Sleepless nights, poor diets, and stress are a few things that many are dealing with at the moment. Being forced out of our normal routines can put pressure on us and leave us with stressed skin amongst other things. Aside from being painful and irritating, stressed skin is a sign of a bigger problem. When our bodies aren’t getting the nutrients and care required, they use breakouts, inflammation, and bags as a cry for help. Read on for tips on how you can care for your stressed skin at home.

Eating for Stressed Skin

While stress can wreak havoc on our complexion, what we eat can help combat its effects. Here you’ll find a list of skin-loving ingredients that you can sprinkle into your diet:

• Fruit – Fruits add natural sweetness to your life and improve your skin at the same time. Full of vitamins and antioxidants fruits like berries, lemons, grapefruits, and grapes are absolute musts. For healthy fats that help moisturise and nourish skin, reach for avocados and fresh coconut.
• Vegetables – Much like fruits, vegetables contain a plethora of vitamins that can help improve your skin from the inside out. Carrots and broccoli can help combat signs of ageing and improve skin tissue healing. Swiss chard, kale, and even collard greens help reduce oil production and can help fight off acne.
• Seeds and nuts – Filled with fibre and omega-3 fatty acids, almonds, walnuts, and flaxseeds are nutrient-rich snacks that can improve your overall health. With its towering reputation, the tiny chia seed is also packed full of omega-3, protein, and plenty of antioxidants.

Depending on your diet, you may also want to consider cutting out some foods. Sugar, dairy, and gluten are famous for causing breakouts. You can try eliminating them from your diet and then reintroducing them to see which, if any, aggravate your skin.

Calming Stressed Skin

These tried-and-true ingredients can help calm your skin and return it to normal. You may already have some of these in your garden or bathroom cabinet!

• Aloe vera – Nature’s favourite moisturiser is aloe vera and it seems that there’s almost nothing this plant can’t do. From helping heal sunburn to treating acne and dry skin, this vitamin-packed plant is essential for treating stressed skin of all types.
• Honey – Sweet, sweet honey is ideal for tired skin as it can help brighten your complexion and even out your skin tone. Honey has lots of nutrients and gently exfoliates making it ideal for naturally healing scars, as well.
• Rose water – Beautifully fragrant rose water is a popular natural toner as it calms, cleanses, and moisturises stressed skin. Furthermore, rose water is gentle yet powerful with its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties.
• Turmeric – Known for its ability to improve wound healing, this golden root can work wonders for your complexion. As it also possesses anti-inflammatory properties, it’s popularly used to help treat dermatitis, psoriasis, and eczema.

Other Tips

Outside of your diet and skincare, there are some small but helpful changes you can make to improve your skin’s health. 

• Hydrate – Staying hydrated is crucial for maintaining a healthy body, and therefore healthy skin. As water gives much-needed moisture to your epidermis, it also helps flush away any toxins present. This helps clear your complexion and leave your skin feeling plumper.
• Don’t over-exfoliate – We’ve all been guilty of thinking that you can exfoliate bad skin away. Ideally, you should only exfoliate twice a week. Exfoliating too much (or too harshly) can harm the protective barrier on your skin which can lead to broken, damaged skin that allows bacteria to enter.
• Sanitize your mobile and earphones – Chances are you’re seeing plenty of reminders to disinfect your phone to keep COVID-19 at bay. Well, keeping your mobile and earphones clean is honestly a healthy habit as these items come in constant contact with your skin. Sweat, oil, and dirt trapped on these surfaces can cause breakouts on your skin, so be sure to sanitize regularly.
• Change your pillow covers – This tip is an oldie, but a goodie. Our pillows can store anything from drool (you know who you are) to makeup to hair products on them. While your pillow covers may look clean, changing them regularly can help keep anything that may be on them from irritating your skin and clogging your pores.
• Get your beauty sleep – What better time than now—when the world has come to a halt—to get some rest. Getting a goodnight’s sleep won’t only help you feel better, it’ll help your skin, too! It takes a long time for your skin to recover from lost sleep, so be sure to catch your ‘Z’s while in quarantine.

THE TAKEAWAY

Although these are stressful times, there are ways to care for and protect our skin to combat the effect external factors have on it. If you are looking for more ways to naturally care for your stressed skin, WapoBeauty has plenty of resources to offer you. The Soapmaking eBook is now more affordable than ever, so be sure to take advantage of this opportunity to take up natural skincare making at home for a fraction of the price! WapoBeauty’s Complete Facial Skincare Online Course for Beginners is also available for anyone who wants to learn how to make professional, safe, and stable natural beauty products. Join the ranks of students who found this class valuable and rewarding.   

ABOUT OUR BLOGGER:

Ashuni Pérez is an American writer based in Valencia, Spain. She has a passion for natural beauty and the environment. Ashuni loves to cycle and drink smoothies in the sun. Follow her on Instagram at @ashuuuuni.