This is probably especially true if you are using this time to skip makeup and load up on homemade masks, “spa” treatments, or the like. After all, isn’t skipping makeup supposed to stop breakouts? What gives? But first, let’s start with what’s not happening: You might hear internet-led anecdotes that when you first stop wearing makeup, your skin will “purge.” However, your skin only purges when you start using ingredients that encourage cell turnover, as the gunk deep in your pores is moved to the surface at a faster rate. So even if you are breaking out more now, it’s not because the lack of makeup is triggering it. Here’s what might be happening instead: “Our skin is both an immediate stress perceiver as well as a target of the stress responses,” board-certified dermatologist Keira Barr, M.D., tells mbg. “This is why the presence of acne not only contributes to a feeling of stress, but acne is more common in those who experience a higher intensity of stress from life events.” “Gut inflammation eventually can become systemic inflammation. And that, along with oxidative stress, blood sugar imbalances, and other problems2 can all show up on your skin—especially if you are genetically predisposed to these conditions,” writes board-certified internist Vincent M. Pedre, M.D. This can show up in your skin via breakouts or other inflammatory skin conditions like rosacea and eczema.
