The stress effect on skin can prevent you from having the clear skin you really want. These are ACTIONABLE steps to combat stress for flawless skin.

It’s amazing (and frustrating) the profound stress effect on skin! It can cause all kinds of skin aliments and prevent you from that poreless, smooth, blemish free skin of your dreams.

But this isn’t something we have to just accept and endure, there are natural ways to prevent stress from ruining your glass skin goals. Below are 6 actionable steps to lower your stress levels for the sake of natural beauty.

To reverse stress effect on skin you need to be improving your quality of sleep, using natural stress reducing skin care ingredients, have the tools to combat tension, and even working through your emotional turmoil.

This post is all about transforming your face by banishing stress effect on skin.

Reverse Stress Effect On Skin:

Adaptogens In Skincare

Adaptogens are a powerful natural stress reducer. The basic concept is that by taking an adaptogenic herb your body will slowly build up an amount of that substance in your body, and will be able to use its stress-metabolizing qualities to manage your natural stress response.

So essentially if you were to encounter the same stress inducing event, you would have less of a reaction to it after you’ve been taking an adaptogen. Traditionally this is used as an oral supplement, but newly we are seeing topical adaptogens in skin care!

Your skin is an immediate target of your stress response, and in some seasons of life we have very little control of what kind of stress we may be encountering.

Adaptogens in skin care have many benefits to offer like a better response to stress, lowering inflammation, soothe irritation, and it is high in antioxidants.

If you have any kind of skin irritation like redness, or acne, definitely give adaptogens a shot to soothe the problem at its root.

This cream is made of all natural ingredients and will nourish skin that s irritated by environmental stressors, even helping to neutralize the effects of pollution.

2. Functional Mushroom for Skin Health

If you haven’t heard, mushrooms are a super food with something to offer for so many different functions of the body. Managing stress is a key benefit, some mushrooms are even adaptogenic, like we talked about above.

Here are some mushrooms to shop for that are proven to aid in health:

Lion’s Mane
Reishi
Chaga
Cordyceps
shiitake
Tremella

Some of the profound benefits from these mushrooms are:

lower the impact of stress(think anti aging!)
managing cortisol levels
skin protective compounds
prevent the degradation of collagen
thicken the skin
improve circulation
lower inflammation
aid digestion
hydrating from the inside out

Phew, is there anything a mushroom can’t do? Overall, they will greatly reduce accelerated aging from just about every angle.

You can find functional Mushrooms for skin health in beauty products like this one below that is an incredible hydrator and overall anti aging.

Also if you don’t like the taste of mushrooms opt for one of these hot drink blends that includes the mushroom goodness in your hot cocoa or a cup of coffee!

Here’s a coffee alternative.

Here is a hot cocoa made with very clean ingredients, and its the very best i’ve tried. It’s super creamy while being dairy free!

Here is instant coffee.

But don’t forget that buying fresh specialty mushrooms is always an option too! Usually these kinds of mushrooms can be found at a natural foods grocery store, and sometimes they will be seasonal. Just ask the staff what kind of mushrooms they stock throughout the year.

3. Sleep to Reduce Stress and Aging

I know, I know, this is the most basic step, and you’ve heard it a million times, but get your Zzzz’s! It really is that important!

To put it bluntly, “chronic inadequate and poor quality sleep accelerates intrinsic aging“. This is the conclusion made from a study on how skin quality noticeably declines with sleep deprivation.

Additionally, a lack of sleep causes biological stress, And a lack of sleep causes you to get more triggered by everything around you… (think: even more stress).

But, I won’t just tell you to get more sleep, because that’s not helpful at all. Below I will give you actionable steps to not just get more sleep but also increase the quality of sleep you are getting without clocking any additional hours. (In some seasons of life more sleep really isn’t an option!)

Sleep in complete darkness. You need an eye mask, blackout curtains, or even trash bags over the windows!
Use sleep music. Brown noise, white noise, 3hz hertz, are all options to improve your deep rest time.
If you hate sleep music, try ear plugs! Complete silence is the next best thing!
Do a short meditation before you fall asleep. This one is actually proven to be the most effective of sleep hygiene tips!
Sleep in a slightly cold room, but with warm cozy blankets!
Go to bed and wake up at the same time everyday

Again, The better quality of sleep you have the more well rested you will be, and this is so important for our overall health and our stress loads!

4. Meditation for Stress Reduction

Your emotional stress is just as important as your physical stress when it comes to your skin health. Meditation is a powerful and proven way to reduce stress and benefit your life in countless other ways too.

This study notes that “the intricate relationship between stress and skin conditions has been documented since ancient times”, meaning there is a well established correlation. And it further confirms how our emotional stress is biochemically passed on to our skin, damaging it throughout our lives.

Meditation may seem intimidating or boring if you haven’t tried it before, but it is really worth your time. Only a few minutes a day can make a huge difference in your mood, and to relieve and manage incoming stress.

To make it easier use a guided meditation for beginners either on an app or on youtube. My favorite resource is the free app “Insight Timer”, there are tons of different meditations at any length of time, so you can find some that you personally enjoy.

Remember, meditation doesn’t have to feel like a chore either, once you get into the habit it will feel more like a treat! Start with even just 5 minutes a day and slowly increase your time.

5. Journaling for Stressed Skin

To really make a significant decrease in your stress levels, you need to find the root of your problem. Often times, the root can be something emotional, something unresolved that needs to be worked through. Journaling is a great tool to start to work these issues out at home and at your own pace. Even better would be to see a licenses therapist or counselor, but for some that might not be in the cards whether the reason is cost, time, etc.

Journaling can look different to each person, but basically it is consistent writing for your emotional well being. To some it might look like venting on paper at the end of each day, as a way of fully processing your emotions and getting yourself out of your head. Another version is using writing exercises to get better acquainted with your inner self, usually this is referred to as shadow work. Sometimes journaling can even look like writing out affirmations.

There are many forms journaling can take, and although it is not a substitute for actual therapy when there are serious mental health issues to be addressed, it can be an impactful way to shift your outlook on things and help sort out patterns that may be causing you emotional stress

6. Facial Tension Massage To Reduce Skin Stress

Massage is an incredible solution to stress and tension, and while you may have tried it for your body, don’t neglect all of the muscles above your shoulders too! Our faces carry a significant amount of tension, just think of all of the expressions you make throughout the day, especially if you have a signature “thinking face”, or are frequently giving the mom-look to your kids.

There are endless face, neck, and scalp massages to relieve tension and stress in your facial muscles. For example, a tried and true one is known as gua sha massage, it’s an ancient and effective facial massage technique using a smooth stone tool. While gua sha is commonly used on the face, few know that its benefits can be used on the entire body! Click here to read my in depth guide on gua sha for deep relaxation and reducing inflammation.

But, watch out for facial massage techniques called ‘face yoga’, these usually require tugging and stretching of the skin, which should definitely be avoided! Experts in facial massage can explain their reasoning behind the specific movements they give, much like a physical therapist might.

In conclusion…

Learning how to get rid of a stressed looking face is a matter of taking a look at your habits of stress management and self care. It is important to look at your body as one whole, made up of many different systems. But each system is interconnected and the health of one area, indirectly affects the rest.

Stress can have such a significant impact that effects every part of your system, and one of the most in-your-face consequences is skin health! Your acne or dehydration or other skin issues may have a cause rooted in something that seems totally unrelated!

Once you understand the root causes of feeling stressed you can use these steps to start reversing the ill stress effect on skin, and preventing any more in the future!

This post was all about stress effect on skin, de stressing tips, and what to do when your’e stressed to prevent skin issues!

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