Modern life can be very stressful. Whether it’s overwork, debt worries, or future uncertainty, we all have a problem or two that keeps us up at night. If you feel overwhelmed by the pressures of life, you’re not alone. According to a Gallup poll conducted in 2020, almost 60% of Americans are struggling with daily stress and anxiety.
Stress doesn’t just make you toss and turn at night, but it can also wreck your health, ruin your skin, and impair your quality of life. This is why National Stress Awareness Day exists: to remind you of the negative effects of stress and teach you how to cope with it healthily. To honor this day, we’ve put together several tips to help you relax and de-stress your skin.
What is National Stress Awareness Day?
Observed on April 16th, National Stress Awareness Day is a special event that promotes knowledge about stress, and offers best practices to help people reduce stress in their personal and professional lives. Although some stress can be good for you, living with chronic stress can negatively impact your productivity, relationships, and overall well-being.
How does stress affect your wellbeing? Unmanaged stress hurts your mental and physical health. Studies have found that chronic stress can result in depression, immune system issues, and heart disease. An unhealthy body will reflect in your appearance. If you spend a fortune on skincare products but still have a dull complexion, you may be dealing with stressed skin.
How Does Stress Affect Your Skin?
National Stress Awareness Day aims to improve quality of life. Since skin quality plays a big role in your happiness, it’s important that you understand what stress does to your skin. When you’re stressed, your body releases stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones cause physiological changes in your body that negatively impact your skin.
Here are some ways how stress affects your skin:
Triggers Acne Breakouts
Do you break out when stressed? Cortisol may be to blame. Cortisol stimulates the sebaceous glands beneath your skin to produce more oil. Excessive oil production can clog your pores and lead to pimples and acne. In a study published by the Clinical, Cosmetic, and Investigational Dermatology journal, the severity of stress was found to be correlated with the severity of acne.
Induces Facial Redness
Does your face look red on National Stress Awareness Day? That’s a good reminder that you need to sit back, take deep breaths, and chill out. When you have chronic stress, your body is constantly in fight or flight mode. Stress hormones dilate your blood vessels to increase blood flow throughout your body. This can give you a flushed face.
Impairs the Skin’s Barrier
If your skin is parched despite applying tons of moisturizer, it could be a sign that you have stressed skin. Stress weakens your skin’s barrier ⏤ the outermost layer that locks moisture in and protects you from environmental stressors. When this layer is compromised, water easily evaporates and external irritants perforate the skin. This makes your skin red and dehydrated.
Aggravates Skin Conditions
Are you battling a skin condition on National Stress Awareness Day? Use this day to ease your stress and calm your skin. Stress causes inflammation in your body which can aggravate skin conditions like eczema, rosacea, and psoriasis. In a National Rosacea Society survey, 91% of patients reported that emotional stress caused their rosacea to flare up.
Accelerates Skin Aging
Stress-induced inflammation doesn't just aggravate existing skin conditions, but it can also damage healthy skin. Inflammation inhibits collagen and elastin production ⏤ protein fibers that are essential for maintaining young-looking skin. With fewer of these fibers, your skin loses its firmness and elasticity. This will lead to fine lines and wrinkles and skin laxity.
How to Relieve Stress
The best way to celebrate National Stress Awareness Day is to get rid of your stress. Although you can’t completely avoid stress, there are many effective strategies to help you handle stress in a healthy way. Learning to cope with challenges and crises will not only help reduce the pressure you feel but can also make you more emotionally resilient.
If you want to treat stressed skin, you must first relieve general stress. So, how can you calm your body and mind? Here are five simple ways to help you find serenity in 30 minutes or less:
1. Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness is an ancient meditation technique in which you become intensely aware of the present moment. Focusing all your attention on the here and now will distract you from the negative thoughts that cause distress. In a review of 23 research studies, mindfulness was found to lower stress, improve quality of sleep, and reduce anxiety.
