The Feminine Forum: Burnt out or just hormonal?
Burnt out or hormonal? Decoding the mental load
on your skin
Ever cried in the car for no reason, snapped at someone you love, or felt like your brain was on 300 tabs with no idea which one’s playing music?
Same.
For many women, stress isn’t always loud. Sometimes it looks like exhaustion that doesn’t lift, skin that won’t heal, and a brain that just won’t switch off. And the line between “I’m overwhelmed” and “my hormones are a mess”? It’s blurry. Often, it’s both.
We’re told to manage stress, eat well, move our bodies, get sleep, and somehow still stay radiant, emotionally available, and unbothered. But the truth is, the mental load women carry is real. And it shows up on our skin, in our gut, and across our nervous systems, whether we acknowledge it or not.
You might remember it well: sitting with a trusted adult or older friend, awkwardly navigating the mysteries of periods, pads, breakouts, moods, and what to expect when your body decides to change without warning.
It was personal, often a bit uncomfortable, but strangely comforting. Someone was guiding you through something unfamiliar.
So, what is the mental load?
It’s the invisible to-do list in your head. It’s remembering the school photos, the birthdays, the laundry detergent, the meeting agenda, the “mum can you sign this?” note, and still trying to show up to work looking fresh.
Spoiler: women still carry most of it.
And when we combine this emotional pressure with hormonal shifts (perimenopause, PMS, postnatal depletion), it’s a full-body situation. One that often gets written off as “just tired” or “just hormonal.”
What does this have to do with skin?
A lot, actually.
When your stress response is constantly activated, your body releases cortisol, your primary stress hormone. In small doses, it helps you survive. In long doses, it disrupts your sleep, slows skin healing, breaks down collagen, triggers inflammation, and increases oil production.
If you’ve noticed:
– Flaky or reactive skin out of nowhere
– Hormonal breakouts that don’t settle
– Deep fatigue that no serum can fix
– A dull, puffy look no matter how many green juices you’ve had
…it could be your stress talking.
In the words of Dr. Libby Weaver (author of “Rushing Woman’s Syndrome”),
“Women’s biochemistry is not designed to be in constant rush mode. When we are, it depletes everything from our adrenals to our skin’s ability to hold hydration.”
Contrary to “just relax more.” It’s the small, strategic shifts that support your nervous system and your skin.
Here’s what we recommend at Nicola Quinn:
1. LED Light Therapy
Red light supports skin healing, reduces inflammation, and encourages collagen production. It’s also a brilliant tool for supporting your nervous system, many of our clients call it their “20-minute reset.”
2. Massage + Touch Therapy
Massage is medicine for a nervous system stuck in overdrive. Regular body or facial massage supports lymphatic flow, reduces muscle tension, and triggers a parasympathetic response (aka, rest mode).
Explore Massages
3. Adaptogens + Functional Skincare
Products that work with the skin—not just on it—are essential. O COSMEDICS and Ginger&Me both harness neurocosmedic and adaptive ingredients that help reduce inflammation and strengthen barrier function during times of stress.
4. Boundaries (Yes, Actual Boundaries)
Book the facial. Say no. Take the nap
Start with something simple.
Stress shows up differently for all of us. But your skin is often the first to whisper that something’s off. The good news? You don’t need to overhaul your life overnight. Sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do is stop, lie down, breathe, and let someone else take care of you for a change.
Come in. Book the LED. Let us look at what your skin is trying to say. While stress might be invisible, its effects aren’t, and you don’t have to carry it alone.
Chaniele x
