Why acne and eczema have risen post Covid-19 - and how to fix it at the root

If you’ve noticed more breakouts or eczema flare-ups over the past few years, you’re not imagining it. Covid-19 has changed more than our routines, it’s altered our skin from the inside out. The good news? Understanding the root causes means we can address it for relief.

1. Gut inflammation: Your immune system gone into overdrive

Covid-19, stress, and lifestyle shifts can trigger systemic inflammation through your gut.

When your gut becomes inflamed:

• Pro-inflammatory cytokines (chemical messengers) increase in your bloodstream.

• These cytokines overstimulate sebaceous glands, leading to more sebum, clogged pores, and acne.

• They also disrupt skin immune regulation, leading to eczema flares and slower healing.

Your gut and immune system directly communicate with your skin, meaning internal inflammation shows up as visible breakouts and irritation.

2. Skin barrier disruption: Queue surface-level acne and eczema

Your skin’s barrier is its first defense against microbes, toxins, and water loss. Covid-era factors can weaken it:

• Maskne: Prolonged mask-wearing causes friction and humidity, damaging the stratum corneum and encouraging bacterial overgrowth.

• Microbiome imbalance: Dysbiosis on the skin allows acne-causing bacteria (C. acnes) and eczema triggers (Staphylococcus aureus) to flourish.

A compromised barrier doesn’t just make skin look worse, it makes it less resilient and more prone to chronic inflammation.

3. Stress - the hidden amplifier

Chronic stress activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, raising cortisol levels. This impacts skin biochemistry by:

• Increasing oil production, and worsening acne.

• Weakening the skin barrier, leading to more dryness, irritation, and eczema susceptibility.

• Promoting gut inflammation, which cycles back to skin flare-ups.

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Stress isn’t just psychological, it biochemically fuels skin inflammation.

✅ The root-cause approach: why most treatments fall short

Lotions, antibiotics, and creams only mask the problem. The real solution addresses these three interconnected pathways:

1. Reduce gut inflammation with nutrition, microbiome support, and anti-inflammatory strategies.

2. Repair the skin barrier using targeted moisturisers, ceramides, and microbiome-friendly approaches.

3. Manage stress and cortisol through lifestyle interventions and sleep optimisation.

By tackling all three, we go beyond temporary fixes. Your skin can heal from the inside out, prevent future flare-ups, and regain control. At derm360º, we approach acne and eczema as biochemical, root-cause problems, not just cosmetic annoyances. By identifying the exact triggers: gut inflammation, barrier disruption, and stress, I create a personalised plan that solves the problem, instead of just hiding it.

Written by Shweta Patel

Medical Biochemist | Founder of Derm360º

Shweta helps people struggling with chronic acne uncover the root biochemical causes behind their skin challenges. Through advanced hormone and gut testing, functional nutrition, and barrier restoration, her evidence-based approach delivers lasting, clear-skin results.

📩 Ready to look deeper than your blood test results? Book your consultation at www.derm360.co.uk or contact hello@derm360.co.uk