Life finds a way – of being a hot mess, sometimes. Who amongst us hasn’t felt the incredible pressure of, just, everything, before? Between growing demands at work, ever-more-demanding domestic responsibilities, and the rising cost of pretty much every grocery, chaos reigns over our lives and holds our health hostage, too.
Because with stress and unpredictability come lapses in self-care. Our diet suffers, we hydrate less, we sleep less, and – guess what? Our skin starts to suffer for it. Paleness, wrinkles, puffy eyes, dryness, and rashes are all symptoms of a person frayed at the edges. What is there to do?
1. Stick to the Basics: Cleanse, Moisturize, Protect
Ideally, we’d have a little more control over the way our days shake out. But in full acknowledgement that we are at the whim of our stacked schedules most days, it is the routines we build around them that work the best for us.
When your schedule is full to the brim, simplicity is key. With respect to skin, a simple routine can be enacted for maximum gain. I suggest you prioritize a basic three-step routine: gentle cleanser, moisturizer, and SPF to keep skin clean, hydrated, and protected.
2. Multitasking Products Save Time
We become queens of multitasking when faced with three days’ worth of tasks to complete in one – so why shouldn’t our skincare products do the same? Try finding products that do double duty—like moisturizers with SPF or serums that hydrate and brighten at once. These kinds of products help you stay consistent with minimal effort, which is 100% the goal here.
3. Hydrate Inside and Out
Hydration is arguably one of the most important parts of long-term preventive skincare maintenance – not to mention important for us on a more existential level. Still, busy days often mean neglecting water intake, which naturally shows up almost immediately on your skin. Drinking water is a given here, but using hydrating serums with hyaluronic acid can also be a godsend for preventing that dull, tight feeling.
4. Stress and Skin: Recognize the Link
Here’s something that should come as no surprise to you: stress directly impacts your skin. You can thank stress hormones like cortisol for that, and thank calming skincare products for providing much-needed support to your skin barrier in times of stress. For breakouts that commonly occur when stressed, salicylic acid products are fantastic for unclogging pores and reducing inflammation. For an added time bonus, look for leave-on treatments that leave you free to keep at it.
5. Use Overnight Treatments
Speaking of leave-on treatments… There are overnight skincare products that can work wonders for you while you’re in snooze-ville. Sleep is crucial for every bodily process, from digestion to the replenishment of your skin; this is a great time, then, to capitalize on your body’s repair movements and help them along with overnight masks or treatment creams that target collagen reproduction.
