Holiday Stress, Skin Distress: A Skin Survival Guide For the Holidays

The holidays are a unique blend of joy and chaos. From dinner parties to gift shopping, the hustle and bustle can take its toll on our mental well-being—and our skin as well. 

Stress and the health of your skin are deeply connected, and the holiday season is filled with unique stressors that can manifest into lots of different skin issues. 

In a time when your to-do list seems never ending, you must remember to take care of yourself so you can feel your best while you make the most of your holiday season. Let’s talk about how stress can manifest itself on your skin, how you can take care of yourself this holiday season, and how you can supplement your skincare routine to address skin concerns caused by stress.

The Complex Relationship Between Stress and Skin

Your body’s reaction to stress can lead to many unwanted skin issues 

Stress, while you may not be able to see it, has a profound impact on our bodies, both mentally and physically. When our bodies are under constant stress, they produce more cortisol, which is a stress hormone. Elevated cortisol levels throw our bodies for a complete loop, disrupting our hormonal balance, and causing quite a few issues with our skin, too. 

Some skin conditions and issues caused or made worse by stress include:

• Acne breakouts - When you’re stressed, your body’s cortisol levels skyrocket, causing your body to stimulate oil production. When your body has too much oil, your pores may clog more easily, leading to breakouts. 
• Dull complexion - Chronic stress causes your body to restrict blood flow to the skin. Depriving your skin of oxygen and nutrients leads to a lackluster complexion.
• Wrinkles and fine lines - Stress deteriorates your body’s collagen and elastin, which can cause your skin to age and wrinkle prematurely. 
• Inflammatory skin condition flare-ups - Stress triggers inflammation and immune system responses, causing people with skin conditions, like eczema or psoriasis, to flare up.
• Impaired skin barrier - Stress weakens your skin’s protective skin barrier, leaving your skin vulnerable to environmental damage.

 

In a perfect world, the simple fix for these issues would be to just stop stressing. But, as we all know, that’s so much easier said than done. If you’ve been experiencing some stress-related skin issues, don’t worry—this isn’t the only way to get your skin concerns under control. A careful balance of stress management and some targeted skincare treatments can make a huge difference for your skin around the holidays. 

Managing Your Stress Around The Holidays

Take time to care for your body during the holiday season

No matter if you love or hate the holiday season, most of us would probably agree that it’s full of stressors and, oftentimes, a lot of pressure. High expectations, traveling, financial burdens, and social obligations are the perfect recipe for stress. While we can’t always control the situations around us, we can manage how we respond and how we care for ourselves. Here are some ways you can take care of yourself to manage your stress—no matter what or where your holiday plans are.

• Practice meditation and mindfulness - Carve out some time in your day to do some meditation and mindfulness exercises. While this isn’t a fix-all solution, these can help lower your cortisol levels and help you feel a bit more relaxed.
• Try deep breathing exercises - Practicing deep, diaphragmatic breathing reduces your body’s stress hormones and calms your mind. 
• Connect with your body - Physical activity is known to decrease stress levels, and practicing something like yoga or tai chi helps you move and connect deeper with your body to reduce stress. 
• Prioritize sleep - Skin repairs itself during sleep, and a lack of sleep can make stress and your skin problems worse. Aim to get around 7-9 hours of sleep each night. 

 

Find Targeted Skincare Solutions

Supplement your skincare routine with products designed to address your stress-related skin concerns 

Healthy skin can’t thrive without taking care of your body first, and developing a basic skincare routine is another way you can keep your skin in check. At the very least, you should be cleansing and moisturizing your face daily with products suitable for your skin type. Based on your specific skincare concerns, though, you can enhance your basic skincare routine with products designed to treat them. Let’s take a look at a few different stress-related skincare concerns and how you can treat each. 

Solutions For Breakouts

Breakouts are one of the most common skincare concerns stemming from stress. If you’re prone to breakouts, stress only makes breakouts worse. A regular skincare routine supplemented with products designed to combat breakouts can help you gradually reduce the number and severity of breakouts you have. Here are a couple of treatments you can add to your skincare routine to address breakouts:

• Try topical treatments - Find topical treatments with ingredients like benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, and retinoids to treat breakouts as they happen.
• Switch to non-comedogenic makeup - Choose non-comedogenic and hypoallergenic makeup options to reduce the risk of pore clogging.
• Switch to oil-free moisturizers - Lightweight, non-comedogenic moisturizers will keep your skin moisturized without clogging your pores. 

 

Skincare Tip Highlight

Breaking out during the holidays is frustrating—especially when it happens right before an important event. Using hydrocolloid patches may help you quickly spot-treat breakouts. These patches help absorb and extract fluids in your pimples while protecting your skin from bacteria and anything else that may worsen your breakout. Hydrocolloid patches work best on whiteheads and are a much safer alternative to popping your pimples with your fingers or an extraction tool.

