Stress and Acne – is it just coincidence? It’s the day before your wedding or that dream job. You wake up, and there it is. A huge zit on your forehead! You dab on some concealer, but you know it is still there, and that frustration really gets to you. If the above scenario sounds familiar, you are not alone. People handle stress in different ways, and for some of us, that means a big rash of acne every time a big deadline comes up, or there is an important event. This happens because the rush of adrenaline your body gives out in response to stress can do a number on your skin. The adrenaline robs your skin of blood flow and vital nutrition and sends it to the muscles instead. Other factors such as the stiffness your muscles experience when you are under chronic stress, and the extra sebum put out by your oil glands during this situation is a recipe for disaster. Luckily, there are plenty of things you can do to save yourself from an acne disaster before that special date or important meeting. Here are 3 awesome tips to keep your skin clear and fresh no matter what you are going through: Take steps to reduce your stress Sometimes you can't avoid (or perhaps don't even want to) a stressful event. What you can do is take a few moments every day to support yourself during stressful times. This can include meditation, reading a favorite book, or even just take a walk. If you can find some trees to walk under, you may increase your benefits through forest bathing. Too cold to go outside? Try yoga. Even just a few moments to yourself can destress you, and that will benefit your health far beyond just your skin. Avoid caffeine Everyone's favorite go-to for a pick me up, also might contribute to your stress. Caffeine can boost your adrenaline levels which is so not good for your skin, and also rob you of sleep. This contributes to the cycle and makes everything worse. Instead, opt for plenty of water or herbal tea with no caffeine in it. Your body will thank you. If you're not sure what kind of herbal tea is right for you, try peppermint if you need a pick-me up, and chamomile right before bed. Adopt a skin care regimen – and stick with it. If you're under stress, your skin will need a little extra help to get through the day. You might want to give your skin a detoxing mask to help pull up the extra oil it is producing, and to pamper your face at the same time. Particularly recommended is our Clearing Mud Mask. It has everything your skin needs to help with stress. You can also try our Blueberry
Anti-Oxidant mask to help give back some of the nutrition your stress might be robbing from your skin through constricted blood flow. Adding these masks to your daily skin care might be just the trick your skin needs to kiss those acne problems good-bye. Zglow Clearing Mud Mask is really effective when it comes to controlling and healing acne and balancing oil production. Not only this, our Pumpkin Exfoliating Mask helps with eating away any dead surface skin cells and assists with pigmentation. Acne is a common reaction to stressful situations, but with a little supportive care for your body, you can get through it. Just remember that it is okay to give yourself a little personal time, and that it will help the others around you just as much if you can help them while feeling relaxed and healthy. We can't always help the situations that make us feel stressed, but we can give ourselves the time and attention we need to feel better. If you're feeling stressed, try out one of our three awesome tricks to feel better faster.