| I feel like I’ve been out of the loop the past couple of months. I’ve been so tired, and stressed! My husband and I recently moved to Redondo Beach. And while I’m SO excited to get aquainted with our new community, the stress of the move was a little overwhelming. How on earth have we accumulated so much STUFF?!?! I could definitely benefit from a facial, because boy did my skin take a beating! Having a facial isn’t about ‘luxury.’ It’s about caring for your skin while calming the mind. When our stress levels rise, it takes a toll on our ourverall health and on our skin. How long does it take stress to impact your skin? Not as long as you may think. Our skin and its response are so intricately linked to our emotional well-being. The most common examples would be when we get embarrassed or anxious, immediately our skin begins to sweat, our face flushes, and our skin gets blotchy. When we are angry, our ears get hot and our faces flush. What about when we’re scared? Our skin becomes pale and we begin to perspire as our fight or flight mode kicks in. Stress is a HUGE contributing factor when it comes to the overall health of our skin. Whether your main challenge is acne, rosacea or even just aging- stress plays a role. When stress levels rise, our bodies produce cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone that has a detrimental effect on our body, and especially on our skin. When cortisol increases, this triggers an increase in oil production and inflammation. Ahem… more acne! Cortisol can accelerate the aging process as it breaks down collagen and elastin. Yikes! It has an impact on the skin’s ability to retain water, which leaves our cells, and our skin dehydrated. And blood flow increases as stress levels rise. This can lead to dilated capillaries, which can trigger diffused redness and inflammation. Dehydration, dilated capillaries, and the appearance of more lines… this was my face in a nutshell. I wasn’t happy about it. (where’s an emoji when I need it) 😉 This is your body’s way of telling you to STOP! Calm Down! And TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF!!! I know we all can’t quit our jobs and spend our days with our toes curled in the sand, listening to the waves crash against the shore. BUT I reckon if we can counterbalance the stress by adding things in our lives that really float our boat, we are one step closer to reducing stress on our body and on our skin! Do whatever it is that makes you feel connected and grounded. Counterbalance that stress in your life. Your skin will thank you for it. <3 | 
