You never know what life is going to throw your way during the course of the day — professionally, romantically, and everything in between.
While life can be unpredictable (at best), the ups and downs you face with your skin can be a little more manageable. Similar skin patterns evolve throughout the course of your standard work-week, and once you take note of these recurring situations you can act accordingly. Do you feel like your skin usually looks good on Fridays, but kind of dull and lack-luster on Thursdays? Does it seem like you always break-out on Tuesdays?
Read on to find out what your skin is experiencing every day of the week, why, and what you can easily do to soothe and nourish it, so that no matter what day it is ? you?re covered, and you?re sitting pretty.
Monday?s Skin Concern:Tired Skin
According to the mental-health organization Mind, a whopping 71% of the population experiences ?Sunday Blues?. If you are depressed about the prospect of going back to work, it can result in a night of tossing and turning, and your skin cannot hide the signs of being tired. Dark circles, dryness, and acne break-outs can all result from this combination of stress and exhaustion. (In fact, a study recently showed that women who are perpetually tired have more lines, wrinkles and dark-spots than their well-rested counter-parts.)
What to do?
Combat your skin?s case of the Mondays with a depuffing, soothing eye-cream and a tinted, hydrating sunscreen packed with antioxidants that will nourish and camouflage your needy skin.? Both the eye-cream and the sunscreen will help fake the appearance of happy, healthy skin. ?
Keep your pores pristinely clean so that no matter if you?re awake all night long, break-outs will not be in your near-future. Applying a strong Benzoyl Peroxide cream to your trouble areas before you get into bed will insure that your pores are flushing themselves out while staying clean and clear.
Tuesday?s Skin Concern: Clogged Pores
As the work week builds up, your stress level inevitably increases. When your anxiety level grows, so does your oil production.
Additionally, stress combined with poor sleeping habits leads to an interruption in your skin?s natural exfoliating / renewing process, which makes your pores more susceptible to the bacteria lurking on your work computer, phone, mouse, etc.
What to do?
Fortunately, there are many skin care products to help you get through situations like this with perfect skin intact. Begin by using a gentle, exfoliating cleanser that contains pore-purifying ingredients like Salicylic, Glycolic, Alpha-Hyrdoxy or Beta-Hydroxy Acid. (Some great choices are the Porification Face Wash, SkinCeuticals LHA Cleansing Gel, or SkinMedica’s AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser.)?
These ?chemical? exfoliators force your skin to rid itself of debris that may clog your pores, while leaving your skin with a healthy glow.
For specific problem areas like your chin or right-cheek (do you frequently rest your phone against your face when you?re talking? Or, do you lean your face on your hands as you think? A million subconscious things you do throughout the day can inadvertently transfer bacteria to your face.) you can use SkinCeutical?s Blemish + Age Defense Serum as a spot treatment to make sure every part of your face stays clear and happy. (If needed, this serum can also be used all over your entire face.)
Wednesday?s Skin Concerns: Lines + Wrinkles
Do you know what your ugliest time of the week is?
Studies show that 3:30pm on Wednesday are when we look our most haggard. A scary thought, but not all surprising — as we get deeper into the work week, any office-related aging / stress compounds itself.
Repeatedly squinting at computer screens, frowning in concentration, coffee overload and dry air can all make your crow?s feet and forehead lines look more pronounced. In addition, to add insult to injury, copy machines, microwaves and overhead lighting all emit low-level UV rays which contribute to the ongoing break-down of collagen.
What to do?
Protect and hydrate! Loading up on sunscreen and moisturizer (or better yet, a moisturizing sunscreen) in addition to drinking lots and lots of water can do wonders at correcting any mid-week beauty sappers.
?Your skin needs more hydration to fight against the dry air being pumped into the building (for either heat or Air Conditioning), and the extra moisture will keep your skin supple no matter how many times a day you smile, raise your eyebrows, roll your eyes, or otherwise force your face to move.
