You’ve taken steps to stay well at work — washing your hands
frequently, avoiding the vending machines, and taking the stairs instead of the
elevator. But did you know that office life can be bad for your skin, too?
Between recycled dry air, unexpected exposure to sun’s rays
and light from your computer screen, birthday cakes and happy hours, and of
course stress, there are hidden and not-so-hidden hazards that can have
negative effects on your complexion.
Here are three easy things you can do to combat these office
obstacles and achieve great skin.
Stress and Skin
Keep stress low for clearer skin.
The Doctors often talk about stress and its effects on skin.
And the office can be a breeding ground for stress. “Studies have shown that
stress-induced cortisol inhibits the body’s repair processes, decreases the
rate of wound healing, increases the risk of infection and triggers conditions
such as acne, hives, eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, warts and herpes,” they write
in their book Write Your Skin a Prescription for Change . So, taking
steps to reduce stress will benefit your skin. Here are few ways to do this.
Buy cut flowers or bring them from your garden. Being close
to nature, even if that means looking at the bushes in a park next to the
office, or flowers at your desk, can have emotional and health benefits,
including stress reduction.
Take a midday walk, or a quick yoga class. Exercise is a
well-known way to reduce cortisol levels and to clear your head. And if you
can’t get out, try breathing exercises by inhaling to a slow count of ten and
exhaling to a slow count of ten. At your desk, no one will even know.
Hydration is Key
Keep hydrated, inside and out.
You know how important hydration is for skin, hydrating from
the inside helps your whole system run smoothly and that includes keeping skin
cells plump. Try making drinking water more interesting by tossing some berries
or other fruit slices into your H2 0. Go easy on the caffeine which
can dehydrate you, exacerbating the look of fine lines and wrinkles. And
remember that sugar can increase the visible signs of aging from glycation
(when sugar reacts with proteins like collagen), so skip the sugary drinks!
Of course Active
Hydration Serum will raise skin’s hydration level by 200% after just one
use. And keep your hands and body moisturized with ESSENTIALS
Daily Body Moisturizer , which can go right in your top desk drawer.
Light and Your Skin
Be aware of photo damage — from a variety of sources.
Hopefully by now you know that sunscreen is not just for the
beach or the summer months, and that UV rays can affect our skin’s aging even
on cloudy days. But did you know that even inside you are exposed to these harmful
rays through windows? (Same goes for airplane travel.) Also know that computer
screens (and smartphones and tablets) emit “blue light” that could possibly be
damaging just like sun exposure. Photo aging is real, studies show that visible
light can affect our pigmentation . Make sure you are wearing sunscreen from
your Regimen, ESSENTIALS
Daily Body Sunscreen SPF 30 and also applying products with antioxidants
that can help fight any reaction you may have.
Healthy habits can be hard to keep up because often results may
not be immediately visible. But now is the time to think ahead and do what
keeps you and your skin feeling and looking its best in the (very near) future.
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