Stressed Skin? The how, why and what could help.

Let's face it, stress is present in everyday life...but it also depends on your perception of what is stress to you. When it comes to skin, however, when the stress hormone is released (cortisol) it can create signals for you to feel AND to see. Cortisol can make the skin appear dull and dry. Fatigue, dryness and tiredness of the skin make the fine lines quite apparent. Cortisol also induces increased sebum production, which may aggravate acne and dandruff. Even aggravating pre-existing issues like eczema & psoriasis. Dr Harshna Bijlani, celebrity skin expert and medical head, The Ageless Clinic adds, “Stressed skin more often than not manifests into skin conditions like acne, redness or inflammation, rosacea, eczema and even tired eyes.” Causes of stress can be from an array of things. As mentioned above, it's perception, but it can also be things like lifestyle (smoking, drinking, makeup), diet (gut health is so important. But this can be junk food, sugar, salty, spicy or even oily foods), sun exposure and incorrect products can also be an issue. So, how do you help this? First and foremost, identify to rectify is HUGE. Self-reflection of issues that may be happening causing the stress, or issue. For instance, if you've been mentally stressed due to work or lifestyle in general, try meditation or yoga. Practice slowing down could just be enough to help you out! Or Let's say you've noticed your eyelids are itching. Work on identifying first, to rectify. Have you eaten/touched something different? Is it allergy season? Or is it that the mascara in the drawer hasn't been changed in 2months? No matter the cause, there are still things that you can do to help your skin. So, let's get into that! 1) Look into a good daily SPF facial moisturizer. With SPFs, you want to make sure you're washing your face before going to bed, whether you're tired or not! LBN offers Sun Aid which contains zinc oxide, carrot seed oil and raspberry seed oil and does NOT contain titanium.

2) For dullness: Light, hydrating ingredients are good to use. LBN offers a few items with hyaluronic acid (like stay young or blue lotus serums), Vitamin C serums seem to help as well. LBN offers Camu Matte which offers double the amount of vitamin C without any of the side effects.

3) For dryness: Hydrating oils. While articles may state things like hyaluronic acid, shea butter, jojoba and vit e; there could be some pore clogging with these and may not be suitable for all skin. LBN products that could be used for dry facial skin might be Tallow Facial, Baby Glow, Derma and/or Brazilian Night Mask.

4) For tired eyes: Eyes are a really thin area, so you want to be careful. Products with Vitamin C, caffeine or even vit K are good choices for most. LBN has an Over It - eye cream with caffeine in it. Or Camu Matte could potentially be used under the eyes as well.

5) Redness & inflammation: mild ingredients like chamomile and licorice extract. If you're dealing with rosacea, it's always recommended to talk to your doctor before using products; however, LBN has seen results with using green tea/matcha products. LBN offers Jasmine Rice Rose Toner, Matcha facial masks, Dragon Thanakha (a cleanser with & without soap, with & without oil), Camu Matte, Blackberry Ashwagandha Serum and Derma.

While treatments can help heal your skin, it’s important that you consider lifestyle changes for long-lasting results. Get enough sleep, avoid alcohol and nicotine as much as you can, consume a balanced diet, enough water and get in at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day. When stress is in question, there isn’t an instant solution. What it takes is gradual changes and a healthy, balanced lifestyle.