This month at GLO we are focusing on stress and the skin. The last post - Connecting Stress to the Skin with Dermalogica was about understanding how and why stress is a trigger that causes skin conditions such as an increase in acne breakouts, sensitivity, redness, wrinkles, dark circles and in extreme situations can lead to a flare up of dermatitis and hyperpigmentation. Today's post is about stress proofing your life and your skin, we will look at exercise, eating habits and other strategies to manage your stress levels day to day.
First and foremost, we must all learn to manage stress levels in our lives. There are some fantastic workshops, books and exercise programs such as Yoga that help combat the signs of stress. Using skincare products that have been specifically formulated to address external factors that sensitize the skin. Eat well, the fuel you feed the body has such a direct correlation to how you feel, and have plenty of quality rest, sleep and exercise.
Exercise
Exercise in almost any form can act as a stress reliever. Being active can boost your feel-good endorphin's and distract you from daily worries. If you're not an athlete, you can still make a little exercise go a long way towards stress management. As you begin to shed your daily tensions through movement and physical activity, you may find that this focus on a single task, and the resulting energy and optimism, can help you remain calm and clear in everything that you do. Dermalogica believe that skin health is about looking after yourself from head to toe, that is why exercise is so important to maintain skin health.
Yoga
Whether you are looking to develop strength, increase flexibility, learn to relax or simply want to improve your health and fitness, yoga will help you achieve your goal. Yoga is purifying, cleansing, strengthening, relaxing and calming. If you haven't tried Yoga already, consider finding a local class or they may have some sessions at your local gym. The mental and physical tension that we carry can affect our skin in many ways. It can be relieved with the practice of yoga postures and deep relaxation. Yoga is about transformation of the mind and body, as Dermalogica is about transformation of the skin.
Skincare
Truly understanding your skin is the first step towards a lifetime of skin health. Dermalogica believe in education first, understanding the zones in your skin and customising products specifically your skins needs. By taking care of your skin, which involves a personalised skincare routine that a Dermalogica trained therapist can provide you with and using your Dermalogica products throughout the day and night, your feelings towards and confidence in your skin health can improve and in turn have positive effects on the stress levels in your life. For a personalised skincare routine talk to our trained Dermalogica Skin Therapists today.
Eating
Stress can cause unhealthy eating habits and sometimes your body can crave foods that are high in fats and sugars. Over time, this will inflict greater stress on the body and skin. A balanced nutritional eating plan will boost our resistance against the effects that stress brings upon our body and over time repair any damage that has been done prior. Nutrients that you need to include are minerals, vitamins, proteins, good fatty acids and energy that comes from carbohydrates, protein and fats. It also means avoiding or minimising the intake of certain foods such as sweets, alcohol and caffeine. Eating the right foods will show in your skin and combined with your Dermalogica Skincare routine, you're on your way to a healthy mind, body and skin.
Rest & Sleep
Sleep is a valuable and restorative resource that’s vital to wellbeing and stress management, but can sometimes be hard to come by for the busy and stressed. For most adults, 7 to 8 hours a night appears to be the best amount of sleep, although some people may need as few as 5 hours or as many as 10 hours of sleep each day. Rest is another way to help manage stress, whether that is having a warm bath, taking some time out, having a cup of tea and getting some fresh air. Either way, rest and sleep is very important in order to stress proof your life.
Touch
Touch is one of the main attributes to aiding the relaxation process, in the past ten years it has become increasingly more apparent that touch and touch deprivation are critical considerations for the health and happiness of human beings. Touch helps to decrease stress and anxiety, and the physiological and behavioural changes that accompany this decline in stress and anxiety result in more relaxed and attentive individuals. At GLO Skin Body we encourage all clients to experience a Dermalogica Skin Treatment every 6 weeks, not only will your skin thank-you but your stress levels will decrease.
So, we now know the ways to combat stress in our lives and ensure we can have the best skin possible. Don't forget to talk to us about your skin and we can personalise a skincare regime for you. Please ask us any questions below about how stress is affecting you and your skin, or leave some tips that you have tried to combat stress in your life.
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Cheers Sarah
