Acne Hearts Stress

I’ve had the worst year when it comes to my skin.  I feel like I’m 16 again and going through puberty.  I like to blame it on all the changes and stress in my life (planning a wedding, moving, changing jobs, getting married, buying a house, etc).  Well, when I write it all down I can see that I’ve had a lot going on this year. 

I’ve heard time and time again that stress can lead to acne, and to fix the problem you need to reduce stress in your life.  Well, how are you supposed to reduce stress when you’re stressed? 

While, I’m not a firm believer in just getting rid of stress in your life (especially if you easily get stressed, like me), but there are things you can do to help your body react better when you are going through a freak out mode.

• Water:  This lovely element is the number one thing your skin needs to stay healthy.  Water contributes to hydration and also helps flush out toxins.  Water also helps to relieve stress and will help you sleep better, which takes us to my next topic.
• Sleep:  Getting enough sleep is so vital to your body.  Your body restores itself while you’re sleeping, and the average person needs at least 7-8 hours of sleep to fully recover from the day.  They don’t call it beauty sleep for nothing.
• Stimulants:  Avoid these!  Coffee, tea, cigarettes, sodas and sweets can all lead to an increase in the amount of oil your sebaceous glands produce.  These types of products actually “stimulate” these glands into over producing oils that leave your body through your pores.  Oil and pores leads to acne.
• Alcohol:  A lot of people like a drink when they’re stressed, but this is the opposite thing you should have in your hand if you’re concerned about acne.  Alcohol is an astringent that shrinks pores, making them more prone to clogging.  Also, alcohol inhibits sleep, causing more fatigue and stress, which leads to worse acne. 
• Hot Baths:  You might want to sink into a hot bath when you’ve had a hard day, but that’s actually the last thing your skin needs.  The hot water actually dehydrates your skin, and dehydrated skin can lead to acne.
• Work it out:  One of the biggest things you can do to relieve stress in your life is to work out.  This doesn’t mean spending hours in the gym, it means doing anything to get your juices flowing.  I personally love taking walks, especially now that the weather is warming up.  If you do opt to hit the gym, make sure to remove your makeup before you work out.  Just think of all that makeup that is mixing with your sweat as you run on the treadmill.  It’s also good practice to wear a headband of some sort while you’re working out to eliminate sweat from dripping down your face.

So, there you have it, a few tips to help you while you’re stressing out.  Stress effects everyone differently and some people don’t have any problems with their skin breaking out when they’re stressed.  But, for those of you who do, the last thing you need is another excuse to be stressed.  Now, go and chill out!