Watch Your Wallet…and Your Stress.

I try not to think about it too much, but everything from the stresses of daily, life to worrying about the state of the world today, can lead to a big pile of stress that will wreak havoc on your skin. Those little tiny lines in the corner of your mouth or eyes are signs that you need to step back and evaluate how you’re coping with stress before you start to see more advanced signs of premature aging.

Ron Cummings, the creator of AmnioGenesis Skin Care has developed a list of five tips to live by in order to keep stress from affecting your face:

Get some sleep. Every stage of sleep is important for dissolving free radicals, which are a big reason for early signs of aging. The second stage of sleep is when hormone levels peak and cell repair starts.

Watch what you eat. Nourish yourself properly and it’s no surprise that you will see healthier skin. When you neglect your nutrition, it’s likely that you will start to see deficiencies in vitamins and essential fatty acids. This spells disaster for your skin by blocking it’s natural ability to heal and restore itself.

Cut the habit. You might feel a wave of relaxation for a few minutes while you inhale that cigarette or sip a martini, but that short term anxiety relief is no answer in the long run. Smoking uses up vitamin C in the body, which preserves skin collagen. Heavy drinking enlarges blood vessels and depletes that healthy glow we all want.

Scrub, scrub, scrub! Don’t neglect your face when you get stressed. Thoroughly cleanse your face to eliminate clogged pores and prevent accelerated signs of aging.”At the very least,” says Ron, “wash your face every night to remove embedded dirt, makeup, and other impurities accumulated throughout the day.”

Be sunscreen smart. A skin care cream with at least SPF 15 and broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection will help reduce fine lines, wrinkles, and sun-damage – as well as prevent further damage. AmnioGenisis has a new product called Wrinkle Arrest which in addition to being recognized by the American Academy of Dermatology for it’s sun-protection benefits, is the perfect solution to pro-actively cut down on the damage your skin encounters daily from the sun.

Images: sxc.hu and Dermstore