Stress and Your Skin

Stress is a normal part of our everyday lives, in fact, its expected, and comes in all shapes and sizes. From weddings and a new addition, to the family, to your car breaking down in the middle of the highway, and not paying the cell phone bill on time, we all experience stress in one form or another. Stress is caused by a chemical response in the brain, which releases the hormone Cortisol thus triggering the “Fight or Flight” response. When we do nothing, Cortisol is left in the body without use, and can cause damage to our bodies over time including issues with our hair, skin, and nails. Stress can actually cause skin to become more sensitive and oilier, which can lead to moderate to severe breakouts; women, who are more prone to stress, and show more physical signs of stress, may see shifts in their menstruation cycles, which can also cause breakouts, and possible delay, or halt, of their monthly periods.

According to the American Institute of Stress, 75 percent of adults have experienced moderate to high levels of stress in the past month whereas nearly half have reported feeling an increase to their stress levels in the last year. We all experience stress, and there is little to no avoidance of that occurrence. Many of us have jobs, bills, relationships, families, and children, as well as trying to find that one glorious minute of time to ourselves just to rearrange our minds and keep it all together.

Sadly, stress has become such a large part of our lives that we've started to see it as the normal, everyday occurrence, to the point where we actually make memes about it...

Stress seems to be more common than rainfall...

See what I mean? (And there is more where that came from!) Regardless, stress sucks but there are ways to help you manage it, without having to zone out on pills, and rack up a bill with your liver. Like the rest of your body, your skin plays a vital role in your overall health, mostly since it is, in fact, the largest organ within your body, and it's the first line of defense against bacteria. When the defenses are compromised, so is the rest of the body. Some of you are probably reading this and thinking: "I do an okay job of managing my stress, so I'm set." Or the more commonly used phrase: "I just don't have time." This is your HEALTH we are talking about here! MAKE TIME!!

Here are Five simple ways to reduce stress and keep your skin game on lock:

1) Get plenty of rest.

Yes, our lives are stressful, and there don't seem to be enough hours in the day, but when we are tired or just flat-out exhausted, we tend to be irritable, thus more prone to stress and burnout, and we are that much closer to snapping, and ending up in an orange jumpsuit, (and no one looks good in those).

2) Don't neglect your regimen!

For those of you, like yours truly, who has an AM/PM beauty regimen, neglecting said routine could make your skin worse. Stress can cause our skin, like our hair, and nails to become brittle and vulnerable to breakouts, and early signs of aging as well as other damage. Keep the skin care routine going, Queens! (It's also a Bonus "Me Time" routine to just 'do you'!)

3) Get your Adidas on!

Exercise releases endorphins, the "happy" hormone, which has been proven to help to reduce stress levels and allow the body to relax.

4) Essential Oils can sometimes be... essential.

Currently, my apartment smells like lemongrass and lavender... you do the math.

5) Do something you haven't done in a long time.

Whether it's painting, reading, or even skydiving! We all have that something that we used to do, that we loved doing, but, like always, life has gotten in the way and time seems to have escaped our notice. What are you waiting for? Get out there and do it!

You deserve to be H-A-P-P-Y!!

Stress sucks, but we deal with it, and move on; as detrimental as it can be to our health and happiness, at the same time, it doesn't have to be, not unless we allow it to consume us. Remembering our health is number one to our happiness is half of the battle, taking time for ourselves, for those we love, and for those who love us, as well as time for ourselves and for our hobbies is crucial... to our our happiness AND to our skin!