Published: July 30, 2024
You’re probably aware of how stress can impact your mental health, but did you know that it can directly affect your skin too?
Whenever you feel stressed, certain physiological changes take place in the body, several of which influence how the skin looks and functions. Likewise, de-stressing can quickly turn this around, restoring balance and health to your complexion.
How, exactly, can de-stressing transform the look of your skin? Join CBGärdN as we take a closer look. We’ll also be sharing some top tips on how to de-stress to save your skin!
Fewer Acne Breakouts
One of the most common skin problems that people experience during times of stress is acne. This is down to the cortisol that’s released in the body whenever it feels stressed. Cortisol, otherwise known as the stress hormone, helps the body to deal with stress. However, it also has the effect of stimulating the skin’s sebaceous glands, encouraging them to produce more oil.
As a result, clogged pores become more common and acne breakouts more frequent. If you can relate, two essential products that you need to have in your skincare arsenal are a good cleanser, like the CB Facial Cleanser, and a thorough exfoliator, such as the CBGärdN CB Microexfoliant Peel. These products will help you to stay in control of the extra oil that your skin is producing. This will give you some breathing room to work on de-stressing and addressing the root cause of those breakouts.
Skin That Feels More Hydrated
While some people struggle with oiliness and acne when they’re stressed, others experience the opposite problem; severe dryness and dehydration. This is due to how stress impairs skin barrier function, which several studies have confirmed. As a result, the skin isn’t able to effectively retain moisture, leaving skin cells parched.
Sometimes, dehydration can cause the skin to produce more sebum, resulting in acne. However, dryness is also a common knock-on effect of dehydration. This is when the skin stops producing enough sebum to keep itself moisturized and conditioned. The result is flaky, peeling, and itchy skin. The best way to deal with this until you’ve worked out some de-stressing techniques is to keep your skin covered with a hydrating moisturizer, just like the CB Bio-Restorative Creme from CBGärdN.
Once you’ve learned how to de-stress, you’ll soon notice that your skin feels softer, bouncier, and better hydrated. Moisturizing is still important but you won’t need to do it quite so much!
Fine Lines and Wrinkles Look Lighter and Less Noticeable
Stress can exacerbate fine lines and wrinkles in a couple of different ways. Firstly, stress hormones cause the skin’s protein fibers to weaken and break down. These fibers, which include collagen and elastin, give the skin its structure and smoothness. The weaker they are, the saggier and more wrinkled your skin will look.
Stress also causes people to frequently furrow their brows and frown. This leads to expression lines on the face. When this occurs repeatedly, those temporary lines soon develop into permanent wrinkles.
Learn how to de-stress and you’ll be able to reduce the appearance of aging in your skin. Fine lines and wrinkles will look lighter and less noticeable. This can be further enhanced with the use of the CB Satin Leaf Advanced IV Treatment.
Puffy Eyes Become Less Common
Stress and puffy eyes often go hand-in-hand, although not directly. Although stress can cause inflammation in the skin, which can make puffiness worse, the bags that you see under your eyes when you’re stressed are more likely due to sleep deprivation.
A good eye cream, like the CB ProLift Eye Firming Cream, can help to reduce the appearance of puffiness under the eyes. However, the best way forward in the long run would be to better manage your stress so that it doesn’t lead to sleep deprivation in the first place. How? You’re about to find out!
Save Your Skin: Tips for Managing Stress
It’s all very well telling you that de-stressing can transform your complexion for the better, but how exactly do you go about de-stressing?
There’s no denying that this is something that’s usually easier said than done. However, here are some top tips to follow to help you quickly lower your stress levels:
Do Some Exercise
One of the fastest ways to bring your stress levels down is to do some exercise. Getting active will reduce the amount of cortisol in your body while also encouraging your body to release endorphins, which will boost your mood and make you feel calmer.
Not only will exercising help with immediately de-stressing your mind, but research shows that doing some aerobic exercise just two days a week can reduce overall stress levels, making this a habit worth committing to! Plus, let’s not forget that exercising boosts circulation, which will give your skin an instant glow.
