Why does stress cause my skin to breakout?

Hormones: Stress can cause a change in hormone levels which has an effect on the glands in the skin which can cause acne. Androgen or male hormone levels are increased and have an effect casing acne flares.

Stress and Acne: Stress can also produce more hormones by stimulating the adrenal glands. In fact, hormonal problems are usually the culprit when it comes to people who have severe cystic acne. The adrenal glands produce cortisol, which can cause the sebaceous glands to produce more sebum. As a result, the skin can become oily. The oil can mix with dead skin cells and bad bacteria can be trapped causing acne.