11 Sep Stress Could Age Your Skin, But Here’s How You Can Prevent It:

Whether if you are a woman in the corporate workforce, a freelancer on the go or a mum juggling between household chores at home, there is one thing that none of us can escape from (asides from taxes): stress. That familiar sensation of dread, worry, and sometimes borderline frustration, has become such an indelible sensation in our daily lives in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, we have grown accustomed to living alongside it without giving it much thought.

Source: L’Oreal

But maybe we should, because as it turns out, stress, and excessive amounts of it, can lead to very noticeable changes in your appearance. Wrinkles begin to show and if not managed properly, could become a permanent fixture on your face in the long run.

In which case, combatting ‘stress wrinkles’ begins from understanding why excessive amounts of stress can lead to the emergence of wrinkles. Through research, it has been found that psychological stress triggers the production of a hormone called ‘cortisol’. While naturally occurring in most mammals including humans, cortisol does the one thing every skincare enthusiast dreads to hear: it breaks down collagen and elastin.

Source: Live Science

Collagen and elastin are both key proteins that aid in the maintaining of skin texture and firmness, without which leads to such issues as premature ageing, skin sagging and yes, wrinkles. But that’s not all. Chronic (constant) stress has been scientifically linked to the increase of wrinkles, as stress also triggers an inflammatory response from within the body, preventing it from healing normally. Top it off with the fact that your skin produces approximately 1% less collagen each year after the age of 20, and we have a lot to worry about.

These wrinkles are most commonly found along some common facial points, such as between your eyebrows or on your forehead.

All is not lost, however. 

As stress can be managed, there are active steps that you can take to counteracting the amount of stress that you are dealing with on a daily basis, for an improved complexion.

1. Stay hydrated 

Source: Eat This, Not That

A simple enough piece of advice to live by, there is a lot of rational logic that goes into drinking plenty of water throughout the day. As much as 64% of your skin, which also happens to be the largest organ in the human body, is comprised of water. So nourish your skin by keeping a bottle of water on your person throughout the day.

2. Sleep well 

Source: Live Happy Magazine

Sleep is often overlooked by many urban women and has been considered an afterthought to the cosmopolitan lifestyle. For too many years, we have been led to believe efficiency and ‘making the most’ out of our days is the bar for modern living, at the cost of getting the rest our body sorely needs. And your body really needs that rest, all eight hours of it. Good sleep not only helps you feel refreshed, it also grants your body much needed time to heal and regenerate.

If you’re finding it difficult to get a good night’s sleep, why not refer to our helpful guide here for tips to a restful slumber?

3. Maintain work/life balance 

Source: Dreamstime

For the modern career woman, a large measure of daily stressors can be directly attributed to work. While there is no avoiding workplace stress when you’re on the clock, you can make the conscious decision to leave work stress where it belongs: in the workplace. Home is where the heart is, and ensuring that you are able to unwind and relax when you step through your door helps signal to your body that it is time to rest and recoup after a day behind the computer screen. For those of you working from home, make a habit of setting ‘cut off times’ in your schedule to indicate when your workday is over.

Find out more about how you can improve your personal space for relaxation with our guide here.

4. Exercise often

Source: Better Me

The oldest and most reliable piece of advice that seems to be a cure-all for every beauty medley conceivable is still exercise. And for good reason, too. Exercise helps encourage blood circulation throughout your body’s cardiovascular system, which in turn helps bring essential nutrients that we consume through our food to our skin. As a result, your body’s ability to produce collagen increases.

5. Wear sunscreen

Source: Forbes

Skincare in 2020 has encompassed a very large spectrum of dermatologically formulated specialist products with active ingredients that boggle even the most seasoned of aficionados. But amid the assortment of fancy new skincare products, you may be forgetting one very essential and very common product: sunscreen. Formulated to protect your skin from Ultraviolet rays that can trigger premature aging, it is recommended that you chose a sunscreen that with at least SPF30 and above. Remember to reapply your sunscreen every two hours if you are prone to sweating!

Beaute Library’s very own Intensive Serum Foundation SPF35 is an ideal solution that is capable of shielding your skin from up to 97% of the sun’s Ultraviolet rays, while also providing a whole host of other benefits.

And finally, learn to love your body for all its virtues and flaws, wrinkles included. In doing so, not only will you age more gracefully, but you’ll also reduce your overall stress levels, promoting healthier skin. Let us know what other tips that have helped you with your wrinkles and fine lines in the comments section below.

You might also be interested in: Get Better Sleep Tonight With These 6 Easy Fixes