A good sunscreen will deflect any damage secretly being emitted from your various work devices, in addition to protecting your skin while in transit back and forth to work, or even when innocently sitting next to a window.
Bonus points for also moisturizing and sun screening your hands and d?colletage ? those areas are subject to all of the offenses as your face, and as time goes by they will also show the signs of aging wear-and-tear.
Thursday?s Skin Concerns: More signs of aging (from a bad diet?)?
When it comes to diet resolutions during the work-week, Mondays are akin to the first couple of weeks after New Years. Your resolution is the strongest at the on-set, only to slowly dissipate as time goes by.
On a Monday you are more likely to abstain from the birthday cupcakes, bagels, or candy dish offered at the office. ?Come Thursday however, when you?re more tired, stressed, and running on lower levels of self-control, ?it is harder to wheel your-self back in and abstain from those diet-breaking food traps. ?
Don?t beat yourself up too badly about this ? it happens to everyone. However, your skin might be paying the ultimate price through the aging Glycation process. Glycation occurs as your body breaks down carbs and sugars. As sugar molecules are digested, they attach themselves to your skin cell?s, creating tired, dull, and saggy skin. It is a horror I hate to contemplate, but studies show that eating sugar does speed up the aging process.
What to do?
To prevent undue aging from terrible dietary habits, I personally rely heavily on SkinCeuticals A.G.E. products. Available in two different formulas; A.G.E. Eye Complex meant specifically for the under-eye area, and A.G.E. Interrupter for the entire face, the A.G.E. products specifically address and prevent the effects of glycation. Sweet!?
Friday?s Skin Situation: Complexion Calming
TGIF! The happiness people feel when the weekend is thisclose naturally decreases your stress-levels. The beauty benefit of this is that stress related skin complications — wrinkles, dry skin, break-outs — are also minimized.
What to do?
Nothing! Enjoy your glow, and make sure you are still applying SPF. (This tinted SPF-50 formula by SkinCeuticals has the consistency of water, and makes a perfect primer before makeup application.)
(If you?re going out tonight, drink lots and lots of water throughout the day to prevent dehydration ? a major cause of hang-overs ? from ruining your Saturday.)
Saturday?s Skin Situation: Continue to enjoy that weekend glow!
Ahhhh, you?ve waited all week for this! Saturdays are for sleeping in, lounging around, and doing whatever you please. When you?re feeling relaxed, your skin will be too.
What to do?
Take advantage of your relaxed, happy skin. No stress means no inflammation, and no inflammation means that products will absorb and penetrate better into your skin. Any anti-aging or skin-perfecting products that you use will be especially effective today. ??
Sunday?s Skin Concern: The Hang-Over, part YOU
Last night?s pregame, main festivities, and after party (complete with drunken snacking before bed) was exactly what you wanted at that moment, but now ? in the harsh, harsh light of day ? those choices may not seem as wise.
In addition to a queasy stomach and pounding head, you may notice that your skin looks duller and older than usual. Alcohol dehydrates you while increasing the production of free-radicals that attack and destroy collagen. (Why is everything that?s fun, bad for your skin?!)
On top of your dry, dull, potentially more wrinkly looking skin, you also have to contend with the fact that tomorrow starts the work week all over again?
What to do?
A greasy egg sandwich might be the perfect cure to settle your stomach, but you also need to find the ultimate hangover cure for your skin.
SkinMedica?s TNS Essential Serum might just be exactly that ? it?s a two-in-one produce. One of the pumps contains growth-factors which stimulates collagen production, and the other pump has antioxidants and peptides that fight free-radical damage and keep your skin healthy and tight. When you mix the two together and apply them to your skin, you?re basically putting every healthy thing possible on to your face. (Aside from sunscreen!) ?
?In addition to a healthy serving of TNS, make sure to drink lots of water and get as much sleep as you can. Your skin?s going to need as much TLC as possible to face another work-week cycle?
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