Stress Less: How Stress Causes Breakouts
Hey LUSGirls and fellow stress heads!
Are exams or tests coming up? Are your stress levels rising? Have you been noticing more pimples leading up to your tests? Or frequent breakouts nearing competitions? Did you know that stress can cause your skin to break out! Unfortunately, when we stress your hormones go crazy and we eat poorly, these all help our skin to act out. Although we can’t have a completely stress-free life (we wish!). Read on to find out how hormones and the food we eat can affect our skin and some simple remedies to help control those nasty pimples and blackheads.
Skincare
Research shows that when we get stressed our body releases more hormones and for us LUSGirls that means our pores can become inflamed. Our pores can get aggravated and clogged easier which leads to more spots. Our skin then tries to save the day by releasing sebum (the oil on your skin) which then makes it worse!
The good news is that a good skincare routine can help reduce the pimples and acne you can get! Our LUS face range is perfect to help fight against all those annoying and painful pimples. Our Face Wash and Moisturiser contain ingredients that are perfect for sensitive skin and won't further irritate any painful pimples. We also suggest exercising and taking shorter but more frequent breaks when under pressure. The endorphins produced when we exercise act as mood-boosters and are natural stress busters while we stay healthy at the same time- a win-win!
Diet
Who’s guilty of indulging in junk food when stress levels increases? Our skin reacts really bad to sugar and High G.I foods, which means most fast food, junk food and even white bread and dairy. Sugar causes the skin and pores to get inflamed and as we now know this is really bad for your fight against pimples. Dairy is also an inflammatory factor as it has hormones and steroids in it.
Sugar, G.I and Dairy all increase sebum production and as a result, cause inflammation- more pimples and acne. Sounds overwhelming? Start off by swapping high-GI foods for healthier options, such as wholemeal bread instead of white bread. Almond or soy milk is a great alternative to dairy milk too. Also, probiotics (which come in a chocolate ball and gummy bear options) have been found to balance the good and bad bacteria on our skin. Finally, using a scrub weekly to exfoliate dead skin cells and any dirt/makeup residue will also help clear those pores and avoid build-up of sebum. We suggest our Scrub Off Pure Bamboo Scrub as a step in between our Face Wash and Face Moisturiser. It actually contains pure bamboo, a natural and very gentle exfoliate with vitamins that still gets the job done while nourishing the skin.
So if stress is causing you to breakout and your pimples are painful. First, take a deep breath it will get better. Secondly, watch your diet and skincare routine. We have some great products that can help reduce your inflammations and are perfect for sensitive skin.
Love from Izzie and the LUS team xx
