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Relax, Restore and balance.

How stress hormones affect your skin, and how to combat the damage they cause.

We’re sure that after a year like 2020, we don’t need to tell anyone how much stress can affect their wellbeing. However, what you might not know is that all of this stress can take a real toll on your body’s largest organ—your skin.

So, what’s doing all the damage? There are actually three different stress hormones, and all of them can mess around with the health of your skin:

  1. Adrenaline. Turns out it’s never good to be a junkie—even if it’s just for adrenaline. Good in small doses, adrenaline raises your blood pressure and heightens your senses while zapping your energy.
  • Noradrenaline. You may have heard of adrenaline before, but have you met its good friend noradrenaline? They can alter your body in similar ways, but noradrenaline is more interested in draining your ability to concentrate and affecting your moods.
  • Cortisol. This one’s a biggie. Cortisol can control many functions in your body by suppressing your digestive system, altering growth processes, and even injecting more glucose into your blood stream—all in the name of triggering your fight or flight senses!

While these three stress hormones do have their place in your body, prolonged exposure can wreak havoc on the health of your skin, nails, and hair!

The stress hormones will:

  • Compromise your immune system.
  • Increase inflammation and blood sugar levels.
  • Break down collagen, the primary protein that makes up your skin.
  • Deplete Vitamin B, which is crucial for healthy skin.
  • Speed up the ageing of your skin’s collagen elastin.

Take advantage of your time off this holiday season to restore, rest, relax, and repair your body.

Let’s not stress out at the thought of stressing out! It’s entirely possible to rejuvenate your skin back to its pre-2020 glory by making some simple lifestyle adjustments.

Here’s a few ideas to get you started:

  • Prioritise rest and sleep to start the repairing process. A bit of shut eye seems to be the answer to all our body’s ailments these days, and repairing your skin is no exception! Make sure you set aside some of your time off to catch up on a bit of the inevitable sleep debt.
  • Stay hydrated. Water is best, but you can always make staying hydrated more exciting with a lemon wedge or a slice of cucumber. Beverages such as soft drink, coffee, and alcohol—while delicious—won’t stave off your thirst.
  • Avoid excessive sun exposure. Prolonged exposure to the sun will cause your skin to lose moisture and its natural essential oils, causing it to appear dry. It’s best to avoid long periods in the sun but it is summer, after all! Make sure to slip, slop, and slap with SPF 50+ sunscreen if you’re planning a day at the beach to reduce the sun’s effects on your skin.
  • Resist the urge to binge drink. Relax, there’s no need to put that bottle of bubbly back on the shelf. Enjoy alcohol this holiday season but moderating your intake will also moderate your cortisol levels. Plus, alcohol is actually dehydrating, so you’re killing two birds with one stone here!
  • Fuel your body with nutritious meals and snacks. You are what you eat, so make sure you eat something good! Dietary advice can be subjective, but make sure you listen to what your body needs and research healthy alternatives to those naughty cravings we all have.
  • Consider taking supplements to cover what your diet’s missing. The most beneficial supplements for skin health to look out for are Vitamin C, Biotin, Vitamin E, Zinc, Selenium, Silica, and Collagen powder.

Have you been searching for a collagen supplement that contains everything you need for a happy gut and radiant, healthy skin? We recommend Optima Nutricosmetics Ultimate 1.0 Complete Skin Elixir. During December clients can receive 20% off and free shipping. If you’d like to taste it before you buy, we have a handful of single-dose samples to give away during December. Ask our friendly staff at your next treatment visit.*Available at Fortitude Valley, Sunnybank & Burleigh Heads clinic locations while stocks last.

These tips are a great place to start on your journey back to a healthy hormonal balance and radiant skin, but one size doesn’t always fit all. Our skincare specialists at b clinic are happy to help you create a customised skin-care routine. And—with our free skin analysis consultation, you’ve got nothing to lose!