Does stress affect your skin? You bet.
Studies have proven that stress causes the body to create hormones such as cortisol, which sends signals to your glands, instructing them to make more oil (or sebum), leading to acne breakouts.
Meanwhile, as stress impacts your immune system, your skin can become more sensitive and reactive, making way for rashes and inflammatory conditions like rosacea and eczema. The nerves and anxiety related to stress are also problematic, as you might be more tempted to pick and itch at your skin, exacerbating already-present skin problems.
Try not to worry though. The good news is that if your skin is feeling the effects of stress, it’s not a one way road. By making lifestyle changes and introducing the right products for your skin, you can reverse problems ranging from inflammation and redness, to acne breakouts, dry skin and eczema.
Read on to discover Skinora’s tips for transforming skin affected by stress, and the products we’ve hand-picked to make sure stress-related skin concerns become and remain, a thing of the past.
Feed your skin with the right fuel
It’s an age-old quote that we all know, but ‘’you are what you eat’’ is incredibly applicable when considering the health and condition of your skin.
Stress can make us reach for the wrong foods, whilst eating wrong foods can increase stress levels, no thanks to the high sugar content. This can leave you feeling groggy and your skin looking dull and prone to problems – it’s a vicious cycle.
Enjoying a balanced, healthy diet is essential for helping our bodies cope with the physical changes brought about by stress. As the adrenal glands produce the main stress response hormones and are heavily influenced by blood sugar levels, eating foods that stabilise the levels of sugar in the blood will help reduce stress.
Whole foods full of fibre can help you retain your energy levels, without needing a huge sugar spike (and the subsequent sugar low) from chocolate or confectionary. Avoid refined foods and high caffeine foods to prevent yourself feeling tired and low a short time after you’ve ingested them. Be sure to stay within the government guidelines for alcohol consumption, and read our recent blog on how alcohol influences the condition of your skin.
Get your body moving
As exercise produces the feel-good chemicals known as endorphins, it’s a no-brainer to make sure you’re getting a few hours of moderate to vigorous sport or working out each week. As endorphins are a direct antidote in the fight against stress hormones, it makes perfect sense that exercise should help to reduce stress levels, having a positive knock-on effect on your skin.
When you exercise, newly oxygenated blood will rush to the surface to feed your muscles, and your skin. The increased blood flow helps to provide your skin with the vital nutrients is needs, whilst ridding it of harmful toxins and promoting heathy skin cell turnover.
Enjoy some fresh air
As we move into spring, getting sunlight is going to become far easier (thank goodness!).
Sunlight helps vitamin D production, which aids in regulating calcium and phosphate supplies in the body, promoting a healthy immune system – this will positively affect your skin. Fresh air also opens up your pores, giving your skin the chance to breathe, leading to fewer blockages.