In this moment, as I write this, I have a giant, throbbing, cystic zit on my chin, steadily beating to the rhythm of “The Final Countdown” as if to remind me—as if I dare forget—that things are not freaking okay right now. I hate this zit. I loathe it. I loathe that it seems to symbolize all of my anxieties and fears in one stupid bump and that it’s found a home on my face, making even the comforting acts of eating and napping uncomfortable.

I also know I’m not alone in the WTF-is-my-skin-doing club, because I have an inbox full of texts and DMs from y’all begging for help with your sudden onslaught of pimples, bumps, and redness. And it’s not surprising—the world seems like it’s on fire, our futures/families/lives feel unstable, and our stress levels are in stage-five meltdowns. A breakout feels almost mandatory at this point, especially considering what’s really happening inside.

“When you’re freaking out, your stress-related hormones spike and send your oil glands into overdrive,” says Joshua Zeichner, MD, dermatologist at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. “These spikes then lead to inflammation, pimples, dryness, extra oiliness, and even rashes.” Which is why after a sleepless night or a breakup or, um, a pandemic, your skin can look anywhere from blah to straight-up pissed off. It’s not your fault and it’s not really in your control—it’s just part of an evolutionary response that seriously sucks.

And even though on the current scale of What Really Matters, a pimple is incredibly low (like, very, truly low), it can still feel like one more thing, you know? Another frustrating thing to deal with when you’re already at max capacity trying to hold everything else together. And so, if you’re like me, you’ve probably cried. Or googled. Or attacked your face. Or done all three at once while simultaneously swearing off dairy, sugar, and all good things in the world.

Read more