Skin is the largest organ in your body and as such plays various important roles. It is an important protective mechanism of your body as well as one of the five sense organs. Keeping your skin healthy thus becomes imperative. Many times we come across the term “Flawless Skin”. It is usually used to describe your face. Not just females but nowadays even males are into skincare and there are numerous products in the market which promise both the genders flawless skin. But contrary to the common belief skin health is not just restricted to facial skin but other parts of the body too.
Now as your life becomes hectic and the professional stress increases, this takes a toll on your skin health too. Added to this is the long hours of travel that subject your skin to harmful substances like smoke and dust along with pollutants. This deteriorates your skin quality even further. Skincare is often a neglected aspect especially if you are a busy female who has other pressing issues on her mind, and even though you want to take care of your skin you may not be able to because of your hectic work schedule. What can you do in such a situation? How can you proceed with your skincare when you are running a lack of time?
Read further to understand some simple tips for busy women which may help you get that flawless glow back.
Introduction
Skincare is vital for women for various reasons but before proceeding further let us have a look at why is it neglected? the usual reason that women come up with is “time”. You are so busy working towards either your family, your career, or both that, time for yourself is the last thing on your mind. You need to understand that you will never get time for yourself. You need to make time for yourself, similarly, you even need to make time to keep your skin healthy!
Today women are employed in all the diverse professional fields from health care workers to sports athletes and from engineers to travel bloggers. Every profession comes with its challenges and issues. Keeping up with them is difficult especially when you want to excel in your field and are willing to go to any lengths to do it.
It involves a lot of stress. Some studies show that psychological stress may be an acquired factor affecting the expression of dermatitis and stress associated with an unsightly skin condition can increase stress-reactive dermatoses, such as eczema or psoriasis. (1,2) So you are basically stuck in the never-ending stress – skin conditions – stress loop. It has also been reported that skin conditions lower the quality of life and result in the loss of confidence which negatively affects social activities and workplace functioning in adult females. (2)
Apart from this being females, we are blessed with the hormones progesterone and estrogen which cause havoc every month in our body. Studies have shown that skin conditions like dermatitis, psoriasis, acne, etc. may be exacerbated during the premenstrual or perimenstrual phase. Also, the permeability of the skin barrier is greater just before menstruation which makes it more susceptible to effects of both environmental allergens as well as general irritants. As a result, acne and eczema are very common during PMS. (3)
Environmental factors are another important aspect that affects the skin. As stated earlier the pollution and climatic conditions unknowingly affect skin health. Air pollutants account for aging, oxidative damage, and inflammatory allergic reactions leading to skin conditions like dermatitis and acne due to the impaired functions of DNA, proteins, and lipid biomolecules. (4)
Thus, taking into account all these conditions skincare becomes a need of the hour for women today.
Let us see what are the simple and practical skincare tips for women who are killing it 9 to 5 and beyond!
8 Practical Skincare Tips for Busy Women
Drink enough Water
Our body is made up of 70% of water. Water not only helps wash away the dirt and debris from your skin surface but also helps in cleansing the skin cells internally. It flushes out toxins from the body and helps keep your skin well hydrated. It is commonly seen that dehydration leads to dull and dry skin. The skin becomes tight, flaky, or itchy. It is recommended that you drink at least 4 to 5 liters of water daily for the optimum health of your skin.
Importance of Micronutrients
Vitamins A, C, and D and minerals like zinc, selenium, and copper are vital for skin health. From promoting wound healing to protecting from UV radiations, they play various roles for the benefit of your skin. Some of these micronutrients also function as antioxidants and help in getting rid of the free radicles which cause premature skin aging. Intake of micronutrients in sufficient quantities through diet thus becomes important. (4) If you feel that your diet may be deficient in these micronutrients you can take daily supplementation of a multivitamin tablet after consultation with your dermatologist.
Workouts
It isn’t a hidden fact that working out releases endorphins or feel-good hormones. These are essential to reduce the daily stress that we go through in our life. Stress may cause acne and skin breakout. Thus, working out daily will not only reduce your stress but may also help keep your skin acne-free. Also, as you work out and sweat the skin pores get cleared and it helps in removing any dirt which may have accumulated on the skin. It is therefore important to also take a bath immediately after a workout.
Power of Sleep
Proper sleep is important to relieve your stress and freshen you up for the next day. Not only that sleep helps in the recovery and repair of the body as well as the skin. Lack of sleep also increases cortisol which is a stress hormone that is as you may have guessed correctly by now harmful for your skin health. It is recommended that a healthy adult gets six to seven hours of undisturbed sleep daily.
Sparing use of Cosmetics
No matter what companies claim, cosmetics are but chemicals and chemicals are harmful to the skin. Many of you may find it difficult to go without makeup every day and with the rising number of makeup products one is likely to get tempted. It is necessary to remove makeup before you sleep as it clogs the pores. Also, the quality of the makeup products cannot be neglected for the same reason.
Remember beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder and you do not need to hide your true self behind the mask of makeup products. Try ditching those at least twice a week and see the difference.
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Skin Hygiene
It is not always easy to cover our face when we get out of our house and with the growing urbanization comes pollution. The air quality is deteriorating rapidly nowadays. It thus becomes important to wash your face with a gentle cleanser to keep dust and dirt particles settling on your skin. Make sure that you wash your face at least 3 to 4 times a day and pat it dry with a soft towel. Do not be very rough on your skin. If your skin is oily exfoliate it with a scrub 2 to 3 times a week.
Skin Protection
The sunlight consists of harmful UV rays. These have been suggested as a potent force in skin aging. Collagen is a major constituent of the upper layer of the skin and is necessary to maintain skin structure. Exposure to UV irradiation dramatically decreases dermal collagen content, resulting in skin aging or delayed wound healing. (5) To protect your skin from this damage, make sure you use sunscreen before stepping out into the sun. the inorganic ingredients in sunscreens scatter the radiation away from your skin. Preferably use a broad-spectrum sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB rays and get an spf between 30 to 50.
Mental Health and Skin
Mental health influences your skin health. It is rightly said that a healthy mind in a healthy body. Eat well, keep smiling. Taking care of your mental health may sound easy but may not always be. Do what makes you happy and satisfied. Practice mindfulness habits, write a journal, meditate, talk to your friends or just go out for a walk in the morning. Your skin is a reflection of your inner self. Keep this inner self happy always.
Now that you know what it takes to get that flawless glow don’t let your work burden you down, and get the skin you want. For any skin conditions, it is recommended that you consult your dermatologist for expert suggestions.
Comment below your thoughts about skincare and your skincare routine. Remember filters are great but great skin is better!
Author: Dr Pooja Nilgar (Content writer and editor)
Reference articles
- Chuh, A., Wang, W. and Zawar, V., 2006. The skin and the mind. Australian family physician, 35(9), p.723.
- Chilicka, K., Rogowska, A.M., Szyguła, R. and Taradaj, J., 2020. Examining quality of life after treatment with azelaic and pyruvic acid peels in women with acne vulgaris. Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 13, p.469.
- Raghunath, R.S., Venables, Z.C. and Millington, G.W.M., 2015. The menstrual cycle and the skin. Clinical and experimental dermatology, 40(2), pp.111-115.
- Park, K., 2015. Role of micronutrients in skin health and function. Biomolecules & therapeutics, 23(3), p.207.
