How does STRESS mess with your SKIN?
Stress : a state of mental or emotional tension and worry caused by life, work, family, etc. ; something that causes strong feelings of worry or anxiety.
Stress = toxicity & inflammation of the skin & body
Toxicity = ‘dis’-ease of the skin & body
Hmmm … hadn’t thought of it that way??
While stress is a real thing you have to deal with in your busy daily life, in fact, many women may say they ‘thrive’ on it … it is actually wreaking major havoc with your body, your metabolism, your hormones, your sexiness, your happiness AND your skin.
We know that long term stress impacts negatively on your health and is the primary cause of many chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, infertility, dementia & immune responses. A recent survey by the American Psychological Association shows that women are reporting signs of stress 16% higher than their male partners!
While I am by no means a bra burning, chest hair grooming feminist … men’s only cause for stress are themselves, their jobs/business & a few household responsibilities ie: mowing, vehicle maintenance, etc.
Women on the other hand are working harder to prove to everyone, including herself, that she is worthy & that she is a superwoman.
Women are working full time (employed or self employed), often in high pressure positions; bear, raise & worry about the children; worry about the husband; take on their girlfriend’s/colleague’s problems; race to the grocery store to collect supplies for quickie dinner; relying on coffee/tea/softdrink or energy drinks to get them through the day; pick up the kids & throw them in the bath; put dinner together over a glass of much needed wine while a load is going through the washer; eat dinner with another glass of wine; as you ‘relax’ in front of mind numbing TV, sliding through Facebook or catching up on housework or some work for tomorrow while you eagerly await the kids bedtime; enjoy another glass of wine or cup of coffee in the wonderful peace & quiet; try to stay awake after your husband has fallen asleep … you know why!
Just to do it all again tomorrow.
Your day might look a little different but you know what I mean … we are constantly tending other peoples need over & above our own, in fact, I’ll bet you don’t even consider your needs or wants very often.
“In Chinese medicine, stress is the root cause of all dis-ease and is just as important as, if not more important than, diet” … Dr Josh Axe, DNM, DC, CNS
What’s all this got to do with your skin?
Everything!
While all this is going on on the surface, what is actually going on under the surface? Stress affects all of us differently, but the result is the same…
1. Your heart beats harder & faster constricting blood vessels, restricting oxygen to your organs, gut & your blood pressure rises = heart disease & stroke; rosacea & broken capillaries; accelerated aging; dull, unhealthy skin.
2. This means your gut basically shuts down, therefore essential nutrients are either being blocked = gut, digestive, colon issues or they are not being delivered to your skin = rosacea, broken capillaries, dullness, accelerated aging. Instantaneously, your ‘happy sex hormones’ (progesterone & testosterone) drop = lowered libido & infertility; and your detox & repair systems also shut down = immune responses/disease, psoriasis, eczema, cold sores, shingles; your muscles tense = headache & pain; and your brain registers anxiety & fear reducing your ability to feel joy = depression.
3. Your breathing becomes shallow & rapid = compromised circulatory, lymphatic & nervous system = rosacea, broken capillaries,
4. Your adrenal gland secretes adrenaline, triggering your pancreas, which regulates your blood sugar, to release glucose = wired & can’t sleep, rosacea, acne, accelerated aging, glycation
5. As you’re not actually in physical danger & physical activity is not required the resulting blood sugar spike stimulates insulin to store surplus glucose as belly fat for the next ‘physical danger’ that requires ‘flight or fight’ stress response = bellyfat, obesity & diabetes, glycation, dry lifeless skin
Now, this is where it getting interesting for me, maybe scary for you & your skin!
6. Insulin spiking causes an increased production of skin cells = thickened epidermis, congestion, acne, Keratosis pilaris, rough & dry skin, accelerated aging, psoriasis
7. The adrenal response stimulates a fluctuation of hormones that in turn triggers the sebaceous glands = excessive, thickened, waxy & gluggy sebum; cystic acne; seborrheic dermatitis; either oily skin or super dry skin; rosacea; broken capillaries
8. The thickened sebum causes blockages within the hair follicle = blackheads, bumpy congestion
9. These blockages alter the delicate microbiome of the skin AKA pH = bacteria & white heads
10. An altered pH allows for a proliferation of opportunistic bacteria to breed & fester = inflammation, acne = scarring, accelerated aging, redness
WOW, your poor skin, & body! No wonder why you’re exhausted, quick tempered, devoid of happiness … and suffer from the dreary Feel Like Crap Syndrome! (don’t laugh, it’s a real thing! More on this later!)
Your skin is telling you that you need to take time to love yourself! Eat well, hydrate well, detox your body, start saying ‘No’ to others & ‘YES’ to yourself!
‘Self care is sacred NOT selfish’… Me
16 Ways to help manage your stress:
1. Incorporate ‘Feed Your Face’ into your everyday diet
2. BREATHE — slow & deep into the belly. Breathe in for 4, hold for 4, out for
3. Do only what you want or love to do — if you don’t know how get yourself a copy of ‘The Lifechanging Magic of Not Giving a Fuck!’ by Sarah Knight & read it
4. Choose to buy organic fruits & veges, grassfed meats & dairy, pasture-raised poultry & eggs, wild caught fish & incorporate large amounts of Omega 3 EFAs (Essential Fatty Acids) into your daily diet
5. Introduce Prebiotics & Probiotics into your daily diet through whole foods, not tablets
6. Practice yoga, meditation, thai chi
7. Have a regular facial, massage, pedicure, manicure, bath, infra-red sauna, reflexology, accupuncture … whatever makes your feel awesome & beautiful
8. Move your body (NOT a body stressing HIIT, boot camp or military PT sesh) … dance, walk, pilates, yoga
9. Go ‘Forest Bathing’ … spending time in nature
10. Swap out coffee, milk, softdrink, alcohol &/or energy drinks for … filtered water (flavour it with mint, fruit, etc), turmeric drinks (https://blog.paleohacks.com/37-ways-drink-turmeric/), herbal teas
11. Sleep 6–8 hours every night & take a ‘Nana nap’ if your body tells you to
12. Play with your pet, or borrow someone else’s if you don’t have one
13. Listen to music
14. LAUGH, do something silly & laugh, laugh out loud for no reason & watch everyone else laugh too … sounds weird but try it! Don’t take life or yourself too seriously
15. Make your very own vege/herb garden
16. Check out doTerra Essential oil (they’re not just for hippies or witches!) &/or Bush Flower Essences (Aboriginal tribes have been using them as medicine for millions of years!)
Incorporate all, or even some of these, into your weekly schedule … your skin, your body & your family will thank you for it!
Yours in Skin Health x
