Do you have Cortisol Face? Don't stress! Here's everything you need to know

TikTok is feeding me “Cortisol Face” content. It's a little alarming, because in truth I have been anxious recently and it’s showing on my skin.

- BY ROSE BEER

The algorithm apparently knows this too. As the nation’s collective stress levels continue to soar — 63 per cent of adults in the UK claim to be stressed on a weekly basis — and in the year when TikTok has declared everything from “pore vacuums” to “banana peel Botox” as the secret to sensational skin, perhaps it was only a matter of time before cortisol — the body's primary stress hormone — got its starring moment.

WHAT IS 'CORTISOL FACE?'

The phrase is social media shorthand for how stress is believed to affect the skin. It has racked up millions of TikTok views, with advocates claiming stress affects not only your sleep and state of mind, but your skin too. Supposed symptoms are said to include puffy eyes, a swollen face and more. Take a look and you'll see “before” and “after” pictures from content creators showcasing faces that are apparently cortisol-flooded alongside ones that are more streamlined, svelte and — apparently — chilled. Essentially, it’s the latest in a string of social media fascinations rooted in DIY dermatology with no shortage of resonance, but limited nuance. But we can still take away some useful lessons from this viral moment.

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