How to protect your skin from stress aging

Nothing visibly reflects your wellness like your skin. It’s the body’s largest organ and is the first place to show signs of aging. Premature aging brought on by a hectic lifestyle, too little sleep, poor diet, or exhaustion has a clear link to stress. But don’t fear, Clarins Beauty Experts can help you keep that youthful glow despite the stress.

Does Stress Age Your Skin?

Stress aging is real, and the longer stress lasts, the more it can impact your skin. How fast stress makes you age depends on individual traits —skin type, age, lifestyle, or genetics.

What are the 8 signs of aging skin accelerated by Stress Aging ?

Clarins Research has revealed 8 visible signs of aging on the skin which are accentuated by a hectic, busy lifestyle and daily stress ( physical and emotional).

Skin is less firm firmness
Decline in radiance
Skin texture and evenness deckubes
Increased size of pores
More fine lines
More wrinkles
Visibly fatigued skin
Declining skin hydration

Stress biology tells us that when we are stressed, our bodies release extra cortisol—a hormone that impedes production of collagen and elastin, two fibers responsible for maintaining plump, firm skin and a youthful glow. Cortisol weakens the skin’s moisture barrier—allowing water to escape through the skin’s surface. Cortisol slows down production of natural protective oils that seal moisture in and keep skin-aging pollutants out.

For more information on how to reduce premature skin aging visit this helpful resource.

Can stress cause dry, itchy skin?

When we experience stress, the additional cortisol—Stress also triggers adrenaline production which leads to excessive perspiration that causes dehydration—resulting in telltale signs of stress aging in the form of early lines and wrinkles.

During stressful times, it’s important to replenish lost moisture, inside and out. Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day, and apply an intensely-hydrating moisturizer to clean skin when you wake up, and before bed. Create a lifestyle to mitigate your stress with activities like yoga, meditation, exercise, and plenty of sleep.

How to reduce the risk of early aging skin from stress:

The best way to address prematurely aged skin is to make some healthy lifestyle choices:

Protect against the sun - always use sunscreen of SPF30 or higher. Photoaging from sun exposure is responsible for most changes on your face and can come with other risks like skin cancer.
Reduce nicotine consumption - it breaks down collagen and elastin fibers, resulting in lines, wrinkles, slackening, and dull, sallow-looking skin. If you still smoke, DON’T!
Keep a clean diet - abstain from excessive refined sugars and carbs which can damage skin’s collagen, leading to lines and wrinkles.
Hydrate with water - Minimize consumption of alcohol and coffee, natural diuretics which can cause the body to produce more urine than usual and can lead to fine dehydration lines.
Prioritize sleep - 8 hours each night — skin needs this time to revitalize, and recover, each time.
Build relaxing habits - calming habits like exercise, meditation, journaling, long walks, and enjoying hobbies.
Follow a gentle facial skincare routine

What Percent Niacinamide is Effective?

Clarins Multi-Active uses 2% Niacinamide. Our researchers chose a 2% concentration to deliver a visible anti-wrinkle effect. A higher percentage of niacinamide does not increase its effectiveness but rather leads to other effects and benefits. For example, 4% niacinamide has more of a brightening action and an action on the appearance dark spots.

Multi-Active Visibly improves signs of aging with:

Organic sea holly: increases the skin’s resistance to spikes in stress and fatigue. It reinforces the skin’s barrier function
2% niacinamide visibly smoothes the complexion and revives skin radiance
Organic strawberry tree fruit extract: helps improve the uniformity of the skin and tighten pores.
Betaine: helps to hydrate and plump the upper layers of the epidermis and maintain available moisture.