USANA Inside Beauty: How to Fix 5 Stress-Induced Skin Problems

Relax. Easier than it sounds right?

Every day, we pile more and more onto our plates resulting in us worrying, and becoming easily stressed. Sweating the small stuff can have numerous side effects, which negatively impact your health and well being, as well as your skin.

Stress can be hard to avoid, but chilling out definitely has its benefits, including helping your skin look radiant.

Rosacea: skin condition characterized by redness

• Triggers — stress, spicy foods, and temperature changes
• Solutions — yoga, pulsed-dye lasers, Perfecting Essence

Rosacea (pronounced roh-ZAY-sha) is a common skin condition that affects over 16 million Americans. It’s described by redness or flushing in the face. It can sensitize skin making it itchy and easily irritated.

Stress can aggravate these symptoms so one of the best things to help ease the redness is to relax. Try taking an early morning yoga class. It’ll set your mind and body at ease and it’s a great way to start the day.

Another way to ease the noticeable signs of Rosacea is with pulsed-dye lasers (think small, concentrated beams of light, not a complicated Star Trek device). The Pulse dye laser (PDL) has been used for years to treat flushing and visible blood vessels associated with Rosacea. Costs vary depending on length of treatment. Ask your dermatologist for more info.

For a great at-home solution, grab your Sensé Perfecting Essence. This lightweight, miracle lotion is a dream for people suffering from uneven skin tone and redness. Apply it twice a day all over your face and neck for beautiful results.

Pimples: result of excess oil trapped in the pore

• Triggers — stress, pore food choices, bad cleansing habits
• Solutions — jogging, switching pillow cases, Gentle Daily Cleanser

Pesky pimples — something none of us can escape. Those little red bumps that seem to pop up at the most inconvenient times, like when we’re stressed.

Luckily, there are some simple things you can do to make them go away — or not even show up at all!

Start with jogging (if you can’t jog, try a brisk walk). Exercising not only is great for your health, it’s also great for your skin. Sweating from exercise helps naturally cleanse your pores so they contain less buildup. I started jogging a month and a half ago. I swore it was not possible that I could ever become a “runner”. I’m up to 2 miles, 4x a week and I couldn’t feel better. If I can do it, you can do it!

Also, try switching to a clean pillowcase more often, like once a week. It sounds gross, but your pillowcase that you sleep on night after night can harbor all sorts of bacteria. Keeping your sleep environment as clean as possible helps keep your skin that way as well.

And don’t forget to wash your face morning and night with a soap-free facial wash like Sensé Gentle Daily Cleanser.

Picking: obsessive habit that leads to scarring

• Triggers — stress, obsessiveness, genes
• Solutions — meditation, therapy, Rice Bran Polisher

Have you ever found yourself in a trance in front of one of those magnifying facial mirrors with the lights? I have. It’s amazing how much they show! That’s why it’s easy to develop a very bad habit called picking.

Picking at your face (for example, popping pimples or digging out blackheads) can lead to bruising and scarring. It also can become obsessive, especially for those who suffer from OCD.

Meditation can help ease your mind and have you less worried about your face. Find a calm environment that you can meditate twice weekly. Remember to take deep breaths and try to filter out all the thoughts from the day.

If you feel your picking has already become excessive, you might be suffering from Dermatillomania or Compulsive Skin Picking (CSP). Find a good therapist and they can help you talk your way out of this irritating habit.

To help keep pores clean to begin with, try Sensé Rice Bran Polisher. This unique exfoliator is so gentle, I use it 3x a week — by far one of my favorite beauty products!

Sensitized Skin: dry, flaky, and irritation

• Triggers — stress, climate, overworked skin
• Solutions — cold showers, USANA BiOmega, Night Renewal Crème

Drastic weather changes, stress, poor eating habits, and lack of moisture are some of the things that can cause your skin to become sensitized, or irritated.

Luckily, there are many things you can do to soothe sensitized skin.

Start by taking cold showers. Although the idea might make you cringe, the cold water will help seal in moisture. Also, treat your skin right from the inside out with USANA’s BiOmega™.

BiOmega is USANA’s fish oil supplement containing important omega-3 fatty acids, which are crucial for radiant skin.

From a topical standpoint, be sure to apply Sensé Night Renewal Crème before bed. This ultra-rich moisturizer renews skin overnight and hydrates so that you wake up to a beautiful complexion.

Rashes: change in skin that affects color and texture

• Triggers — stress, anxiety, allergies
• Solutions — sleep, fruits and veggies, Intensive Hand Therapy

Believe it or not, often skin rashes are associated with stress. Be sure you are getting a restful 8 hours of sleep each night. If you have trouble sleeping, try a melatonin supplement like USANA’s Pure Rest™.

Also, incorporate plenty of fruits and veggies into your diet. The nutrients found in fresh produce help combat oxidative stress to keep your skin looking and feeling healthy.

Well there’s the scoop!

Wishing you all beauty and health.

Jessica Reimer is a Senior Marketing Manager at USANA Health Sciences. If you have any stories, comments, or questions that you would like to see addressed in this feature, please send them to [email protected].

To learn more about Sensé skin-care products, please visit www.beautifulscience.com and like us on Facebook! Previous Inside Beauty posts can be found here. Some USANA products are available only in select markets.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

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