“If you have good thoughts, they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.” Roald Dahl (13insipiringRoaldDahlquotes, n.d.)

It’s a chant that says to the power of the mind in influencing how we look physically-healthy, happy feelings always become apparent as a sparkle on the face. In the same vein when we are down our skin may well follow suit.

What is stress exactly?

It's easy to think the reason we feel bad about the way we look when we are stressed is through lack of effort. We blame not having enough time on our hands for our oily hair. But what we don’t know is that stress is actually working up its dirty magic. For a fact, functions linked to stress are some of the most well progressed responses in your body.

Acute stress causes the heart rate to go up, blood pressure to increase and energy from fat to be burned bringing the body functions to a halt. What we are developing is a chronic stress notion. You could be stressed about work, burned out, facing marital issues or struggling with meeting deadlines. Your stress levels are simply full, if any one of these is causing you chronic stress. And it is through this chronic stress that the health and skin problems start rising!

How does anxiety affect your skin?

Stress response in our body triggers anxiety which leads to skin issues like eczema, rosacea, acne, urticaria, OCD and psoriasis. Others include itching which is linked with higher anxiety levels, hives, diseases flares in eczema and sweating. Anxiety is demonstrated through emotive facial expressions like eleven lines and forehead furrows.

What are some signs that show your body is responding to stress?

If your skin abruptly starts breaking out after a stressful phase, or your eczema flares up each time you have to meet a deadline, the malefactor is your body’s stress response. The brain has a stress stimulated path that causes the release of numerous hormones and chemicals that stimulate inflammation in your body and skin. Emotional suffering causes the release of a stress hormone called cortisol which interrupts the healing process, disturbs the skin's natural barrier and disrupts the immune system making it less able to guard itself. Difficult feelings can lead to formation of red itchy lines, pigmentation, wrinkles and dullness to appear on the skin.

How to destress your skin?

Lifestyle change

So, what can you do? Firstly, it is essential you tackle the issue from all angles, since alone even the best skincare regime won’t solve the problem. Ensure that your diet comprises protein, healthy fats, carbs and natural sugars. Antioxidant-rich leafy greens also but be consumed along with two litres of water every day to prevent the impact of dehydration on your skin. sleep plays an important role in how you look, so take eight hours of sleep every night so the skin takes its time to repair.

Indulge in mindful activities

Make sure you exercise on a regular basis even if it's for twenty minutes. Apart from exercising try to indulge in activities that lower stress levels. Yoga is something that switches off the sympathetic nervous system and plays a role in calming the nerves. This brings down cortisol levels in the body which is responsible for causing stress related damage to our skin.

Women who practise yoga daily or at least a few days in a week have lower cortisol levels compared to the same-aged women who do not. Taking magnesium supplements orally or in the form of skincare products like bath salts and lotions also reduces cortisol levels in the body.

Skincare bath

When you are feeling low, pampering yourself with a skincare bath can work wonders. You can combine bath salts and bath bombs with aroma therapy to induce positive emotions and calm the nervous system.

Skincare products

Skincare is essential for de-stressing skin. with numerous beauty brands starting anti stress skincare lines which include ingredients such as ceramides that fortify the skin barrier, hyaluronic acid which hydrates skin, natural humectant honey with anti-inflammatory powers and many more. Incorporating one of these products could cosset and calm down inflamed skin. Applying let’s glow serum containing hyaluronic acid will clarify your skin and make your dull skin bright.

You can also make use of a moisturizer to bolster your skin. Pink soul’s watermelon jelly is designed for these moments. It possesses refreshing properties which give a calming effect on your skin. It hydrates and nourishes skin giving it a radiant glow.

For night time you could apply Choco vanilla body butter by Pink Soul. With all the healing benefits of cocoa and vanilla, it penetrates deep in your skin layers and moisturizes your skin making it glow like never before. The way you apply skincare products has a huge impact on your skin. massage gently in circular motions to increase circulation, promote collagen synthesis and enhance lymphatic drainage, while relaxing your nerves.

It is true that there are times we can not control our circumstances which create stressful situations. But all we can do is respond to our raging nerves in the best way possible whether through some lifestyle tweaks or enhancing our skincare regimes.