Indulge in Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy, which is when you make use of scents to influence your mood, is often touted as an antidote to stress. Does it really work? The science says yes. New research shows that aromatherapy can alter brain wave activity while also decreasing the amount of cortisol in the body.
Some of the best scents to turn to are:
- Lavender
- Rose
- Roman chamomile
- Neroli
- Geranium
- Orange blossom
- Ylang-ylang
Essential oils and scented candles are a great way to indulge in these scents. You could also opt for skincare products that are naturally scented with some of the above extracts, just like the rose-infused CB Göld Daily Rehydration Cream.
Sip on Some Green Tea
Often, sipping on a warm beverage will be enough to calm your mind and leave you feeling soothed. However, make green tea your beverage of choice and you’ll be able to enhance these effects even further.
Green tea contains a chemical called L-Theanine. It is believed to help reduce feelings of stress and anger, which is why a cup of green tea can have such a calming effect.
Take this even further by treating your skin to some green tea too! You’ll find the ingredient in the CB Göld Velvet Silk Crème from the CB Göld Collection. This will allow your skin to directly benefit from green tea’s phytochemicals too!
Give Yourself a Hand Massage
Massages are loved for how soothing they feel. Of course, you can’t go rushing to your nearest masseuse each time you’re feeling stressed. However, you can learn some massage techniques yourself so that you can enjoy a quick pamper whenever stress levels start to rise.
A hand massage is the easiest way to do this. Plus, hands carry a lot of tension. Relieving this will help to relieve tension in the rest of your body too. Apply a moisturizing hand lotion, like the CB Hand & Body Lotion, and start massaging the base of the muscle under your thumb. Work your way around your hand until you feel the stress slipping away!
Focus on Your Breathing
Another fast-acting strategy for de-stressing in seconds is to focus on your breathing. This is a great method to turn to if you’re ever feeling stressed in public. Changing the way you breathe will not only quickly calm your brain and body, but you’ll be able to do this without anyone else noticing that anything is wrong!
There are several different breathing exercises that you could try. However, one of the simplest is to breathe in through your nose and feel your stomach fill with air. As you do so, imagine that the air that you’re breathing in is peaceful, clean, and pure. Do this for three counts. Then, hold that breath in for one second before slowly breathing out through your nose, counting to three once again. As you do this, imagine that you’re breathing out all of the stress and anxiety that you were previously feeling.
Spend Some Time in the Sun
If it happens to be sunny while you’re feeling stressed, step outside and spend some time soaking up the sun. Sunlight is sometimes used as a treatment for depression because of how effectively it elevates the mood. Even if you aren’t depressed, sunlight can still have an uplifting effect, enabling some of your worries to melt away.
With that said, let’s not forget that sun exposure spells bad news for your skin. Sure, de-stressing in this way may help with the stress-related skin concerns we talked about earlier, but you don’t want to be left with sun-damaged skin as a result. This makes a good sunscreen essential. Find a formula that offers SPF 30 and plenty of antioxidants, just like the CB Multi-Active Moisturizer With SPF 30.
Get Artsy
Ever wondered why adult coloring books became so popular all of a sudden?
It’s because of the calming and meditative effect that they have. One study discovered that when coloring complex geometric patterns, people experienced a significant decline in anxiety levels. This makes them a great de-stressing tool, and one that works quickly.
Of course, adult coloring books aren’t the only way to use art as a stress reliever. Pick up a pencil and start drawing, or perhaps you could give painting a try. Either way, getting in touch with your creative side will help to calm your mind and, therefore, improve your complexion.
Eat Some Dark Chocolate
The next time you’re feeling stressed, try eating some dark chocolate. This may seem like an unusual de-stressing technique but dark chocolate is surprisingly capable of stabilizing the levels of cortisol in the body. This will leave you feeling less stressed.
While that may be the case, don’t over-indulge! All you need is one square to experience these stress-busting effects.
De-Stressing Your Mind and Your Skin With CBGärdN
If you’ve been experiencing high amounts of stress lately, it’s likely that your skin is paying the price. To counter this, take some time to de-stress, trying some of the stress-busting techniques that we’ve shared above. Not only will this give your complexion a boost, but it will also help your mental, emotional, and physical health.
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