Influencers on TikTok have been blaming a bloated, puffy face on “cortisol face.” In a recent TikTok video , wellness influencer Mandana Zhargami explained to viewers that they weren’t “ugly,” but that their faces were bloated from high levels of cortisol, a “stress hormone” known for regulating the body’s response to perceived threats, whether it’s actual danger or, in our modern era, pressures from the office. Cortisol typically regulates glucose, metabolism, and blood pressure.
Zhargami’s hormonal wellness journey began after a 2020 doctor’s visit, in which her doctor at the time told her that stress was to blame for her visibly bloated face and abdomen. She was then motivated to find tools to help her combat her stress. Through trial and error, she found that lifestyle changes including drinking diluted apple cider vinegar in the morning and green tea throughout the rest of her day.
Physically, she stopped weight lifting and practiced more low-impact exercises like yoga. The influencer credits these changes with reducing not only her cortisol levels but also the swelling in her face. “I did a lot of research on how to fix this naturally,” she told viewers, claiming that “cortisol face” could be tackled holistically without drugs or expensive products.
As she dispensed advice and peddled her “hormone-balance tea” – which she sells from her shop – to combat “cortisol face,” more influencers and content creators like her have pushed .