The holiday season is meant to be a joyous and emotionally invigorating time of year. However, while there are likely a plethora of celebrations and laughs to come this season, the holidays can also lead to stress. Unfortunately, stress can have several health-related side effects, some of which affect your complexion and skin health. To learn why and how stress impacts your skin, continue reading.
How Stress Can Affect Your Skin
When discussing how stress impacts your skin, it is necessary first to understand the condition. Stress is an emotional and chemical reaction in your body. When you get anxious or agitated, your body produces higher levels of adrenaline, which, in turn, lead to elevated cortisol levels produced in the adrenal glands. These chemical responses can cause oily skin, dullness, wrinkles, breakouts and the worsening of pre-existing conditions, such as eczema and psoriasis. Now that you understand the ways stress affects your skin, it is time to know how to reduce sign of stress on your skin.
Combating the Signs of Stress on Your Skin
How do you fight the signs of skin stress? Easy: It’s the same way people have been doing skin care for decades, through moisturizing and exfoliating. By using facial cleanser, scrubs and masks that use a combination of essential ingredients, such as hyaluronic acid, retinol and vitamin C, you can help in reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles through increased collagen production.
However, when it comes to how stress impacts your skin, you should also understand that the problem is not only chemical; it is emotional as well. Therefore, you should practice alleviating stress through proven techniques, such as meditation and yoga.
4-Step Care Routine for Stressed Skin
While you begin the fine art of yoga or meditation to help curb your habit of stress this holiday season, it is also necessary learning and maintaining a proper skincare routine to combat how stress impacts your skin. To ensure that your skin is rejuvenated for those holiday gatherings, consider adopting the following four-step skincare routine to de-stress your face:
1. Foam or gel-based cleanser
The first thing you will want to do, especially if you tend to break out when stressed, is find a decent facial cleanser. As stress leads to excess production of facial oil, find a foaming or gel-based cleanser, as these are better formulated to break down dirt and oil buildup on your skin.
2. Face mask
Next, find a mask that suits your needs. For example, those with oily skin should look for mattifying or detoxifying masks, whereas those with dry skin may want a clay mask instead.
3. Facial massage
Follow the mask with a gentle facial massage. You can schedule an appointment or perform this task at home. Massages help to reduce facial tension and strain.
4. Overnight mask
An overnight mask is a beautiful complement to the routine above. By following the cleanse, mask and massage with another mask, you maximize the moisturizing effects and truly pamper your skin.
Learning how stress impacts your skin is only one part of the process, as is adopting a daily and nightly routine. If you want to further help reduce the impact stress has on your skin, then make an appointment with Windsor Dermatology, a leader in skin treatment in New Jersey.
