For years, skincare has been treated like a checklist: cleanse, serum, moisturise, repeat. Bathrooms are crowded with products, routines are increasingly elaborate, yet stubborn skin issues continue to resurface. According to Dr Blossom Kochhar, pioneer of aromatherapy in India, Chairperson, Blossom Kochhar Group of Companies, this is where most people go wrong.
“Skin health doesn’t begin with what you apply,” she says. “It begins with how you live. The skin is not a separate entity; it is deeply connected to the mind and the body. Whatever we experience internally, emotionally or physically eventually shows up on the skin.”
In today’s always-on world of constant notifications, chronic stress and compromised sleep, our faces are often the first to reveal what’s happening beneath the surface.
Why stress quietly disrupts skin balance
Stress has emerged as one of the most underestimated disruptors of skin health. When the body remains in a prolonged state of pressure, it releases excess cortisol, a hormone that quietly interferes with the skin’s natural equilibrium.
This hormonal imbalance can trigger acne flare-ups, excess oiliness, inflammation, pigmentation and heightened sensitivity. What many people interpret as a product failure is often the body signalling internal overload. “Skin reactions are rarely random,” Dr Kochhar explains. “They are messages from within.”
Sleep: The most underrated skincare essential
If stress damages the skin quietly, lack of sleep does it visibly. Night-time is when the skin enters repair mode, renewing cells, strengthening its barrier and restoring balance.
When sleep is disrupted, this repair process slows dramatically. The result is skin that looks tired before you feel it: dullness, dehydration, dark circles and accelerated ageing.
“No product can replace the power of deep, uninterrupted sleep,” Dr Kochhar emphasises. “Sleep is when true skin healing happens.”
The emotional imprint on your skin
Beyond stress and sleep lies an often-overlooked factor: emotional health. Dr Kochhar refers to unresolved emotions as “beauty blockers.” Feelings such as anxiety, anger, fear or prolonged sadness don’t simply disappear. Over time, they lodge themselves in the body, manifesting as recurring acne, unexplained flare-ups, sensitivity or uneven skin tone.
“The skin often expresses what the mind suppresses,” she says. On the flip side, positive emotional states, what Dr Kochhar calls “beauty enhancers,” support healing from within. Emotions like happiness, calm and compassion help regulate the nervous system, allowing the body and skin to function more efficiently.
“When the mind slows down, the skin follows,” she notes.
Why touch matters more than we realise
Touch, too, plays a critical but often ignored role in skin health. Regular massages do more than relax muscles; they improve circulation, reduce tension, enhance sleep quality and support immunity. Dr Kochhar sees touch as a form of emotional reassurance, a reminder to the body that it is safe and cared for. “It’s a quiet but powerful form of self-validation,” she says.
While emotional and lifestyle factors form the foundation, the fundamentals shouldn’t be overlooked. Adequate hydration supports detoxification and skin elasticity, while a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables provides antioxidants that help defend the skin against environmental stress.
Also read: The ‘If you can’t eat it, don't apply it’ rule: Why clean beauty is gaining popularity
