The Effects of Stress on your Skin - and 10 Ways to De-stress with ELEMIS

Before knowing how to de-stress yourself, it’s important to understand the question, ‘How does stress affect skin?’ Here are some of the common signs of stressed-out skin:

• Blemishes – When you experience stress, your skin becomes irritated, causing stress spots on the face.
• Dry skin – Stress hormones attack collagen, a protein that gives skin elasticity and firmness. As collagen breaks down, you no longer have a watertight derma barrier to seal moisture, creating dry skin.
• Under-eye bags – One of the first things stress affects is sleep, which is bad news for your skin. If you’ve noticed pesky dark circles under your eyes, it’s a tell-tale sign you could do with a bit of rest and relaxation.

But why do bags appear when we’re stressed? Well, a lack of sleep causes inflammation, narrowing the blood vessels. Blood cannot drain effectively from under the eyes, leading to puffiness and dark circles known as under-eye bags.

At ELEMIS, we don’t want your skin to suffer in silence. That’s why we’ve compiled the best ten ways to relieve your skin so you know how to destress yourself.

1. Apply luxurious massage oils - Massages warm up and relax muscles, reducing tension across your body. This stimulates blood flow to circulate oxygen, revitalising skin. The entire process reduces inflammation to calm a stressed-out complexion. A soothing massage using body oils is the perfect way to de-stress your skin. Using an oil provides slip to avoid friction, which can irritate the skin. Oils are also ideal for sealing in hydration and providing skin-loving nutrients. 

Best ELEMIS body oil for massaging to de-stress skin
Our Japanese Camellia Body Oil contains oil from the beautiful camellia flower, also known as Tea Seed oil. It deeply hydrates dry, irritated skin for a silky smooth complexion. For extra relaxation, why not try our De-Stress Massage Oil? It’s a gorgeous blend of rosewood, melissa, marjoram, geranium, rosemary, lavender and chamomile to help you unwind. 

2. Spritz your skin with aromatherapy - Get some stress relief with aromatherapy. Deeply inhaling pleasant scents provides your body with extra oxygen to slow your heart rate, counteracting a racing heartbeat. Particular scents also balance the parasympathetic nervous system. When this system is overactive, it releases cortisol, which triggers acne, dry skin and redness. Lavender is a classic and elegant scent that harmonises the nervous system, alleviating aggravated skin. 

3. Take a relaxing bath - Bath therapy is a wonderful way to relax both physically and mentally. The warmth eases tense muscles and encourages blood flow to prevent inflammation. Water hydrates skin, and the steam causes sweating, flushing toxins from your body. The calming benefits of a bath also help you sleep, which is good news for those under eye bags. 

Best ELEMIS bath product to de-stress skin
Our Skin Nourishing Bath Milk conditions the skin. Milk protein deeply nourishes and repairs dry, dehydrated skin, while oat extract soothes sensitive skin. We balanced the product with Japanese Camellia Oil to hydrate for a satin-soft feel.

4. Slow down in the shower - It’s easy to see showering as a chore rather than a moment to unwind. Slowly and mindfully cleanse your skin instead of racing to get in and out. Appreciate the warm water, feel the texture of the shower gel, and inhale its luxurious scent. 

Best ELEMIS shower gel to destress skin
The ELEMIS Cool-Down Body Wash uses magnesium to soften skin. Magnesium is known to help the body produce your sleep hormone melatonin for a rested night. The gel is infused with aromatic herbs to lift your senses, excellent for your mental well-being and, therefore, your skin. 

5. Soothe skin with a facemask - Stress often appears on the face as blemishes, dry skin and under-eye bags. A great way to treat these problems is to de-stress with a facemask. Facemasks allow you to pause while they work their magic on your skin. Apply one while watching a film, in the bath or relaxing with a friend. 

Best ELEMIS face mask to de-stress skin.
Our Herbal Lavender Repair Mask uses the beautiful essence of lavender. As one of the most widely used aromatherapy scents, this herb is thought to relax the mind.

6. Indulge in calming scents - A quick method to relax your body and mind is using calming scents. Pleasant and soothing smells help the body feel safe and stimulate deep breathing. This stabilises your heart rate and reduces cortisol, the stress hormone. It also increases the release of your happy hormones, dopamine and serotonin. 
When your body feels calm, it reduces aggravation in your skin, relieving redness and blemishes. It prevents cortisol from attacking and breaking down collagen, which can lead to dryness and defined wrinkles and fine lines.

8. Calm stress spots on the face - When under pressure, the body stimulates the hormones cortisol and adrenaline, which inflame cells. This causes extra skin sensitivity, making you more likely to react to certain foods and skincare products. It also irregulates your hormones, causing blemishes to erupt along the jawline.

Best ELEMIS blemish skincare to de-stress skin
The ELEMIS range of blemish skincare products are formulated with antibacterial properties. The cleansers sweep away dead skin cells, while serums revitalise skin with vitamin C and conditioning ingredients. 

9. Ease tight muscles - Stress creates tension in your muscles, which compresses arteries, making blood flow challenging. Oxygen and nutrients struggle to reach the surface of your skin, triggering dryness and irritation. Muscles can also tighten in your face, causing deeper fine lines and wrinkles. 

Best ELEMIS product to relax muscles and de-stress skin.
Our Musclease Active Body Oil is the perfect way to ease muscle tension and calm skin. Rosemary essential oil is known to increase blood flow to release tightness, while the maritime pine is believed to relieve pain.

10. Use sensitive, anti-inflammatory products - Stress can make your skin extra sensitive to certain foods, skincare products and textures. During this time, try switching to skincare specifically designed for sensitive complexions.

Best ELEMIS sensitive skincare to de-stress skin
The ELEMIS sensitive skincare line is carefully curated to soothe irritation and restore balance. Our rose products use delicate fragrances and ingredients to calm sensitivity and hydrate skin for a petal-soft complexion. 

Stress on skin is never fun, and it can leave you feeling self-conscious and frustrated. If you’re struggling with blemishes, dry skin and fine lines, we have a detoxifying and rejuvenating product for you. Nurture your skin with a restorative oil, healing moisturiser or blissful facemask for a stress-free, dewy complexion.