HOW STRESSED IS YOUR SKIN?
Undo the effects of seasonal woes taking a toll on your complexion
How stressed is your skin? Well, you need only glance in the mirror to answer that.
“We wear our stress on our faces,” says Dr. Mark Lupin of Cosmedica in Victoria. “And stress can wear us down, leading to a more tired look.”
Lupin says the overall effect of a prolonged period of stress, like the recent Christmas season, perhaps, or a single event such as buying or selling a home, can have similarly severe effects on the skin.
“Beyond frown lines that can deepen with time, stress can lead to puffiness under the eyes and increased redness from flushing,” he explains. “Beyond the direct signs, there are also indirect effects of stress that show on our faces. Some hormones are increased by stress which can lead to acne breakouts — this is especially common in youth around exam times in school.”
But it’s not just exam time for teens, or the post-holiday debt crunch that can wreak havoc on skin.
“Signs of distress in the skin is unfortunately something that is commonly seen all year round,” says Charmaine Cooper, the Canadian education manager of Dermalogica and the International Dermal Institute Dermalogica.
Weather can also factor in to the overall haggardness of skin.
“Harsher climates can also lend to environmental assault on the skin,” Cooper explains.
“When the climate is extreme, or when there are spikes in the pollution levels in the air, such as soot and toxins, it can contribute to irritation in the skin.”
Surprisingly, in the wintertime, there can be higher spikes in pollution levels than the warmer months, Cooper says.
“This is due to an increase of indoor factors such as central heating and external factors such as car exhaust,” she explains.
While some people’s skin can be extremely sensitized — showcasing signs of stress with the slightest of trigger — most people can reduce the overall appearance of aggressors on skin by removing the cause.
And the easiest place to start, according to Lupin, is with sun protection.
“We have excellent options for sun protection such as with broad spectrum, higher- SPF sunscreens, (specially rated) UPF clothing, sunglasses, et cetera,” he says.
As for “pre-juvenation” treatments, he recommends light, laser-resurfacing treatments such as Clear+Brilliant laser or Fotona laser micro peels.
For fine lines and wrinkles, which are often caused by emotional stressors, Lupin says the use of “neuromodulators” such as Botox or Dysport can be beneficial, as well as dermal hyaluronic fillers such as Juvederm or Restylane.
“Beyond lasers and Botox, a new wave of popular treatments is that of boosting our skin’s natural collagen, elastin and its own hyaluronic acid, by a series of gentle injectable treatments with hyaluronic acid,” he explains.
But, as brands get wise to the effects of the broadening list of environmental pollutants and aggressors causing stress to our skin, there are an increasing number of products available to shoppers who are averse to injectables and lasers.
Cooper recommends looking for an option that has one or more of the following active ingredients when searching for a prospective product to battle skin stress: wild indigo seed extract, sea water extract, calibrated hyaluronic acid, or a natural botanical oil extract such as cranberry seed oil extract or vitamin E.
“Wild indigo seed extract is a brightening and illuminating ayurvedic herb that improves the appearance of the skin by reducing under-eye dark circles,” she explains. “Sea water extract is wonderful in treating puffiness, while energizing the eye area for improved appearance.
“Calibrated hyaluronic acid or sodium hyaluronate is known for its superior water-binding properties, both on the surface and in the deeper layers of the skin. It locks in moisture to counteract dehydrated patches in the skin and to restore a compromised barrier,” she continues.
“And natural botanical oil extracts relieve and nourish dry itchy skin.”
Dermalogica is releasing a new collection completely targeting skin stress this month with two new products: UltraCalming
Calm Water Gel and UltraCalming Barrier Defense Booster. Dubbed the UltraCalming Duo, the formulas are aimed at assisting “distressed” and “vulnerable” skin without too much guesswork about proper products for sensitized skin, according to Cooper.
But, as is always the case with skin and health concerns, the best way to combat the signs of stress? Catching them early.
“Protection of the skin and early prevention of the impacts of environmental stressors ... is key throughout our lifetimes,” Lupin says. Barrier Defense Booster,
$101, and Calm Water Gel, $65, from Dermalogica