How Your Mental Health Can Improve your Skin Health

My morning and nighttime skincare routine are essential parts of my skin health, but they aren't the only things! Keep reading to learn how incorporating these 4 habits into your life can actually improve the overall appearance and texture of your skin!

1. Manage your Stress

My skin is prone to cystic acne breakouts which is worsened by stress! If you've ever had a cystic pimple, you know how painful it is and how long they last. So, to minimize the chance of getting cystic breakouts I've been making sure to take care of my mental health and managing my stress. I know I am feeling stressed or anxious when I notice my body increase in temperature, my mind starts to overthink, and my stomach feels queasy. These are cues from my body that tell me that I need to engage in a coping skill like deep breathing, mindfulness, or exercise!

2. Maintain a Consistent Sleep Schedule

Getting enough sleep is important for your all aspects of your healthy including physical, mental, and skin health! Poor sleep is one of the main triggers of acne, dark circles, and puffy eyes. Lack of sleep can also lead to amplified aging of the skin. The National Sleep Foundation recommends that adults get at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night. Maintaining a consistent bedtime routine can help you to get sufficient amount of sleep and improve your overall skin health. For optimal sleep conditions, ensure that your room is cool, dark, and quiet.

3. Eat Mindfully

Eating mindfully involves focusing on the present moment by engaging your 5 senses while eating. This allows us to notice different aromas, flavors, or textures that we previously ignored. It is common for us to eat or snack while scrolling through their phones or watching a movie— causing us to overeat or make unhealthy eating choices (I am very guilty of this). The benefit of mindful eating involves being mindful of your eating habits to promote positive choices. This is important for our skin because e recent study found a correlation between acne and the consumption of sugary foods or drinks and high fatty foods. Mindful eating also involves recognizing how you feel after eating — bloated, full, content, gassy, breakouts, hives etc... Because I have so many insensitivities I like to keep a food diary to help me figure out the foods that make me feel good versus the ones that don't!

4. Wear Sunscreen

Sunscreen is the best way to protect our skin from things like aging, sun burns, and skin cancer. Even on a cloudy day, it's important to wear sunscreen to help the appearance of our skin. My favorite SPF's are Summer Fridays ShadeDrops SPF 30, SuperGoop Unseen, and Lancome's UV Expert Aquagel Defense Sunscreen. Creating a consistent daily routine is the key! Habits help us to feel grounded, stable, confident, and at peace.

As you can see, taking care of our skin is more than just our skincare routine! It's taking care of our physical, mental, and emotional health. I hope you found this post helpful! Thank you for reading!

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