Stress happens to everyone, but since you can’t avoid your job, bills, or life, the best thing to do is learn to manage the stress. This includes eating healthy, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, and taking care of you in general. If you don’t, signs of stress can show up on your hair, skin, and nails in ways you won’t like.
- Under-Eye Bags: Tomorrow’s to-do list can weigh on your mind, keeping you from getting enough beauty sleep. This can cause fluid to pool below your lower eyelid area, and what you end up with is a puffy mess in the a.m. Stomach sleepers, bad news: You can expect the puffiness of your under-eye bags to be even worse because of gravity.
Prevent and Shrink Puffiness: Get at least eight hours of sleep. Since the light from your Smartphone’s screen simulates sunlight, shut off any electronic devices an hour before you go to sleep. Use your downtime to make yourself a cup of caffeine-free chamomile tea to help calm and relax you before bed.
If you still wake up with puffy eyes in the morning, hold the back of a cold spoon (pop it in the fridge so it gets chilly) up to your under-eye area and massage it from the inner to the outer corner of your eye to jumpstart the fluid’s drainage. Then, apply concealer in an inverted triangle under your eye. The brightness will start slightly below your nostrils and build toward your eye, concealing the puffiness.
- Dry, Flaky Skin: If you’re stressed, chances are you’re not drinking enough water. You might also be drinking coffee or soda, which can be dehydrating. And if your body doesn’t get the proper hydration it needs, your skin will end up feeling (and looking) like crepe paper.
Look Dewy and Fresh-Faced: First and foremost, drink a lot of water — eight glasses (or more!) each day. You can also down some green tea for a boost of healthy antioxidants and eat foods that have a high water content. For a quick hydration fix, use a serum that contains hyaluronic acid, an ingredient that naturally occurs in your body and holds 1,000 times its weight in water. It even pulls moisture from the air into the skin, instantly hydrating it and leaving you with a gorgeous glow.
- Acne: Stress causes skin issues to flare up regardless of what you’re prone to, whether it’s acne, psoriasis, or eczema. When it comes to acne, stress releases cortisol, which can throw off the other hormones in your body and cause breakouts on your face or body. Stress can also disrupt the balance between the good and bad bacteria in your gut. That can then show up on your skin in the form of acne.
Say Good-Bye to Blemishes: Practice deep breathing (take a big breath that fills your belly, hold for few seconds, and exhale slowly through your mouth) to calm any anxiety. Drinking a lot of water and eating a well-balanced diet are important too, since your body can’t handle stress well if it’s n ot properly nourished. Fruits, vegetables, and high-quality proteins like grass-fed meats are also crucial (they keep a balance between the good and bad bacteria in your gut), as is cutting down on sugar.
- Rashes and Hives: Both are both caused by a dysbiosis, aka an imbalance in your gut. They crop up when stress takes over and too much bad bacteria outweighs the good.
Calm Your Skin: Breathing exercises can help minimize the chances of getting a rash or hives when you’re stressed, but to keep both at bay, consult your doctor. Ask if you should be taking medical-grade probiotics to balance off you’re heading out for the night; camouflage a hive or rash by patting a little bit of stick concealer onto it with your clean finger.
- Flushed Face: When you’re stressed, you breathe in short, shallow breaths and can even find yourself holding your breath for periods of time, which can lead to flushing and redness.
Tone Down Redness: Breathe in a calming beauty elixir which contains chamomile and patchouli, to keep you from feeling super-stressed. The flushing shouldn’t last too long (10 minutes max), but to conceal any pink tones on your face immediately, smooth on an anti-redness foundation.
- Fine Lines: Constantly making certain facial expressions, like furrowing your brows when you’re stressed or pursing your lips, can lead to deeper wrinkles in these areas over time.
Prevent and Blur Lines: Be mindful of making certain unconscious facial expressions when you have a lot on your plate, especially when you’re sitting at your desk.
