Let’s just agree to the fact that “Stress” is the root of all evil. Because of the everyday stress that you go through, you unknowingly have become a victim of various mental and physical health problems and also pesky stress lines on your face.
Yes, when we are stressing over something, our body happens to release stress hormones (cortisol and adrenaline included) which affects our skin in major way.
How Stress Affects Skin
To give you an idea of how bad stress is for our skin, here are some skin problems you might face along with the lines:
- Sagging, Slackness and Loss of elasticity of the skin
- Dullness and Dryness
- Skin Infections and Rashes
- Acne and Blemishes
- Redness and Uneven skin tone
- Chronic internal inflammation
- Pre-mature aging
Dealing With Stress
Are you stressing over these problems now? Please do not do that! The key is to lower your stress level and handle every day to day situation in a calm and organized/calculated manner.
With a balanced diet along with proper intake of water, stress management techniques, yoga and/or exercise and stress supplements, you'll be able to fight off any side-effects stress causes on your mind and body (including the mentioned skin problems above).
But, it is necessary to mention that stress lines need a little bit more than these common stress reducing methods. Thus, here some effective ways to prevent and treat stress lines.
Simple & Easy Stress Line Prevention
If you're in the fortunate position of not having to deal with any stress lines yet, let's try to keep it that way. Follow the tips below to prevent stress lines from forming.
The Perfect Daily Skincare Routine
Along with lowering your stress level, you also need healthy skin that has the ability to fight off the appearance of stress lines on its own. By investing your time and energy on a proper and customized skincare routine every day using the following products, you will definitely be rewarded with smooth and soft skin free from these lines.
Sunscreen - First off all, always protect your skin from the harmful UVA and UVB rays of the sun when you step out. SPF 30 works best, so invest in a hydrating SPF 30 sunscreen.
Day Cream - Your everyday day cream should also be able to protect you from UV damage. It is highly recommended that it can also hydrate the skin as maintaining the skin’s moisture barrier is a must to prevent the appearance of these lines. Plus-points if the day cream can protect your skin from toxins, pollutants and free radicals also.
Daily Cleanser -Your everyday cleanser should be gentle on your skin, yet can take off makeup and dirt thoroughly. For oily skin it is best to choose a foaming cleanser; and for dry skin a creamy cleanser is the appropriate option. We also recommend using a cleansing brush to apply it.
Night Cream - The night cream should first of all have active ingredients that can help in cell renewal and skin repair. Always apply the cream in outward and upward strokes to avoid stress and fine lines.
Makeup - Many makeup products can cause damage to your skin and allow stress lines to form quickly. Hence, it is highly recommended that a light primer and non-heavy foundation and concealer or tinted moisturizer are only used for your everyday makeup routine.
Best Foods to Prevent Stress Lines
Besides eating right (minimum intake of junk food and carbonated drinks) and drinking water adequately (at least 8-10 glasses of water daily), you need some other ingredients in your everyday diet like Omega 3 fatty acids and anti-oxidants. Fatty acids and anti-oxidants are known for moisturizing and nourishing your skin and fill your body with beta carotene.
Thus, intake of these ingredients in the form of supplements and/or food items can lower the effect of stress on your skin and make sure you can successfully avoid stress lines.
Also, papaya and superfood like goji berries and wheat-germ extract are known for preventing stress lines to appear.
Some Special Ingredients
When buying beauty/skincare products, make sure they contain one or more of the following ingredients. They have been proven to be effective for keeping skin healthy and free from the effects of stress:
- Vitamin E
- Argan oil
- Hyaluronic acid
- Marine algae
- AHAs (Alpha hydroxy acids)
Weekly Face Exercises for Stress Lines
You can perform this following face exercises once or twice every week to ensure blood flow to the skin, reducing stress and boosting muscle tone; all needed to avoid pesky stress lines:
- Pinch your bottom and top lip gently.
- Move your fingers on your forehead in a drumming motion.
- Draw upward circles with the knuckles on the cheeks.
- Rub from your temples to eye sockets gently.
- Rub from the cheekbone to the top of your jaw in an upward stroke.
- Rub from the corners of the nose to the corners of the mouth in an upward stroke.
Repeat these steps 3-5 times.
Here's a helpful video on face yoga, which is great for tightening up your skin.
Effective Stress Lines Treatment
The above-mentioned methods have been known to prevent the appearance of stress lines. But what if you already have these lines on your face? Next, we'll gives you some tips to help you get rid of these lines quickly and for good.
But before that, it's important to mention that to effectively remove stress lines from your face, these remedies should be paired with the prevention methods mentioned above. That'll help prevent new stress lines from forming again later.
Best Skincare Products to Treat Stress Lines
There are many chemicals, as well as all-natural face products that are available in the market today that have been made for the purpose of removing the appearance of these lines.
DIY Stress Line Facial Mask
A well-known home remedy for removing these lines is using face mask once a week. You either have the option to buy a face mask made for the purpose from the store or make your own from all natural ingredients at home.
Some ingredients for your DIY face mask are:
- Olive oil or coconut oil
- Aloe Vera Gel
- Egg whites
Check out this video for a step-by-step guide on how to make your own face mask using all-natural ingredients.
Sleep is Crucial
When we sleep our skin repairs itself from the damages done during the day. Hence, an adequate amount of sleep is recommended so that your skin can work its miracle and remove these lines on its own. Sleep is also great for stress relief.
Make These Lifestyle Changes
Your lifestyle plays a major role in the formation of stress lines. If you're eating the wrong foods, constantly putting your body under stress and not taking care of your body, it'll make it much more difficult to get rid of stress lines.
Indulging in stress-free food and activity before and/or after a stressful event can lower your chances of forming new stress lines. For example:
- Exercising before work
- Drinking chamomile tea or meditating after an eventful day
- Having flaxseed oil before going to bed
- Using “Pomodoro” or “Eat the Frog” Technique while working or studying .
In addition to this, reduce or completely eliminate your consumption of alcohol and tobacco. These substances have been shown to wreak havoc on your skin.
So there you go. Some effective, easy and quick ways to prevent and treat stress lines that can definitely work for you. If your problems keep persisting after trying the tactics above, you can also consider seeing a dermatologist.