Dryness relief
If your skin goes to the other extreme with
dryness, flaking, peeling, redness, sensitivity, rosacea, or eczema, you're not
alone: A study in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology found that when
women experience psychological stress, their skin becomes more easily
dehydrated, even leading to eczema. Try products with ceramides and hyaluronic
acid. "They absorb water and surround each dead skin cell with lipids,
making the cell more able to hang on to water," says Murad. For daytime,
use SkinCeuticals Hydrating B5 Gel with hyaluronic acid or Clinique Redness
Solution Daily Relief Crean, which contains caffeine and glycine to reduce
redness and inflammation. For evening, treat with CeraVe Facial Moisturizing
Lotion PM, since it has both hydrating acid and ceramides. Another temporary
skin soother is "a nightly 20-minute bath-that's not super-hold-before you
apply a moisturizer," says Sherbert "For patients with stress-related
dryness, it hydrates the skin and also builds in time to unwind." For your
body, swap your traditional cream for one of Darphin's Aromatic Care Oils; they
moisturize just as well, plus offer relaxing aromatherapy benefits.
SkinCeuticals
Hydrating B5 Gel
Wrinkle repair
For lines, sallow skin, and other visible
signs of aging, you want to help skin fight back against free radicals and
environmental damage with antioxidants. Murad's favorites are products that
contain pomegranate extract and vitamin C, like his Essential-C Daily Renewal
Complex. The next step up is a chemical peel to reveal your newer; younger skin
below. Or check in with your doctor to bring in the big guns: fractionated
laser treatment to brighten dull, wrinkled skin and up collagen production.
Sunscreen is even more important than usual, since when you're stressed,
"the dead cell layer on the skin's surface becomes thin, with microscopic
holes in it," which can't protect as well against aging UV rays, says Murad.
Essential-C
Daily Renewal Complex
Internal affairs: lifestyle fixes
Sure, topical treatments can offer
temporary benefits, but you can slather on as much retinol as you want and
still create a forehead crevasse if tension keeps your heart rate on par with
that of a neurotic hummingbird. Experts agree that some of the most effective
long-term ways to improve your skin are to chill out and to drink more water,
though they offer a variety of methods for finding your Zen place.
Realistic goals
"It's very easy for me to tell a
patient to reduce her stress, but it’s not so easy for her to go home and do
that," says Hirsch. "The most critical step is realizing what your
stress triggers are and then creating a plan for dealing with them. That could
mean setting specific times twice a day to check your e-mail inbox, taking a
weeklong Twitter holiday, or outsourcing what projects you can. It is really
helpful to set limited, achievable goals so you don't always feel like you're
falling behind. You may not clean all the closets in your house, but maybe you
can organize your sweaters for winter:"
Stress-free eating
Crazy-high expectations for yourself and
being obsessed with perfection are a recipe for stress that many people handle
with a bag of chips or a brownie. No, chocolate doesn't cause acne, but
"processed foods can worsen skin by causing inflammation," says
Murad. Instead, reach for snacks that can actually improve your complexion,
like raw fruits and vegetables, thanks to their antioxidants and anti-inflammatory
benefits. (The fact that they'll keep you in your current jeans size is a
double bonus.) "If you have redness, stay away from spicy food and
shellfish, since they can cause blood vessels to flare," says Wexler. A
good bet is whole-grain crackers or pasta. "To encourage collagen
production, I eat whole grains plus foods rich in amino acids, like eggs,
beans, and seeds. Eating cold-water fish and almonds, which contain omega -
3's, will help dry skin," says Murad.
Touch therapy
Craniosacral
bodywork
Murad also recommends ways to reduce
stressed-out skin that are more touchy-feely-literally "Hands-on therapies
like Reiki, Craniosacral bodywork, and even hugging a friend help. I actually
refer my patients to get massages," he says. Other experts recommend
visual imagery of your "happy place," behavioral modifications like
tensing and then relaxing (Lich area of your body one by one, and doing yoga-so
long as you get a teacher who doesn't point out your wrinkles.
