STRESS AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH ACNE
If there has been a constant during this COVID-19 pandemic, it is stress. Between the confinement, the multiple activities that never end, job and economic instability, remote schooling and not being able to socialize face to face, we are emotionally exhausted and, of course, stressed with so much uncertainty.
This combo of emotional exhaustion plus stress of course alters our metabolism causing sleep problems, digestion disturbances and irritability and… guess who can't hide everything that happens to you… of course, your skin!
An investigation carried out in 2017 by Anamaría Jòvic (The impact of psychological stress on acne) says that when we suffer stress, our body produces hormones (such as cortisol and adrenal androgens), neuropeptides (nerve proteins such as endorphins and insulin) and inflammatory cytokines (small proteins that trigger inflammation) that influence the behavior of the sebaceous glands and can worsen acne. If to all this, we add that when we are stressed we touch our face more frequently, the appearance of acne is much more likely.
And what can we do? Well, in bad weather, have a good face, we have to take things easy and continue to take care of ourselves with the use of face masks, social distance and isolation. However, it would not be bad for you to make time for yourself and integrate an activity that helps your well-being. Do meditation, yoga, Pilates, go for a walk around the block with your dog, cook... in short, do some activity that makes you feel better and helps with stress levels. If you are constant, it will help you regulate your hours and depth of sleep, digestion and you will be better, emotionally speaking.
On the other hand, a skin care routine is giving yourself a moment. There's nothing like looking at yourself in the mirror and whimpering to make yourself feel better. This is a basic routine to follow:
1.- Gentle cleaning in the morning and at night. Following this idea of being soft and kind to our body, use cleansers that are not very aggressive. Cleaning time is very important because, in the morning, it prepares the skin for the products that we will apply and that will protect it for the rest of the day. At night, it cleanses all the impurities that we accumulate during the day. Also, it prepares the skin for the products that will improve it while we sleep.
2.- Hydration. Moisturize your skin with specific products that help maintain balance and absorb excess sebum or regulate its production, this to maintain healthy, radiant and luminous (but not shiny) skin.
3.- In the morning, use a product with a solar factor that protects you from both blue light and the sun's rays.
And don't forget that consulting specialists (in this case a psychologist and a dermatologist) is always the best recommendation to keep us healthy and happy.
