Skin & Stress

A very apt subject for us all right now.

But can stress really effect the skin?

Afraid so, let's explore this a little more.

"“ Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it”

I am a huge advocate for the phrase above, life isn't meant to be easy and we should assume curve balls will always be thrown at us.

(It never rains it pours right)

But stress is a very real part of all our lives, it always was, but I think we have all been tested more so in the last 12 months!

How we react to things can and will make a difference, sometimes it is as easy as a good old cry, sometime a life over haul is needed and changes need to be made.

Psychodermatology

No I didn't just make that one up!

The mind skin link is what experts call psychodermatology and it's this science that explains why external skin conditions like acne psoriasis eczema and rosacea are often triggered by these internal stresses.

These visible conditions can and will often effect our confidence and in turn our stress levels will increase; resulting in the mind skin link becoming an evermore damaging vicious cycle.

Woooooo- Saaaaaaaah

I wish I had a magic want and could wave away your stresses but we know it is never that easy.

It's impossible to live without some stress.

Stress is a natural physical response, when we enter this vital fight or flight mode we experience a surge in hormones like adrenaline and cortisol

This then prepares us to survive a threat in our lives

An increased heart rate accelerates blood flow to the brain and muscles, increased by up to 500% and the conditions inside the stomach become painfully acidic.

So here is where it gets relevant, the structure of our collagen and connective tissue is damaged by this hormonal and intrinsic flow of events.

Although some stress is good for us triggering our sense of ambition competitiveness and energy most of us are living with way too much especially at the moment so it's no wonder that we can be tense, irritable anxious and unable to concentrate

This cascading effect begins to compromise the health of our skin and our body.

Acne, rosacea, eczema, psoriasis and premature ageing can all be exacerbated by increasing, ongoing stress levels.

Managing our stress the should be a key part of your routine, as much as it effects us what we put on the skin we know only too well its whats going on inside that can and will have an impact

To working alongside any topical products you apply managing stress will help improve your systemic and skin health

Remember that stress robs us of sleep too, one of the key ingredients we need in order for a skin cells to regenerate overnight.

Sleep is a vital part of stress management and indeed systemic and skin health

I don't have the answer for stress management but self care is a great place to start.

If you are feeling overwhelmed I do know this, 'It is ok to not be ok ', you should find someone to talk to and try to work through things one by one.

You are never alone, even though at times it feels you are.

Albeit we all have a little more stress in our lives right now, another important reason to manage your triggers is for better skin and systemic health

I will be covering skin conditions and stress a little more over my next few blogs

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Stress reduces our skins ability to heal wounds by around 40% so any conditions you develop can take longer to recover reduce your stress levels but don't put undue pressure on yourselves

Here are a few things I have tried and tested to help me when I am feeling the stress levels heighten

1) Meditate – I have an app!

2) Breathe from your belly- Even the apple watch tells us to focus on breathing right?

3) Write it down

4) Laugh- happy Hormones will help cancel out the negative nellies

5) Cut out/Reduce stimulants

6) Have a massage- Hello Jade roller

7) Take some ‘Me time” adopt good skin health routines

8) Talk to others

9) Do one healthy thing each day

10) Work out and exercise daily

Take care of yourselves, and just take each day at a time..

Much Love A x