As we progress through the digital age where things can be done with the help of a few smart devices from just about anywhere, ironically enough, we have a new trend going around of working extra hours at offices. Ushering in is the workaholic generation that hardly spends any time outside of work or home, has a digital social circle and needless to say, has absolutely no time for self-care activities like exercising or skin care.
Clearly one of the major downsides of such a trend is first and foremost, a neglected metabolism and along with it undue excessive stress and in turn neglected skin health.
Work stress is definitely something we have to cope with, but while we work extra time, it can take its toll not only on our overall physical health but also on our skin health.
How stress affects your skin
A special growing branch of dermatology called psychodermatology specifically studies the connection between the mind and the skin. It seeks to throw light on the links between a person’s emotional state of mind, his or her body’s response to the particular emotional state and the impact of the response on the person’s skin, body, health and overall well-being.
According to several studies undertaken by this branch, excessive stress can wreak havoc on your skin and lead to numerous problems like dark circles, redness of skin, breakouts, irritated skin, wrinkles and fine lines. These are caused due to the release of stress hormones like glucocorticoid, which can aggravate skin conditions like eczema.
Another major reason causing the skin to act up is the release of a stress hormone called cortisol that happens in severe bursts, leading to increased blood sugar levels in the body. This in turn damages the collagen and the elastin that is responsible for keeping the skin firm, smooth and hydrated.
Cortisol also causes increased oil production in the skin which literally triggers a breeding ground for breakouts as well.
Suffice it to say, stress can affect your skin in more ways than one and there is definitely a need to combat its effects efficiently.
Here’s how you can do that.
Collagen and Adaptogens may help your skin
The external skin surface can be treated with the help of topical creams and lotions, which may be able to restore your skin’s natural texture to a certain extent. However, there are ways to treat the situation from the inside out that may give you more comprehensive, efficient, reliable and natural results, and that is with the help of two trending ingredients across skin care regimes world over; collagen and adaptogens.
Collagen as you probably already know is a kind of protein that helps maintain the firmness and elasticity of your skin. As you age, the production of collagen is reduced and your skin is left wrinkled and saggy. This can be treated with the help of collagen supplements in Canada that effectively replenish the supply of sufficient collagen to your skin and keep it looking youthful. You can consume it in the form of soups or smoothies or even coffees.
A point to keep in mind though is that it is always best to take collagen supplements with Vitamin C as well, in order to re-enforce its effectiveness.
Along with taking collagen supplements, another effective remedy to regain lost skin health is to consume adaptogens.
A new word in the industry of dermatology; adaptogens basically refer to different herbs or compounds that help stabilize or neutralize stress. They can either be eaten or used externally to balance out your body’s reactions towards stress and in turn prevent stress-induced skin issues like breakouts and dark circles.
How do they work?
When you are dealing with chronic stress your body releases a bunch of hormones as a response for the purpose of dealing with the situation through your adrenal glands. When you consume adaptogens they support the adrenal glands and facilitate a more efficient and controlled response for the stressful situation. In some cases, adaptogens also help these adrenal glands to shut down quickly so that your body stops reacting to the stress.
In other words, adaptogens help restore balance within your body, by optimizing its physiological responses to stressful situations. This protects your skin from the damaging effects of stress hormones like cortisol and keeps your skin from breaking out or developing undue wrinkles. They can be found in the form of herbal teas and supplements.
This way collagen and adaptogens can be consumed as complementary supplements for improving the health of your skin.