Reduce the Effects of Stress on Your Skin
Mindfulness, positive thinking, adequate sleep, psychotherapy and gratitude journaling can all help lower your cortisol levels. But what about when it comes to the products you apply to your skin? Drawing from the research in psychodermatology, we’ve developed our new Collagen Dream Night Cream to revitalize dry, stressed and aging skin, harnessing the full potential of its nightly repair phase. Because life comes in waves, give your skin a rest.
This isn’t your ordinary moisturizer; it’s the first night cream clinically proven to reduce the effects of stress on skin.
We performed clinical testing on our formula to assess its effects on the seven signs of stress on skin: dark circles, dullness, dryness, uneven texture, fine lines and wrinkles, lack of elasticity and lack of firmness.
Wake Up to Rested, Refreshed, Radiant Skin
So can reducing the effects of stress on skin really make your complexion look–and feel–better too? The clinical results of our new night cream speak for themselves.*
- Proven to firm skin in just two weeks
- 97% agreed skin instantly felt softer & smoother
- 94% agreed skin felt instantly hydrated, moisturized & soothed
- 90% agreed skin looked more radiant & firm
- 94% agreed skin looked brighter
*Based on a clinical and consumer-perception study conducted over 4 weeks on 30 women ages 33-60, using before bed.
What Makes Our Night Cream Different?
Our formula harnesses some of nature’s most potent stress-relieving ingredients, whose efficacy is backed by extensive clinical research. One of them is the powerful super-plant King of Bitters, which improves signs of fatigue on tired skin. Fun fact: This plant-based wonder was tested on night-shift workers and was shown to alleviate signs of fatigue, reducing undereye bags, dark circles and wrinkles. Our new cream is also infused with wild organic lavender, sustainably sourced from Provence, France, and renowned for its calming and relaxing effects on the mind and skin. The lavender used in our unique formula was tested on sleep-deprived individuals and resulted in visible improvements in texture, wrinkles, dark circles and skin radiance.
Collagen Dream Night Cream also features bio-retinol, a safe and stable alternative to retinol derived from blue-green microalgae (from the pristine Klamath Lake in Oregon). It’s loaded with linolenic acid, amino acids and vitamin B12 and visibly improves lines and wrinkles without irritation. And last but not even slightly least, we blended five of the creamiest vital hydrators, including squalane and glycerin, to smooth and deeply moisturize.
Your New Stress-Free Bedtime Routine
Now let’s get to the best part: how to use our new cream in a routine. As the name suggests, Collagen Dream Night Cream is designed to be used before bed each night alongside your favorite OSEA products. To truly give your skin the rest it deserves, we recommend using it as your last step after cleansing and applying face serum, but before face oil (for an extra glowing finish).
Ready to experience rested, refreshed skin for yourself? Discover our new Collagen Dream Night Cream here.