YOUR SKIN PLAN

THE SKINCARE

YOUR LIFESTYLE

YOUR DIET

PHASE ONE

Thank you for sharing everything with me.

Although you've always described your skin as oily, the dry, red, itchy patches around your nose tell me something is happening underneath.

Your skin is showing signs of a compromised skin barrier and what appears to be perioral dermatitis.

Looking at your routine, there are a few things that may have contributed

introducing retinol
layering multiple active serums
high levels of ongoing stress
naturally oily skin being stripped a little too much

The good news is this is something we can absolutely calm down, but it does require us to simplify things for a while.

YOUR

LIFESTYLE

What's likely driving your skin

1. Chronic stress

Being a primary school head teacher is an incredibly demanding role.
You've mentioned your stress has been high enough that your GP was considering signing you off work, and that alone tells me your nervous system has been under a huge amount of pressure. When cortisol remains elevated for long periods it can increase oil production, slow skin barrier repair, increase inflammation & delay healing make conditions like perioral dermatitis much more likely to flare. This doesn't mean stress is the only cause, but it's definitely playing a role.

WHY SLEEP MATTERS

Sleep isn’t passive.
It’s your body’s most powerful repair window.

And this is exactly why chronic stress + poor sleep = flare-ups.

When sleep is fragmented or shortened:

Cortisol regulation becomes disrupted
Deep sleep shortens (less repair)
REM reduces (less emotional processing)
Blood sugar becomes unstable
Inflammation increases

Sleep hygiene is not complicated.
It is about environment, rhythm, and small daily behaviours.

Before assuming a client has “insomnia,” I always assess their sleep environment and routine. More often than not, the issue isn’t inability to sleep — it’s misaligned habits.

Poor sleep hygiene creates a cascade:

Disrupted cortisol rhythm →
Poor food choices →
Missed morning light →
Blood sugar instability →
Increased inflammation →
Skin flare-ups

Sleep affects everything.

SLEEP
HYGIENE

WHY IT MATTERS

A SIMPLE DAILY SLEEP FRAMEWORK

Take a moment to think about your current sleep environment and evening habits. What temperature is your bedroom at night? Do you mainly use bright overhead lighting in the evening, or softer lamps and lower lighting? Are there standby lights glowing from televisions, chargers, or other devices in the room? Do you usually scroll on your phone or watch television within an hour of going to bed? Is your phone kept beside your bed, and if so, is it on flight mode? Are your windows always closed, leaving the room feeling warm or stuffy overnight?

Many people are unintentionally disrupting their sleep through small habits and environmental factors they barely notice day to day. But when sleep quality is disrupted, the body’s ability to repair, regulate hormones, recover, and restore the nervous system is disrupted too. Take note of any habits that currently apply to you, and from there we can start looking at simple, supportive changes to improve them over time.

Waking at a consistent time each day, where possible, can help regulate your body clock and support a healthier cortisol rhythm. One of the most effective things you can do shortly after waking is get natural daylight exposure within the first 30–60 minutes of the morning. This could be as simple as stepping outside onto a balcony, into the garden, or going for a short walk — even a few minutes can make a difference.

If practical, try to avoid wearing sunglasses for those first few moments outdoors so your eyes can receive the full natural light signal. This early morning light exposure helps anchor your circadian rhythm, supports healthier cortisol patterns throughout the day, and encourages better melatonin production later in the evening to improve sleep quality.

Eating balanced meals throughout the day can play a significant role in supporting energy, hormone regulation, and sleep quality. Including adequate protein and healthy fats with meals can help stabilise blood sugar levels and keep the nervous system feeling more regulated overall. For some people, introducing fermented foods may also help support gut health and digestion.

When blood sugar becomes unstable during the day, it can contribute to cortisol fluctuations overnight, which is one reason some people regularly wake between 3–4am. Supporting more stable blood sugar patterns during the day can often help improve sleep continuity and reduce those early morning wake-ups.

In the evening, try to gradually reduce light exposure by dimming overhead lighting and using warmer lamps instead of bright ceiling lights where possible. Reducing screen exposure for 60–90 minutes before bed can also help support healthier sleep patterns, and if screens are unavoidable, blue light blocking glasses may offer some benefit. Lower light exposure in the evening helps signal melatonin release, allowing the body to prepare more naturally for sleep.

It can also help to avoid highly stimulating television, intense work, or adrenaline-driven content late at night, as the nervous system often responds to fictional stress in a very similar way to real stress. Alcohol may initially make you feel sleepy, but it commonly fragments deep and REM sleep throughout the night, reducing the quality of true restoration and recovery.

Creating a calmer sleep environment can help the body transition more naturally into rest. Keeping the bedroom cool — ideally around 17–19°C — allowing fresh air circulation where possible, keeping phones out of reach or on flight mode, and practising just 3–5 minutes of slow breathing before bed can all help signal safety and relaxation to the nervous system. Reading a couple of chapters of a book, not thriller or horror types but something that will calm the nervous system can also really help you wind down.

Some people also find additional evening rituals supportive, such as taking a warm bath or shower to encourage post-bath body cooling, doing gentle stretching, using a spike mat if it feels relaxing rather than stimulating, or supporting nasal breathing with light mouth taping where safe and appropriate. Sleep should ideally feel like a gradual descent into rest, rather than an abrupt switch from overstimulation to exhaustion.