As much as stressed skin is a term, I don't think it is an actual diagnosis, however I find myself saying it quite a lot. There are so many reasons that our skin can be 'stressed' that it can happen quite often.
Now, obviously, your skin isn't worrying about paying rent, somebody not texting them back or running late for a meeting, but nevertheless, it can still get rather stressed.
WHAT CAUSES STRESSED SKIN?
So many things. Some are short-term stressors and some more chronic, but to be honest they can usually be both treated quite similarly. Here are some examples...
eczema and psoriasis flare ups
rashes/hives
dull and dehydrated skin
acne and breakouts around the jawline and neck area
dark circles around the eyes and eye bags
sudden appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
redness/inflammation/rosacea flare ups
HOW CAN WE MANAGE IT?
Well let's say you've either tried the 'obvious things', or failing that, the 'obvious things' are currently unable to you right now. For example, if you're very tired and have dark eye bags then you could just sleep more right? So for the times that these 'obvious things' are just not possible, here are some ways that you can treat stressed skins.
FOR DRYNESS
Work on hydrating the skin using a 'sandwich' approach. That is working from in the inside out and the outside in... to create a sandwich effect.
So, for dryness, working from the inside out, we would work on really hydrating the skin from within. Supplements, drinking lots of water and water dense foods are great for this. So think herbal teas (non-caffeinated), Skinade, The Beauty Chef Hydration and foods such a cucumber, celery, watermelon etc which have high water contents.
Then, from the outside in, use lots of super hydrating products such as The Vitamin C serum and The Hydrating Face Mask to boost the microcirculation of the skin and help plump up any fine lines.
DULL & PUFFY SKIN
For dull skin, a gentle exfoliation is perfect to lift away any dead skin cells and create a bit of brightness. If you have particularly sensitive skin, then the Nimue Exfoliating Enzyme is perfect for you (contact me here to purchase). Alternatively, my Exfoliating Face Mask is the perfect way to gently lift away dead skin and help plump out any fine lines.
To help with puffiness, a good facial massage can help drain away excess water that the skin is holding on to. I love to use my Gua Sha and facial massage wand to get everything moving,
ACNE AND BREAKOUTS
Keep the skin exfoliated regularly (once a week) to keep the pores clear and apply a good spot cream twice a day to breakouts. My favourite is the Nimue Y:Skin Active Blemish Control (contact me to purchase).
I would also mention that it can be good to change your skincare accordingly. If you tend to have dryer skin and use products for dry skin but have suddenly broken out from stress, maybe look into changing your products to suit more problematic skin for a short period. Nimue do a great Starter Kit for problematic skins which might just do the trick.
Don't forget your SPF regularly as well to prevent scarring from occurring. I would recommend something like the Nimue SPF 50 which has a mattifying effect on the skin to help with any oiliness.
Finally, if we can keep the skin as clean as possible, this will help prevent additional breakouts as well. This includes things such as using clean makeup brushes, avoiding touching your face when you've not washed your hands and if you need to use face masks, ensure they are always clean when you wear them.
REDNESS AND IRRITATION
When our skin is like this it can be very sensitive. The main things you want to do to look after it are avoid using very hot water on the skin and try and avoid washing your face in the shower as our shower water can be very hot. This will cause further dryness and redness.
Also, you want to wear your SPF daily to prevent redness from UV rays and blue light. The Nimue SPF 50 has UVA, UVB, blue light and infra-red light protection - all of which can cause redness and inflammation.
Finally, avoid those foods that can cause redness and flushing such as spicy foods, fatty and fried foods and also any foods that you know you might be intolerant to.
I hope that if your skin is stressed at the moment, these little tips might help it calm down and also that you're not too stressed in your life either.
Thank you so much for reading,
Lots of love,
Emmaline x
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