Taking Care Of Your Skin The Holistic Way
We asked Jenny Jungell, Performance Coach and Founder at the Well Community for her take on how stress and lifestyle can impact our skin.
Here Jenny shares her tips and some personal insights into how get a more holistic balance in your daily routine.
Life shows up on our skin; every good and bad habit, stress, laughter, and joy. The skin is the largest organ in the body and helps, among other things, with the detoxifying process. It helps remove impurities from the skin, which can lead to breakouts.
To care for our health and well-being holistically is essential to feel well, and this goes with your skincare too. What I mean by this is taking care of your skin not only from the outside with good and high quality skin products but also nourishing from the inside, like taking care of your gut health, nutrition, lymphatic system, and getting enough sleep. The most significant changes are usually seen once we start fueling our skin cells on the inside. The skin you live in will be forever, so to be comfortable in it is essential - something that is often easier said than done. I know, I’ve been there. By creating an understanding of our mind-body connection, we can be more gentle towards ourselves and aware of the root cause of our challenges with the skin. I believe this is where we need to start when we wish to make a change, not only in our skin but in our overall well-being.
A common cause of skin problems is stress, which is so easily forgotten. Often, we don't even realize how stressed we are before it starts to take hold (and our busy modern life doesn't give much slack to well-rested, glowy skin.) Chronic stress disrupts the natural balance for optimal well-being, and finding ways to reduce stress is vital. Not to mention how stress affects our hormones, which in turn can affect our skin.
"Getting to the root cause of your skin triggers is vital. I realized that stress was one of my worst triggers for outbreaks".
For me, this has, among other things, meant creating awareness of my stress levels and learning my triggers and how to a) minimize them and b) calm my body and mind. When my stress levels are getting too high, or I can sense my body going on overdrive, I actively try to minimize/ cut out things like alcohol, caffeine, sugar, and high-intensive workouts. These all create more stress in the body, and we don't want that if we already are in a stressful state. Instead, a walk in nature or yoga, chamomile tea, or a matcha could be better options. Keep in mind that we are all different, and one thing that is my trigger might not be yours. Other triggers I've seen working with my clients are dairy and gluten; another major one is your gut health. If you have constant problems with your skin and are having difficulty finding what's causing it, I strongly recommend you check up on your gut health.
We can't escape stressors, but we can learn how to react to them. We can create a friendlier lifestyle for our skin and overall well-being. Growing up in the Nordics, I've had the luxury of being close to nature my whole life. Being outdoors and in nature has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety, help you feel more relaxed, and improve your mood. For me, my daily walks by the sea are instant stress relief. Did you know that it has been shown that contact with water can help us come into a more meditative state that makes us happier, calmer, and more capable of awe? I know many don't have the opportunity to be close to nature daily, but we can all do something small for our overall well-being. Our daily life affects our skin health, and just by doing small daily actions to calm down and nourish our body and mind, we can boost our overall health and skin. These are some simple steps you can implement:
- Beauty Sleep - Your body – including your skin - repairs and restores itself overnight. Good sleep is vital to healthy skin; beauty sleep is not only a saying.
- Create a mindfulness practice - Taking a moment of mindfulness, meditation, or doing breathing exercises daily can also help calm your skin. It will mainly decrease your stress levels, but this can affect your inflammation levels, which in turn can affect your skin for the better.
- Eat well and hydrate enough - Give your body and skin the right tools to grow and build upon.
Besides these tips, a good skincare routine and quality supplements can help you along the way. The Nordic Adaptogen supplement by Forest Spa Finland helps your skin, boosts your mood and energy, and keeps your stress levels at ease. With the power of Nordic nature, the supplement consists of Chaga mushroom, Rhodiola Rosea, wild bilberry, and pine bark. If you have not heard about these benefits yet, don't worry, I'll tell you.
Chaga Mushroom: Chaga mushrooms have the highest ORAC score (Oxygen Radical Absorbent Capacity) for antioxidants ever recorded in any natural food. Chaga can help ease inflammation, which is directly linked to skin health. Other benefits are firming and anti-aging, protecting cells from external stressors, helps reduce acne, eczema, and rashes.
Rhodiola Rosea: Rhodiola grows in cold regions and at high altitudes in Europe and Asia. Rhodiola has long been used as a natural substance that can increase your body's resistance to stress. It can help firms and improve lines, wrinkles, and pores, supporting cellular protection to fight skin fatigue.
Wild Bilberry: Wild bilberries have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. They are filled with nutrients, antioxidants, zinc, and vitamins A, B, C, and K - you could also call them nutritional powerhouses. They can help with acne, brightening, and natural anti-aging.
Pine Bark: Pine bark is an incredibly powerful source filled with vitamins C and E, coenzyme Q10, and alpha-lipoic acid. It is particularly rich in plant compounds called polyphenols, which have many health-promoting benefits. It boosts natural hyaluronic acid production (hydrates the skin), improves elasticity, reduces skin fatigue, and improves lines and wrinkles.
"An inside-out approach to skincare is something we all need to start to live more by"
Besides the supplement, Forest Spa Finland recently launched their Nordic Adaptogen Serum. Powered by highest potency of all-natural adaptogens, which are proven to support and protect the complexion, the super-natural Nordic Adaptogen Serum promotes renewed radiance and optimal skin health. As I've mentioned before, stress instantly affects our skin, and this is where this serum comes in as a rescue. It is specially developed to help redress the impact of stress on our skin by strengthening the skin barrier, creating radiance skin, and bringing a sense of calmness to the skin and mind (the mind-body connection.) The serum gives a lovely, healthy glow and calms the skin.
I love Forest Spa Finland's philosophy; an inside-out approach to skincare is something we all need to start to live more by. If you are struggling with your skin, remember it's a journey and won't happen a night. Remembering to be patient and kind towards yourself is the most important thing - don't forget that beauty starts from within.
Jenny Jungell
Performance Coach | Founder
https://thewell-community.com/