Here at Glow Recipe, we’re big fans of self-care. Weekend watermelon baths, face yoga, and aromatherapy skin care are just a few of our favorite things. We also fully believe that taking the time to soothe your mind and your skin is essential to keeping your complexion healthy.

Prioritizing your wellbeing is important because there are so many things in your day-to-day life that , though they might seem unrelated, actually have a big impact on your skin. Everything from work stress to skipping your daily serving of veggies can spell big trouble in the form of redness, flakes, dryness, and a generally meh look and feel to your skin.

Fortunately, there are ways to counteract these semi-unavoidable situations. Topical treatments that feature skin-soothing ingredients like PHA, chamomile, and avocado oil can work wonders when used regularly. Dermatologist Dr. Amanda Doyle also makes sure to stress that dealing with the woes of life — and the toll they take on your skin — should be approached from multiple angles. Products will help, but what will ultimately end the cycle is taking proper care of yourself. “Obviously exercise, sleeping well, drinking enough water, and meditation, all are super-helpful and translate into feeling better and overall improved appearance of the skin.”

With that in mind, read on to learn what can cause your skin to go off the rails and what you can do to bring it back to its happy place.

Stress

If you’re feeling overworked at your job or are under pressure in other facets of your life, that can often show on your skin. “Generally, what we see are signs of over-exhaustion, so the skin can get really dehydrated,” Dr. Doyle says. You can also see a proliferation of dead skin and a dull appearance. In this case, a hydrating mask, like our original Avocado Melt Sleeping Mask, is a great option. It uses soothing avocado fruit extract, butter, & oil, plus nourishing manuka honey to replenish skin while you sleep. To help counteract that dullness, it also features PHA, the gentle giant of exfoliating acids — it has a larger molecular structure than other acids, so it’s safe for even the most sensitive skin types.

Not Enough Sleep

If you’re stressed out, chances are you’re also not getting enough sleep. Don’t worry, you’re not alone: “The reality is that lack of sleep will happen to all of us at one point in our lives,” Dr. Doyle says. “If anyone’s ever had a few nights in a row where they just didn’t sleep so well, you see that shows itself in terms of our energy level, but also the way we look.” This can include dull and dry skin, but Dr. Doyle says one of the biggest complaints she receives from patients is circles under the eyes. “Naturally, we lose volume in that area over time no matter what, and some people are just genetically predisposed to it, but lack of sleep certainly can contribute to and emphasize the appearance of the undereye area.”

To treat those dark circles and bags, Dr. Doyle recommends using a hydrating eye treatment that’s specifically formulated to be safe for the delicate eye area. Glow Recipe’s Avocado Melt Retinol Eye Sleeping Mask includes ingredients that will help wake your skin up, like coffeeberry, encapsulated retinol, niacinamide, and antioxidants including Vitamins C and E.

Poor Diet

Eating unhealthily — i.e. too much processed foods and not enough fresh produce and whole grains — can lead to a lot of health issues that can affect your complexion. They cause your body to be out of balance, which can show itself in a lot of different ways. “When we don’t have the proper ingredients or the right amount of protein, that can compromise collagen production,” Dr. Doyle says. Collagen is what keeps your skin firm and supple, meaning less fine lines and wrinkles. 

Eating healthy is the best way to provide your body with the fuel it needs to optimize your skin’s natural anti-aging functions, but there are additional steps you can take to address that collagen loss — the most effective of which is adding a retinol to your routine. The new Avocado Melt Retinol Sleeping Mask is a great option, especially if your skin isn’t used to the sometimes-harsh ingredient. It includes an encapsulated version, which allows for a gradual release of the collagen-boosting ingredient, giving you the age-delaying benefits without the irritation. In combination with a topical antioxidant and sunscreen (the cult-favorite, sell-out Make P:rem Defense Me Blue Ray Sun Gel is the perfect partner), it “can be really helpful for maintaining the appearance of the skin,” Dr. Doyle says.

Urban Pollution

If you live in a city, you also have to consider how your environment might affect your skin. As Dr. Doyle points out, “Our face is exposed to the elements far more than any other part of our body,” so protecting it by way of wearing an antioxidant every day is important. “It helps to shield us from some of the damaging effects of pollution over time,” she says. Free radicals from pollution can result in everything from a damaged skin barrier to clogged pores. Vitamin C is her personal favorite antioxidant, which is a key ingredient in the Pineapple-C Bright Serum.

Travel

Speaking of environments, changing yours can also be stressful on your skin. Dr. Doyle recommends keeping up with your regular routine when you travel and utilizing products that help to combat travel issues like change in climates and different mineral content in water (which can lead to breakouts and dullness). The Blueberry Bounce Gentle Cleanser is the perfect travel product because not only is it a three-in-one makeup remover, cleanser, and deep detox mask; it also keeps skin hydrated, balanced, and prepped for the rest of your routine.

You may not be able to completely avoid stressing out your skin, but these pro tips and products can make it a whole lot easier to soothe those issues when they happen.