Hurtling towards the second half of 2019, my skin decided that it would ride any rollercoaster of emotions with me. Accompanied by visible signs of distress. Starting a new business is exciting but challenging and while I’m in a position I’ve long wanted, it didn’t stop my body from ringing alarm bells (you’re stressed, you’re stressed, you’re stressed). I’m grateful for the boost of energy (there’s a lot of work to be done) as a result of the stress-induced cortisol it has produced though. The breakouts along my jawline, not so much.

I spoke to Dr Nomphelo Gantsho, a dermatologist based in Cape Town about the impact of stress on the skin. She says, “emotional stress won’t trigger a new case of acne, but it may worsen matters in someone who already has the skin disorder.”

I get the occasional pimple as an adult but haven’t had problematic skin since puberty, so I wondered what was happening with my skin.

Dr Gantsho says, “cortisol and androgens, are secreted by the endocrine system in response to stress and these hormones escalate the production of sebum.” An excess can cause breakouts and she says that if you notice that any flare ups tend to match up with the times that you are feeling stressed, then there may be a link.”

I was sure that was it coupled with one or two other things. Effectively I thought three things were aggravating my skin

1. Stress

2. Diet

3. Vitamin B12

4. Topical beauty products

STRESS

To deal with the first, I remember someone recommending an Indian herbal supplement that I couldn’t remember the name of until I searched for keywords around it. Ah, ashwagandha! It’s being studied as a promising treatment for Alzheimer’s as a powerful antioxidant, “double the strength of what's on today's market [in 2015]” and is said to be a great sleep aid. It’s also “believed to mitigate stress and correct imbalance of various nervous systems”.

Publications like Bustle and Vox have written a few articles about its benefits. Some encouraging info includes that “successfully tested in humans: A 2012 study determined the root can improve one's "resistance" to stress. Moreover, a 2014 review of five studies that involved ashwagandha, published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, found the supplement consistently worked better at managing stress and anxiety than the placebo.”

Happy news but be careful if you’re pregnant or trying to fall pregnant. Vox quotes that it “has been reported to potentially cause miscarriage. [Dr. Rashmi] Mullur [an assistant professor of medicine in the department of endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism and associate chief of integrative medicine at UCLA] explains that because it binds to steroid receptors, it can affect hormonal function. ‘I certainly wouldn’t advise anyone to take it in pregnancy.’”

If you’re looking for help with arthritis (it’s anti-inflammatory) or managing anxiety, insomnia and calming the nervous system, practitioners of traditional Ayurvedic medicine found it very effective. I’ve been taking one pill a day - Solal’s Ashwagandha Extract R189.95 (60 tablets) available at Wellness Warehouse - for over a month now and my skin is largely back to normal. And come to think of it, I’ve been sleeping much more soundly through the night. But it’s not the only thing I’ve changed in my skincare regimen..

DIET

Homemade tuna salads, green juices with spinach, ginger, celery, banana and soy milk and lemon-infused hot water have become more regular staples during winter. Anything to feel like I was flushing out or feeding my skin with healthy nutrients.

VITAMIN B12

I’m always looking for sources of energy from my supplements, so I picked up a new on my last grocery shop. Solal’s Vitamin B12 (Methylcobalamin) R180 (60 tablets) available at Clicks is said to fight fatigue and tiredness so I was popping them without abandon. I like to spring out of bed in the mornings. As my skin was acting up, I looked at everything new I’d been trying to try and find out what could be the cause. I looked at my supplements and googled how their active ingredients affect your skin.

Rr Gantsho says, “several dermatologic conditions, including vitiligo, aphthous stomatitis, atopic dermatitis, and acne are related to cobalamin excess or deficiency” and Science Alert says that “found in many meat and dairy products and taken as a supplement for better brain function and to stave off anaemia - [it] might alter the genetic make-up of facial bacteria, promoting rapid inflammation that's been linked to the formation of pimples, according to a 2015 study”.

I haven’t thrown my bottle away - that would be a waste - and am planning on giving it to someone who hasn’t been affected by it before.

BEAUTY PRODUCTS

Topically, to get rid of hyperpigmentation and other dark spots caused by all the activity on my skin I’ve been using the following. (I have oily combination skin).

Step 1: Double cleanse with L’Oreal Pure Clay Grow Scrub 150ml R99,99 available at Clicks followed by Filorga Oxygen Glow Clear Skin Effect Super Cleanser 125ml R360 available at Edgars

Step 2: Remove excess oil and makeup with La Mer The Cleansing Micellar Water 200ml R1450 available at Edgars (day) or Eucerin Dermo Purifyer Oil Control Micellar Water 400ml R275 (evening)

Step 3: Reduce pigmentation with La Roche-Posay PigmentClar Serum Anti-Dark Spot Concentrate 30ml R375 available at Dischem

Step 4: Moisturise with Filorga Oxygen Glow Super Perfecting Radiance Cream 50ml R725 available at Edgars

Step 5: Mask at least once a week to rehydrate skin even out texture with Filorga Oxygen Glow Super Perfecting Express Mask 75ml R610 available at Edgars

My hormones play a large part in whether my skin is happy or not so I’ll be watching it around the time I menstruate. But I feel a lot better now that it seems that stress has a reduced effect.

• DISCLAIMER - some of the beauty products I’m using and love were given to review