June is Acne Awareness Month so we are taking the whole month to share our love for all things Aloeclear. In this post we’re going to share exactly how stress affects your skin and some simple things you can do to reduce stress in your everyday life.

In our blog series thus far we’ve broken down the differences between breakouts and acne, shared the types of acne that is topical vs. hormonal and discussed how exercise can clear up skin. Now we want to talk about something that any busy person deals with on a regular basis and how it plays a role in your skin. That topic is of course the dreaded word: Stress.

How do we define stress? We consider stress to be anything that adds a toll to our emotional or physical being. From relationship problems, to anxiety over a test, to a hectic lifestyle, stress comes in many shapes and forms no matter what stage you are in life. And while stress is not going to cause hormonal acne, stress can play a role in aggravating symptoms that lead to light or moderate breakouts.

The average acne sufferer’s skin contains clogged pores that are invisible to the naked eye. Stress causes an inflammatory response in the body and can cause the walls of these pores to break. When this happens, the body responds with redness and pus – ergo, a pimple. What’s more, our adrenal gland goes into overdrive when we stress out. Higher androgen levels can lead to more acne, especially in women.

So what can you do? Besides keeping a regular skincare regimen, there are things you can do every day to reduce your level of stress and therefore reduce the chances of stress-induced breakouts. Here are three super simple things you can add to your daily routine right now:

1. Exercise. This is by far the best way to reduce emotional stress, as moving your body will get your heart going and lead to more oxygen flow to your brain. Three times a week for a half hour or more will do the trick, so if you’re not a gym nut, consider a light cardio routine while you’re watching TV. Click here to learn more about the effects of exercise on acne.

2. Meditate. No, you don’t have to be a meditation guru from Silicon Valley. A simply eight minute period of deep breathing exercises or prayer time will make a major difference in putting the mind, body and soul at ease. You can also consider using some f our detoxifying Re/New by Aloette spa products while you take some much needed you time, including our Re/Lax Aromatherapy Bath Salts.

3. Sleep. Getting a good night’s sleep does wonders for stress and for your skin. To learn more about how you can sleep better, click here to see our blog about nighttime relaxation remedies.