Approx 4 minute read |
Today is World Mental Health Day - a good reminder to take care of our mental health indeed, but did you know that your mental health can directly impact your skin health?
Our skin is the largest organ in our bodies, and the way it’s looking directly relates to our overall health, including our mental health. There are plenty of easy ways one can look after their skin, taking care of how we feel being just one of them.
Starting with simply drinking plenty of water, and incorporating at least 5 fruit and vegetables each day into our diet. Using active skincare with ingredients specifically designed for your skin type, consuming minimal alcohol and quitting smoking are also simple but highly effective ways to treat our skin with care.
Photography by Ana Lui Photography
In our recent post ‘Restore your skin barrier function’, we talked about how stress affects your skin and “how emotions such as anger and sadness can influence the skin in different ways. This is because, when we feel stressed or anxious, the body produces higher levels of the hormone cortisol which can have negative effects on the skin, as highlighted in another recent article ‘How Cortisol Affects Your Skin’ by WOW facial practitioner Rachel Staggs. A proven way to combat both stress and anxiety is by practising meditation and breathwork in your daily routine.
How meditation can improve your skin health
It may seem a rather odd thought at first, but as the British Association of Dermatologists puts it, “our physical health and our emotional well-being are closely linked, and psychodermatology is increasingly used to complement other physical therapies that directly treat the cause of symptoms of skin diseases”. According to studies, psychological factors affect skin and skin diseases in 25-33% of cases. The calming benefits of meditation have been found to be of great help when treating certain mental health conditions, and since the mind and the skin are so closely connected, it makes sense that meditation would also benefit the skin. The question is, how exactly can it help?
Photography by Ana Lui Photography
Meditation reduces inflammation
Meditation as a way to reduce stress has been used for centuries, and the reason it’s still practised to this day is simply because it works. Just a few minutes a day of meditation alleviates stress and calms our nervous system down, thus decreasing the levels of cortisol in the body. As nurse Rachel Stagg brilliantly explained decreasing levels of this stress hormone in the system means the body -including the skin is less inflamed, and therefore the skin will stop reacting.
Healthier choices thanks to meditation
Did you know that if you meditate consistently, you are more likely to make other healthier choices throughout your day? It’s true. Since meditation and breathwork help you feel more centred and grounded, you will also feel more present in the now. This feeling of connection with your inner self will organically lead you to make better choices: you will want to eat better, move more and make more time for self-care, whatever that might mean for you. All these positive choices will sync, improving the look and health of your skin.
The anti-ageing benefits of breathwork
A simple way to improve the health of our skin is by incorporating breathing meditation into your routine. Professional breathwork practitioner, Sandra VOZ, founder of Balanced People says “you can combat the signs of ageing through self-loving and healthy habits that can easily be worked into your everyday life”. Sandra goes on to explain, “mindful breathing for just a few minutes a day helps to bring more oxygen into your cells, which gives the body an energy boost, leaving you feeling more energetic and invigorated. The skin benefits from this extra oxygen too: fine lines and wrinkles will be less noticeable, so you’ll not only feel younger, you’ll look younger too! Isn’t this alone a great reason to start meditating?”.
Photography by Ana Lui Photography
Simple ways to include meditation in your daily routine
Despite the numerous benefits of meditation and breathwork, there are still many people who think that meditation requires too much time and effort, hence they never make time for it. The truth is that you don’t need to meditate for 30 minutes a day to reap its benefits. With as little as 10 minutes a day, you can already see and feel great benefits, both on your mood, your body and your skin.
If you would like to try a week of complimentary online breathwork classes with Sandra VOZ, live from Ibiza, simply visit the Balanced People website, select ‘one week subscription’ and enter BREATHEWOWSKIN coupon code at the checkout.
WOW... I feel and look great
Sandra believes that self-care is the key to success, as she talks about in her recent post ‘Could self-care be the key to success?’. She says “consider what simple things bring you joy. Maybe it’s taking a long candlelit, soak in the bathtub with a home face mask, reading a good book, scheduling in some time to breathe or taking time out to look after your skin with a WOW treatment. Really, it doesn’t matter what it is, what does matter is getting those breaks from the hamster-wheel of life. Take back the reigns and give yourself a mental break from time to time, it’ll make you more effective at work and home, and it’ll literally show on your face.”
You can find your nearest WOW facial® professional by clicking ‘Find a provider’ from our main menu, and following the steps.
Are you a skin professional interested in becoming a WOW facial® practitioner?
To find out more about becoming a certified WOW practitioner, please contact our team at info@wowfacial.co.uk. We offer regular training courses both in-person and online, as well as ongoing support to all our practitioners.
Author: Danielle
Category: Skincare, WOW Journal