I have written about many ingredients used in cosmetics. They all do help you to take care of your skin and hair in their own way. While oils, herbs, antioxidants and minerals are really effective in fighting for your skin, there is one factor that is most important. It is the rest your skin needs. Your skin suffers the most from stress. An exhausted, stressed person is easy to identify by lifeless skin. So, learn how to relax. You will see the results on your skin right away. How does stress affect the skin and how can stress be best prevented?
Photo: James Scott on Unsplash
How does stress arise?
We’ve all been stressed out sometimes. Small, short-term stress is only good for us. Short-term stress improves our performance and makes us more alert. Stress is a natural human reaction. It is the result of evolution to protect us from the dangers that threaten us. Nowadays, you rarely have to run away from any visible danger. Yet that primitive trait still affects us and our bodies.
Today, stress arises from excessive mental strain. Overload at work, unemployment or its threat, problems in human relations, the turbulent situation in the world, and the heavy financial burden are things that stress people today. You don’t necessarily have to have any particular reason for stress. Stress can arise from many very small things that bother you simultaneously.
How does stress relate to your skin and hair?
A chronic stress is a very harmful condition. Unfortunately, stress usually first appears on the skin. Almost all skin problems and skin conditions are partly associated with stress. Stress worsens already existing skin conditions such as acne, atopic eczema, rosacea, psoriasis and urticaria. For some reason, everyone does not get skin problems, no matter how stressful the conditions are. The consequences of stress are also very individual and depend, for example, on genetic inheritance.
Stress causes a reaction on the skin that makes the skin very sensitive. This is because stress causes your body to produce hormones such as cortisol. Stress also causes the skin to produce more fat. Excessively oily skin becomes easily clogged. Oily skin is more susceptible to acne and scalp seborrhoea.
Studies (Cornell University, researchers at Weill Medical College) have found that skin repair mechanisms are disrupted by stress. Small cuts were done on the skin of tested persons. Some of them were exposed to mild stress and some were allowed to spend their time in a relaxing environment. The skin of stressed individuals healed remarkably slower.
When stressed, you may not have enough energy to take care of yourself. You may miss the daily skin care routines. When stressed, you maybe do not follow your healthy diet as well. It is too easy to eat comfort food on daily basis. Exercise and outdoor activities also default. Your skin instantly becomes dry and lifeless in the absence of care.
Improper treatment of stress often makes it worst. Many of us do treat the excessive exhaustion with excessive consumption of coffee or alcohol. Many people either start smoking or increase smoking when facing difficulties in life. All of these stimulants seem to alleviate at first but eventually only make the situation worse. Tobacco, alcohol and excessive coffee drinking are very harmful to the peripheral bloodstream, specifically to the skin.
Stress affects the quality of sleep. Sleep is the time when cells regenerate most efficiently. That is why sweet dreams is the secret for beautiful skin. The skin of a person suffering sleeplessness easily begins to look grey and aged.
How can I avoid stress?
Stress should be prevented even before there is any noticeable stress. It is much easier to consider things and solve problems before the accumulation of them. When chaos is already on, there is not enough spirit and strength left to sort things out. When stressed, it is also harder to notice the way out of the situation. Often it is only outside help that gets us back on the track.
Unnecessary stress should be avoided in advance
- Reserve quiet time every single day just for yourself.
- Evaluate your own resources. Don’t get yourself tasks that you won’t cope with without a lot of effort
- Set your own limits and learn to say no. There are people for whom this is really difficult. Accepting everything means wasting your own efforts.
- Sleep at least 7 hours every night.
- Go out, exercise, eat healthily, and really take care of yourself in every way.
How can you relax and relieve stress?
Mild stress symptoms can actually be relieved in many ways. If you’ve had a busy week at work and want to get yourself back to a normal, restful state of mind, you can do that easily at home.
- Leave the social media for a moment. Social media, as nice as it is, is very addicting. It also tends to bring up more problems that may increase the stress level.
- Do something you really like. Take your dog for a long walk, read a book or watch your favourite TV program. Forget the chaotic world around you.
- Spend quality time with loved ones and friends. Friends and loved ones are worth their weight in gold when life is tough. Do something with your friends that will make you forget all the hassle of everyday life.
- Going outdoors helps with so many things. Many people do take care of their minds in the woods. The forest relieves the grief, sadness, anxiety and, of course, stress. The energies of the forest are calming and grounding. In the forest, the air is especially rich in oxygen, which is also good for the skin.
- Exercise, especially when done at a high heart rate, it helps to relieve stress very effectively. In nature, animals relieve their stress by moving.
- Learn effective stress management techniques such as yoga, mindfulness, meditation, and various breathing exercises. Stress management techniques are based on controlling the mind and focusing the thoughts away from everyday problems. You can also learn stress management techniques online. Simple instructions of breathing exercises and yoga can be found plenty in the web.
- Warm bath is a quick way to make yourself relaxed and sleepy at the end of a stressful day.
- A relaxing mini-holiday in a new environment is a great way to relax. It is enough that you just spend a night with a friend.
- If you feel that you are not coping with your stress alone, do not hesitate to seek outside help. You should seek help sooner rather than later. Healthcare ervices are currently congested and it may take a while before you get help.
Stress management and relaxation are very important factors in skin care
Photo Ian Stauffer on Unsplash
The skin is a sensitive organ that is affected by so many factors. Stress is the most important of them. Stress management is something that you cannot fix just like that. I wish you a stress-free spring!