Solutions For Dull Complexion

The holiday season is a time of gatherings, celebrations, and family get-togethers, and it’s during these times that a lot of us want to put our best face forward. A radiant, glowing complexion will help you walk into any holiday function with a little extra confidence. If stress has your skin feeling and looking dull, here are some steps you can take to brighten your complexion:

• Exfoliate your skin - Chemical exfoliants help remove dead skin cells, improving your skin texture and enhancing the radiance of your complexion. 
• Use a brightening serum - Serums with ingredients like vitamin C or niacinamide help even your skin tone and reduce hyperpigmentation. 
• Introduce retinol to your routine - Retinol products help renew your skin, improving your skin texture and fading hyperpigmentation. 

 

Skincare Tip Highlight

Any time you exfoliate your skin, your skin is much more vulnerable and it needs protection. It’s always important to apply sunscreen, but it’s especially so after you’ve exfoliated your skin. Add sunscreen to your daily skincare routine to make sure your skin is protected from the sun, and make sure to take extra precautions after exfoliating. 

Solutions For Wrinkles and Fine Lines

For many of us, the holiday season is a time to connect with loved ones and capture special moments together, but the stress of the holiday can show on our skin in the form of fine lines and wrinkles. Luckily, there are a few steps you can take to treat fine lines and wrinkles to keep your skin looking youthful and radiant for the holiday season and beyond. 

• Add retinoids to your skincare routine - Retinoids are great for improving dull complexion, and they’re great for treating fine lines and wrinkles, too. Retinoids stimulate collagen production to improve your skin texture and reduce the appearance of fine lines. 
• Look for products with anti-aging peptides - Certain peptide-based products promote collagen synthesis to help firm your skin and reduce wrinkles.
• Use hyaluronic acid serums - Serums with hyaluronic acid help hydrate and plump your skin, ultimately making fine lines less noticeable. 

 

Skincare Tip Highlight

Our Platinum Restore Serum—made with a powerhouse of ingredients, including Niacinamide, Syn-Ake, EGF, Argireline, and Leuphasyl—is designed to reduce signs of aging while restoring your skin’s youthfulness. These ingredients all work together to tighten and firm your skin and promote faster skin cell turnover to enhance your complexion.

Solutions For Inflammation

While in its most simple form, inflammation may cause redness and swelling of your skin, it can be quite painful, too. Inflammation can cause your skin to feel tender, itchy, and dry. When left untreated, it can lead to some other skin problems, too, like breakouts and blotchiness. Here are some ways you can help treat inflamed skin:

• Supplement your routine with anti-inflammatory topicals - Use topicals with anti-inflammatory ingredients like niacinamide and aloe vera to help calm and reduce redness in your skin. 
• Switch to a soothing moisturizer - Look for moisturizers with ingredients like ceramides, panthenol, or allantoin to soothe and protect inflamed skin. 
• Try cooling masks - Apply cooling masks with ingredients like aloe vera, chamomile, or calendula, to reduce redness and inflammation.

 

Skincare Tip Highlight

C60, a potent antioxidant, neutralizes harmful free radicals that can trigger inflammation. Our Platinum Silk Hair & Body Oil is specially formulated and infused with C60 to help soothe and calm your skin while giving you a more vibrant complexion.

Solutions To Improve Skin Barrier

Your skin barrier, or the outermost layer of your skin, is at the forefront of protecting your skin. It’s a fundamental part of your skin’s health, working to protect your skin from everyday environmental stressors and keeping your skin hydrated and healthy. Since stress impairs your skin barrier, protecting it is paramount for maintaining healthy skin and preventing further skin concerns. Let’s talk about some ways you can protect and improve your skin barrier.

• Opt for rich moisturizers - Rich, hydrating moisturizers work best to maintain your skin barrier function. 
• Ceramide-enriched products - Ceramides support your skin barrier’s lipid layer, which helps lock in moisture. 
• Use fatty acid-rich oils - Incorporate fatty acid-rich oils like jojoba oil, argan oil, and sunflower oil to help improve your skin barrier. 

 

Skincare Tip Highlight

Arginine is a naturally occurring amino acid our bodies produce, and using a skincare product with this ingredient can help strengthen your skin barrier. Our Sapphire Lux Firming Serum is formulated with Arginine to help your skin better shield away environmental stressors while leaving your skin smooth and plump.

The holiday season is a time for joy and celebration, and your skin should reflect that inner glow. By doing your best to take care of yourself and your skin during the holiday season, you can be sure to enjoy all of the festivities while feeling and looking your best. Self-care is one of the best gifts you can give yourself this holiday season. So, take a deep breath, prioritize your well-being, and let your beautiful skin shine through the holiday stress.