Sunday, June 1, 2008

Stress and Your Skin

Most of the time, when a person is not feeling well his/her body will show signs of illness. For instance, when somebody is stricken with a cold, they look tired, feel weak and often feel like staying in bed. Well, almost the same idea goes for people who suffer from stress. Although people who suffer from stress may not necessarily feel weak and nauseated, their bodies might show signs of stress through the appearance of their skin.

A lot of people, during stressful situations, may show an increase in breakouts. When stress related flare-ups occur, most people become agitated and even more stressed. So what can we do in order to protect our skin from stress related breakouts?

First of all, it is important to take care of one’s body. This means eating a healthy diet, getting the right amount of sleep, exercising, and setting time aside for relaxation. When it comes down to a healthy diet, be sure to stay away from greasy and fried foods. As for sleep, try to devote at least eight hours towards sleep. Exercise and relaxation should be comprised of something that you enjoy.

Another thing to remember during a stressful time period is to stick to your skin care routine. Often times, when a person is stressed, he/she does not feel like keeping up with daily tasks. This could mean skipping a morning face wash or skipping the removal of eye makeup at night. Skipping these little skin care routines could double your chances for breakouts the next day.

However, if you feel that you take good care of your skin and you still are affected by breakouts, you can try using certain treatments during a stressful time. Using products with salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide prior to a stressful situation can reduce your chances of becoming affected by breakouts. So if you feel like you are experiencing more breakouts than usual, make sure that your stress levels are not the reason behind your skin problems.