2. Get Active
How can you soothe your mind on National Stress Awareness Day? Get active! Whether it’s joining a gym, taking a dance class, or going for a walk outside, physical activity can reduce your body’s stress hormones and stimulate the production of endorphins. Endorphins are feel-good hormones that relieve pain and bring you feelings of calm.
3. Cut Down on Caffeine
Moderate coffee intake can be healthy for you. But when taken in excessive amounts, the caffeine in coffee can exacerbate stress. In a review of eight studies, caffeine consumption was shown to aggravate anxiety and panic disorders. To enjoy the benefits of coffee without feeling anxious, limit consumption to four cups a day, and avoid caffeine after three p.m.
4. Try Breathing Exercises
Here is an easy relaxation technique you can try at home on National Stress Awareness Day. When you’re experiencing mental stress, your body goes into fight or flight mode. This activates your sympathetic nervous system, producing symptoms like a fast heartbeat and quick breathing. Deep breathing exercises can activate the parasympathetic nervous system and help you relax.
5. Adopt a Skincare Routine
Adopting a daily skincare routine can calm your mind and relieve stressed skin. In an eight-week study, a three-step skincare routine was shown to reduce cortisol levels by 83%. There are several reasons why taking care of your skin is good for your mental health. In addition to encouraging mindfulness, massaging your face can slow your heart rate and reduce anxiety.
How to Calm Stressed Out Skin
Now that you’ve learned about ways to relieve general stress, let’s talk about how to de-stress your skin for National Stress Awareness Day. Although it’s important to address internal stress, you must also care for your skin externally to improve its look and feel. Follow these tips to soothe your stressed skin and achieve a clearer, brighter, and healthier-looking complexion:
1. Remove Excess Oil
If you remember from our earlier discussion, the stress hormone cortisol spikes oil production and triggers acne breakouts. To get rid of excess oil and calm your skin, use a gentle face wash like the Senté Daily Soothing Cleanser. Made with vitamin E and camellia leaf extract, our soap-free cleanser removes impurities while leaving your skin soothed, soft, and supple.
2. Brighten Your Dull Complexion
Senté Exfoliating Cleanser. Using glycolic and phytic acids, our exfoliant will help you eliminate dead skin cells so you can glow on National Stress Awareness Day.
3. Heal Your Skin’s Damaged Barrier
One of the most common symptoms of stressed skin is a damaged barrier. When the skin’s barrier is compromised, your skin can look red, inflamed, and unhealthy. Formulated with our patented Heparan Sulfate Analog (HSA) skincare technology designed to boost your skin's immune response to inflammation, Senté Dermal Repair Cream is clinically proven to restore a healthy skin barrier within four weeks of use.
4. Hydrate Your Parched Skin
A damaged barrier doesn't just cause facial redness but also dehydrates your skin. In addition to healing the barrier, you must also add moisture to your skin to keep it healthy and hydrated. Senté Dermal Repair Ultra-Nourish cream is formulated with HSA and a unique lipid blend. In clinical studies, our award-winning product was shown to relieve dry skin within two weeks.
De-Stress Your Mind and Skin With Senté
National Stress Awareness Day provides a great opportunity to remind yourself to take a break and relax. Stress not only wreaks havoc on your health but also damages your skin, producing an unattractive appearance. Since body image affects self-esteem, having unhealthy-looking, stressed skin can negatively impact your mental health and reduce your quality of life.
Pampering your skin with medical-grade skincare can soothe your mind and complexion. If you’re looking for skincare products that make a difference, Senté is just what you need. Our medical-grade solutions are clinically proven to boost skin health within weeks. Shop our patented skincare solutions to relieve your stress and heal your skin.
The views or external links featured on this blog represent the opinions of their respective contributors and may not necessarily reflect the position of Sente. All content is provided for informational/educational purposes and is based on personal experiences, observations, or research. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, Sente makes no representations or warranties about the completeness, reliability, or accuracy of the information presented. The information and opinions shared on this blog do not constitute medical advice. Readers are encouraged to independently verify information and should consult a qualified healthcare professional for diagnosis and treatment of any medical condition.
