What to do to Keep Stress from Messing with Your Skin

This post is sponsored by Bioré, but the content and opinions expressed here are my own!
Something that I've learned over the past few years (AKA since having to adult... coincidence? I think not!) is that stress can affect just about everything - mood, health and especially our skin. Combine added stress with hormones and you have a recipe for disaster on your hands. Most of us have a great skincare routine that we can count on each day but what happens when it's just not enough? Or when your skin is craving something new? I look for a lot of things in my skincare products and am super picky with what I put on my face, but I also know that there's much more that goes into the appearance of your skin and how to handle what stress can do. And when I need to get my skin back in check, it's all hands on deck!
Stress = cortisol production. Cortisol production = excess oil. This sounds like a bad math problem, but it's for REAL. It's crazy, but since we all deal with stress and I've been trying very hard to find things that *actually* work lately, I had to share in hopes of these things working for some of you who are dealing with the same things as well. Aside from my normal skincare routine, here's the extra steps I've added in, or will add solely when I'm dealing with stress and/or am seeing a difference in my skin:

Celery Juice. I'm working on a lengthy post with all of your burning questions regarding the newest fad, but it's sooo much more than a fad. I have seen such a huge difference in so many aspects of my life, including my skin, since I began drinking celery juice. More to come on that, but it's the real deal and it's a game changer. So if you've been on the fence about whetehr or not it's worth a try, I'm here to tell you it's 110% WORTH IT!

Implement specific ingredients, like tea tree oil and AHA and BHA's into your skincare routine. Tea tree oil is a great, natural anti-inflammatory and when I'm most stressed, I ALWAYS add this into my skincare routine. It's one of those natural oils that works wonders for a variety of things and if you're noticing more redness, more blemishes or really any sort of dullness or difference in your skin, try it out!

AHA stands for alpha hydroxy acid; BHA stands for beta hydroxy acid. Both help exfoliate and both are great additives to a skincare routine. This is something I knew NOTHING about and my dermatologist, along with a ton of research, led me to realize that these hydroxy acids are almost essential for glowing skin. Both are natural ingredients that are known to help and have helped cure hormonal acne for me in the past and presently as well.

Go for a walk or do any sort of workout that you really enjoy. Sounds cliche, but sometimes all you need is a good workout to de-stress and get your mind moving away from what's causing your stress.

Add in products that are meant to deeply cleanse your pores. I started to use Bioré's Blue Agave & Baking Soda Balancing Pore Cleanser and Whipped Nourishing Detox Mask and so far, so good. Think of these products as the ultimate detox for your skin - the blue agave provides an insanely amazing cooling feeling and when you wash off the cleanser or wipe away the face mask, you can feel it working on your skin! I've been using Bioré products on and off for years now - they have a ton of different lines based on skincare concern and they pride themselves on being a brand that pays serious attention to your pores.

The cleanser deeply cleanses and exfoliates your pores and the mask works to condition them - all working together to provide some much needed TLC for your skin. I mention both the cleanser and the mask because they work together as one to provide a deep clean that doesn't dry you out. The baking soda (works hard to cleanse) and blue agave (works to sooth and nourish your skin) combo is insane! If you have combo skin, this duo is most especially for you.

*Before you use either of these products, it's super important to note that if you've ever had a problem with products that contain menthol or have extremely sensitive skin, the face mask may not be for you. I deal with skin sensitivity, but not to the point that a mask will have an affect on my face - for reference!
Bioré Baking Soda Pore Cleanser: I never even thought about using baking soda to help purify pores but the more you think about it, the more sense it makes. This cleanser works to literally pull impurities, leftover makeup and oils from your pores and exfoliate your skin so that on top of stress, you aren't dealing with clogged pores. Since cortisol plays a huge roll in your pores and increases when you're stressed out, having a cleanser that helps give your skin a detox is essential. I've been using this cleanser and so far, I LOVE it. It smells incredible and I can feel it working when I use it - that's what I want to get out of every skincare product I use. As someone who deals with dry skin and even more so in the winter, I especially love that this isn't a cleanser that'll dry you out - in fact, it leaves your skin feeling so soft! If you've read any of my most recent beauty posts, you know that most recently I've been dealing with cheek redness. I have tried A TON of products - creams, serums, cleansers, oils... Everything shows promise, but no one product has provided me with 100% answers (after I consulted with my dermatologist!) and I'm so happy to say that I have seen improvement in the balance of my skin with this Bioré cleanser.

TO USE: wet your face with room-temperature water, lather cleanser in your hands and massage all over your face. Rinse thoroughly and pat-dry with a soft, dry towel.

Bioré Whipped Nourishing Detox Mask: this mask is the closest thing to a real-time skin detox that you could ask for. Upon your first time using this mask, I highly recommend using it on one small spot at a time to see how your skin reacts to it. Like I mentioned, it does have menthol in it so if you know you don't react well to menthol and/or have extremely sensitive skin, refrain from using this mask. Regardless, ONLY leave the mask on for 3-5 minutes! The times that I've used it so far, I've used it for 2-3 minutes tops. My favorite part about the mask is that it has a super creamy and whipped texture and again, isn't drying.

TO USE: on wet skin, apply the mask evenly to your face and let it sit for 3-5 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with room-temperature water and pat-dry with a soft, dry towel.

*Please note: Not for sensitive skin consumers or those with sensitives to menthol as it may cause short term flushing of the skin.*
What do YOU do to help your skin when you're seriously stressing? I'm always looking for the best ways to keep my skin calm even when I'm stressed out! XOXO