Anyone else stressed lately? Honestly – not trying to dig into that can of worms. BUT – when I’m stressed I notice so is my skin. From increased dryness (as an already dry-skinned gal) to extra pimples, I’ve struggled with stressed out skin more than ever lately.
The one positive thing about this quarantine situation is my skin hasn’t breathed this much in years – I haven’t worn makeup in over a week.
I’m planning to get a little isolation at-home spa day skincare routine up on my YouTube channel soon, but wanted to outline my stress relieving skincare routine in this blog post for ya’ll that may have upset skin at the moment, too.
Remove your makeup.
If you’re wearing makeup (first of all – go you – I’ve lost the will to apply makeup), make sure to remove it properly. Leftover makeup sitting on the skin can not only clog your pores, but can also create a barrier preventing your later skincare steps from fully penetrating the skin.
I’m a huge advocate of the double cleanse. I’ve got an entire blog post about double cleansing and cleansing balms here. The reason I love cleansing balms so much is because they focus on removing my makeup first, and I utilize a face cleanser second to actually clean my skin. There are a whole host of balms I love, the I think this one from Farmacy is a reasonable price and powerful – without stripping the skin.
I’ve been utilizing milk cleansers lately as a cleansing balm follow up – they’re great for dry, stressed skin because they hydrate rather than strip. I’ve been testing out this specific Caudalie one. It is gentle, hydrating, but definitely does have a fragrance to it, so avoid if you don’t love a fragranced skincare product.
Peel – gently.
When stressed out skin turns dry, it’s important to clear the canvas of flakes without agitating already sensitive skin. This Elemis papaya enzyme peel is hands down my favorite peel product of all time specifically because it’s so gentle. The acids within the peel help to dissolve away any dryness – without dehydrating the skin even further. There’s also only a slight tingle vs the lovely burning sensation of a stronger peel formula.
Hydrate.
I like to soothe stressed out skin with extra hydration – think loads of moisturizing masks, serums, and creams.
After cleansing and utilizing a gentle peel, I dive into a hydrating mask. I’ve been using this Summer Fridays mask for about a month now and am really enjoying it. The Jet Lag mask is light, yet deeply hydrating. There’s also no strong fragrance – but there is a light scent that feels relaxing, not overpowering.
I will admit, my only complaint with the Jet Lag Mask is I do immediately need to apply a serum after. The mask soaks into the skin, but doesn’t leave it feeling plump afterwards. I’ve been really leaning towards the entire Dr. Dennis Gross anti-stress skincare line lately. I start off with their Stress Rescue Super Serum following my Jet Lag Mask. I then top off the skin with their Stress Repair Face Cream (definitely a thicker cream – deeply hydrating) and a touch of the Stress SOS Eye Cream.
Honestly – this whole Dr. D stress relief line could be total marketing and placebo effect…but I’m digging it lately. I think the idea that the line was designed for stressed out skin has me really feeling emotionally connected to it right now lol.
Share your stressed out skincare faves in the comments below!
Pin this post!
