Healthy Mind + Skincare and Selfcare = Healthy Skin
Science Agrees
I think we have all been told by at least one person we have known while growing up, that what we eat directly affects what happens to our skin. I am not disputing that, I don’t know about you - but I am convinced that my mind has a lot more to do with my skin than I ever really thought. When I feel stressed out, I may get red bumps or pimples and I notice that I don’t have a glow just a shine because my skin has gotten oilier than usual! When I am happy and carefree, there's a radiance about my skin, or one may say I glow (not shine).
The good news is that I am not wrong! There is a connection between your skin and your mental health! The brain and nervous system actually influence the skin’s immune cells through chemical messengers and receptors, which respond to stress. What does all the science boil down to? “Stress stimulates the brain and the skin to signal the release of hormones that can trigger inflammation, impair wound healing, accelerate aging, and worsen skin conditions such as acne, eczema and psoriasis” according to Board-certified dermatologist, Keira Barr, M.D. via mbgHealth.
With that being said, we also allow our skin to affect our mood. When we have a skin condition, such as severe acne, vitiligo or rosacea, there is a good chance that our self-confidence and self-esteem are affected leading to anxiety and even depression.
Many teens, especially girls, have these feelings because there is such a pressure of feeling that they want to be accepted and gain the approval of their peers. There is a strong push that if a teen has a severe outbreak that, along with treatment for acne, they should have mental health therapy to make sure that these impressionable teenagers are strong mentally.
We know from the statements above that our mood and our skin affect each other. What would happen if we used our skin-care routine to help us with our mood (mental health), and in turn that routine affected our skin? That is a circle that makes a lot of sense, don’t you think?
Maintaining a skin-care routine sounds like such a simple idea, why didn’t we think of that before? It all has to do with our self-care and the joy we allow ourselves to feel.
“The act of caring for your skin provides an opportunity for mindfulness. Mindfulness is when you home in on sensations you’re experiencing in the present moment without passing judgment (the soothing feel of warm water, for instance). This practice has been shown to buffer depression and anxiety by stopping worry and rumination.” “By engaging in this activity for a few minutes, you can help your brain unhook from less healthy, spiraling thinking patterns.”
Include all the products you enjoy in your skin-care routine. Make a spa-like setting or atmosphere. Take the time to feel the cleanser and the warm water washing away the day. Apply a mask once or twice a week and relax, don’t multitask while it’s working. Feel the softness of your skin while you apply a moisturizer, like our Argan Oil with Ylang Ylang. Your body should also be part of your routine. If you enjoy baths, which are inherently calming and require us to slow down. Take baths on a regular basis, adding your favorite Bath Soak. If baths aren’t your thing, you can apply scented oil in the shower, like those offered in the Beauty Legacy shop, just slow down a bit. Treat yourself to the enjoyment of the routine, we all tend to rush through it and move on to the next thing on our list of to do’s.
Everyday Health’s Jessica Migala says “There are numerous ways to practice self-care, but focusing your efforts on improving skin health pays off for your mental and emotional health.” When you read her article, in the article, 5 Reasons Maintaining a Skin-Care Routine Is Good for Your Mental Health, we invite you to consider that the opposite is also true:
Taking great care of your Mental Health is good for your Skin-Care Routine. Like taking vitamins, drinking plenty of water and getting enough rest, it is important to have a skin-care routine so your mental and emotional health can be taken care of.
