Photo by Taisiia Stupak on Unsplash
We all know self-care. How could we not…it’s only one of the biggest trends of the 21st century. Stressed out? Take a bath. Feeling anxious? Meditate. Bored? Do a thirty minute skin care routine! Well, now this trend has gone even further with brands now promoting anti stress skincare products to help you relax and rid your skin of any signs of stress! It’s okay to need some help after all that we have been through in the past few years.
1. What is anti stress skincare?
3. Ingredients to combat stress acne
What exactly is anti stress skincare? Anti stress skincare products are formulated to help hydrate the skin and decrease some visible signs of stress that may have formed throughout the years. High stress levels are paired with high amounts of cortisol which can break down the skin's collagen and elasticity. Essentially, stress can cause wrinkles, fine lines, acne, and inflammation in the skin.
It wasn’t until I heard about anti stress skincare and started researching it that I realized a lot of my acne probably comes from being so stressed out with school. It isn’t a coincidence that whenever I have a break, my skin looks significantly better. That being said, stress is a normal human emotion that happens quite often. So how can we handle our skin when we are in stressful times? This is exactly what anti stress skin care was created for.
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Anti stress skincare targets the barrier of the skin to deeply nourish and heal it. According to Dr. Jessie Cheung, a board-certified dermatologist, the oils and ceramides in this type of skincare work “to balance hydration and soothe, anti-oxidants to repair and protect, and growth factors and peptides to maintain collagen synthesis." Dr. Cheung further explains that stressed out skin is less resilient, so using this type of skincare just helps your skin conduct the functions it might not be able to do at the moment.
Anti stress skincare isn’t a specific formula or even line of products. It honestly has many levels to it based on your own personal factors. It is important to do research to find the right anti stress products for your skin, but I’m going to break down a few products that may be just what you need to combat your stressed out and irritable skin.
This antioxidant rich formula leaves your whole face looking youthful and vibrant. Sometimes we are extremely busy, spending a lot of our days running on 5 hours of sleep and a heck of a lot of caffeine. I feel you! However, no one likes the redness and puffiness that comes along with lack of sleep. This Paula’s choice eye cream helps to lessen the irritation of the skin, as well as providing an anti-aging aspect.
Under eye bags are simply the worst. I don’t know about you, but when I'm stressed out the last thing I want to do is look in the mirror and see what looks like 10 pounds hanging from each eye. Luckily, this dermalogica stress positive eye lift is changing the game with its amazing energizing and depuffing formula that will help you look like you just got 12 hours of sleep. The reviews of the product have even stated that it has helped people decrease the wrinkles or fine lines under their eyes as well.
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This moisturizer will leave you glowing from the inside out. Even if you are stressed out about the long day ahead, rub some of this on and no one will ever know. This radiant formula contains hyaluronic acid, amino acids, and aloe vera that leaves your skin hydrated and re-energized. Just be aware that since this is a moisturizer, it might not be the best for people with super oily skin.
This serum contains a lot of rich ingredients that provide multiple benefits to the skin. The niacinamide, superfoods, and adaptogens minimize signs of stress and help with irritation, as well as acne and fine lines.
Kiehls moisturizer is great for people with more sensitive and oily prone skin since it is so lightweight. It uses a few different herbs such as chamomile and rose oil to minimize skin redness and fatigue. It also rebuilds the skin's barrier to make it stronger to battle other stressful days ahead.
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Acne can be extremely stubborn, especially during more stressful times. There is a lot of research on ingredients that help acne, and even more specifically, stress acne. The US Dermatology partners recommend a few different ingredients to use for stress breakouts:
They claim that these three ingredients are the best for unclogging pores, providing anti-inflammatory solutions to decrease inflammation, and accelerating cellular turnover which helps to get rid of dead skin to replace it with healthier, newer skin. Mostly though, these ingredients work the best in fighting off acne in times of stress.
Other natural ingredients you can include in your skincare routine for fighting stress acne are ashwagandha, tea tree oil, magnesium, and probiotics. I know it may be hard with busier schedules, but it is super important to try and get as much sleep as possible during more stressful times. Also try to avoid a lot of caffeine, sugars, and dairy when you are going through a stress breakout.
Life has been pretty hectic these past few years, and I want you to know that you are not alone if you feel overwhelmed and stressed. It is already enough to have to deal with the mental effects of those feelings, but it just heightens every feeling when your skin is also reacting poorly to the stressors in your life. Go ahead and give these anti stress skincare products a try for glowing, and more relaxed skin.
Written by Emma Carlson
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