Did You Know: Your Mindfulness Practice Is Directly Connected To Your Skin's Well-Being.
Mindfulness has long been the unsung hero of the beauty space. Big-box companies and corporations have been pushing synthetic products as solutions to common and very treatable skin issues like dry or oily skin for generations, without regard to the skin’s natural chemistry – or the state of the person experiencing them.
Guess what? The root cause of many skin problems today such as acne flare ups and eczema can be attributed to this one major factor: stress. When stress is paired with harsh chemicals found in many of the skincare products on the market today, you’ve got a recipe for repeat problem spots and breakouts.
When we experience higher than normal amounts of stress, our bodies release elevated levels of cortisol, causing our adrenal glands to kick into overdrive and begin producing increased amounts of oil and sebum. This in turn can lead to clogged pores, flare-ups and other unpleasant skin issues.
How Mindfulness Alleviates Skin Issues
It’s easy to fall into a pattern when stress is on the table: you get stressed, your skin breaks out, you reach for a high-octane over the counter product to zap your zits away. But without tackling the underlying cause of your breakout – your stress – those flare ups and problem areas will keep sprouting back up. Not to mention your skin will eventually begin to react unfavorably to that overly-powerful cocktail of chemical products.
First things first: replace any synthetic or chemical products in your beauty cabinet with naturally cleansing and hydrating products, like this amazing Coconut Milk Polish & Soak or our best-selling Detoxifying Charcoal Soap. By choosing products that actively nourish your skin, you’re already taking steps to washing away stress and worry.
What Are The Benefits Of Mindfulness?
Pairing a mindfulness practice with sustainable, whole-ingredient based skincare products is the only holistic solution to soothing stress-based skin issues. Luckily with the growing popularity of mindfulness practices, there are numerous ways to tackle your stress-induced skincare woes head-on.
Mindfulness can reduce stress and anxiety, leaving you with better peace of mind and a greater ability to concentrate – and relax! Less cortisol in your body means a greater sense of ease overall.
Mindfulness makes us more aware of our bodies and sensations. When we’re operating in a constant fight or flight state of being, our nerves and our sense of physical perception are on high alert. This means that even the most minor of sensations, like a rumble of hunger or feelings of sleepiness, can become overwhelming. Being mindful allows us to recognize those feelings for what they are.
Mindfulness can help improve sleep quality. If you experience racing thoughts at the end of the day, you might want to give mindfulness a shot. Adding in just a few minutes of mindfulness practices, like meditation, quiet sitting, mindful movement and even a simple walking meditation has been proven to help settle the mind.
Try This: The 3-Minute Body Scan
We get it – you’ve got a busy schedule. That’s why we love the 3-Minute Body Scan, which has been proven to pack in all the benefits of mindfulness meditation into a short period of time. Try this in the morning after getting ready for the day, during your lunch break, or before bed at night to help you wind down.
The Body Scan is specifically designed to help you find grounding and peace within your body by asking you to focus on various parts of yourself like your hands, feet, eyes and mouth, and then gently asking yourself to relax them in turn.
We love this 3-Minute Body Scan script from Calm, a mindfulness and meditation app. You can try this exercise sitting in a chair, laying down or on your side, or any other position that is comfortable for you.
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Set the mood: light a candle, dim the lights, and mist yourself with the aromatic benefits of lavender and ylang in our Rejuvenate Calmative Mist.
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Play the recording for your 3-Minute Body Scan meditation.
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Breathe deep as you sit quietly and reflect for a minute or two.
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Take note of how you feel – was anything challenging or difficult? Do you feel any differently, or were there some sensations you weren’t aware of before the meditation?
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Schedule a time to repeat the exercise tomorrow – you’ll be glad you did!
A good mindfulness practice requires holistic support from other rituals in your life, like mindful movement and clean, natural beauty practices. Our products help you live authentically and adventurously through our whole, natural ingredients. There’s no better time to start living cleanly and boldly, and more mindfully, than today!