Rest And Repair Your Skin

Another factor that causes bad skin days when you're feeling stressed is due to the fact that skin actually takes longer to heal when you're under a lot of stress. So it's a bit of a cycle - you're stressed, and you end up having a breakout or dry and flaky skin.

As your skin is still not clean and clear, you feel stressed - and so it continues. Researchers at Cornell University caused minor damage to participant's faces by applying strips of tape and then pulling them off. They then exposed the participants to stress in the form of a fake job interview - and lo and behold, their skin took longer to heal than the control group. This is particularly interesting because stress levels were fairly minimal in this setting as the participants knew that the job interviews were fake, yet their skin still took longer to heal - meaning that even mild stress can take its toll.

Stress-Busting Your Skin

It seems kind of like the odds are stacked against your skin, we understand - but they aren't, we promise! Smooth, clear and clean skin can be yours - you just have to take extra care of yourself.

Because you're treating the underlying cause with some stress relieving techniques, hopefully, whatever skin complaint you're suffering from won't happen again - and if it does, you'll be able to deal with it.

Stress-busting tips:

• Meditation is a good one. It's often been thought of as a bit hippy-dippy and not really very useful at all, but several major studies have shown that just five minutes of meditation each day can make a huge difference to your stress levels and can drastically improve your sense of wellbeing.
• Spend at least an hour every day doing something that you love - something that's not for anyone else. It could be reading a book, cycling, going to the gym or spending some time in the kitchen baking cookies. Whatever it is, just make sure that it gives you a chance to feel better about yourself and the situation that you're in.
• Eat the right foods - the more vitamins and nutrients you take in, the easier you'll find it to get out of your funk.

See Also: Best Tips for Stress Management

Skin boosting tips:

• Keep a diary and work out when your skin has a flare up and why.
• Treat the specific skin complaint and see your doctor for medication. For example, if you've suddenly developed acne, you might want to use a product that contains glycolic acid. If your skin is to dry, use a nourishing oil-free moisturizer or a facial oil. Be kind and gentle to your skin and use the appropriate skincare regime for your skin type and soon enough, your skin will thank you for it!