Breaking Out? This Could be Why.
Pretty much every single person I know is experiencing an increase in their stress levels. There are many different reasons to feel stress due to this current Covid situation and problems with the skin can occur. Many people are breaking out and this is a new thing for them.
Some of the women I spoke to about their breakouts have had acne in the past but it has increased lately due to stress. The stress is causing a surge in hormonal activity and an increase in the production of the sebaceous glands. This can lead to breakouts.
So what can we do it about it? Here are 8 tips to help with your stress related breakouts!
- Don't touch your face!
WOW, everyone in the world is talking about this! Those of us in skin care have been saying it for years! The reason we don't want to touch our faces is because the spread of dirt and bacteria that cause breakouts.
- Spot Treat
I recommend using a spot treatment in addition to your usual routine. This can be applied at night and works best while you sleep. Using a product with Salicylic acid has been known to work really well, look at your ingredients when you are purchasing one. There are also a lot of masks that are clarifying and exfoliating. Remember to be gentle when actively breaking out.
- Don't dry out the skin
When I was practicing as an esthetician, I would see this all the time. My clients would use harsh products thinking that stripping the skin of oil would help. But the skin wants to stay in balance so it will overproduce more oil to make up for that. This can lead to more breakouts and keeping you in a cycle.
- Hydrate (water not oil)
As an addition to what I said above, keeping the skin hydrated is the best way to treat the skin to avoid overproduction of oil. Consider hydration as water to the skin not oil. Including products that are anti-inflammatory, gentle and hydrating to help heal and protect acne. Making sure it is lightweight and good for sensitive skin is important! This is why my clients with acne love UNDO serum and REPAIR toner. (See below) Also drinking water and hydrating from the inside is helpful.
- Self Care
This is easy to say, you hear people advocating for this everyday. I have to say for me personally taking some time for myself is self care. Taking a bath or walk is self care, it looks different for every one. This can be a negative if you stress about getting it in! Or not doing this whole quarantine thing the "right" way. Having grace for myself is also a form of self care. And of course helps to minimize stress.
- Exercise with no make-up
Another great way to relive stress is to exercise! Something I do every day. One of the best tips to keep skin clearer is to workout/sweat with a cleansed skin. That way your pores can detox without something blocking it. I love seeing everyone walking and enjoying getting moving!
- Clean your phone/Make-up Brushes
Minimize the bacteria by wiping down your phone and what ever else is touching your face. If its been a while since you have cleaned your brushes I would highly recommend cleaning them. I use a gentle facial cleanser to clean mine.
- Check your sugar
Sugar is correlated to acne breakouts. And for me personally, I see a difference in my skin when I avoid it. Since there is a lot of baking going on and alcohol consumption has gone up for many people, this can be a trigger. If you want to clear up your skin and feel like you want to clean up your diet, give it a try. There are a lot of resources out there for an elimination diet or low sugar plans.
I hope this helps if you are dealing with stress-related breakouts. If you are doing something that is working with your breakouts, please share! I am thinking of you all!
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