Can Meditation Improve Your Skin Tone? How Meditation Helps Your Skincare Routine

We wrote in an earlier blog about the benefits of exercise to the health of your skin. While it turns out that even taking a meditation break can work wonders for the health of your skin. Here's how meditation and skincare work together to get you glowing.

Amy Wechsler, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and psychiatrist and the author of The Mind-Beauty Connection says, “Sleep deprivation and negative emotions like worry, sadness and anxiety cause ‘stress aging,’ which can do even more damage to your skin than the passage of time. Inner turmoil always reveals itself on the surface, in the form of acne, lines, dullness and other visible signs. So in many ways, your skin is a reflection of your state of mind.” 

The culprit here is cortisol hormones, when you experience stress your body releases cortisol, making it harder for your skin to repair itself naturally. When your body is flooded with stress hormones it blocks the production of healthy collagen and elastin. 

Sure, stress is part of life. We can’t fully turn it off. But we can find better ways to deal with stress and stop it from showing up on our skin.

A study in the June 2018, Journal of Behavioral Medicine has shown that mindfulness and meditation can speed up the healing of cuts and improve symptoms of psoriasis. Plus all the benefits to your circulation and restorative powers of rest.

So how can you fit mindfulness into your busy life?

The best place to start is with your breathing. A simple technique is to find 5-minutes where you can concentrate on your breathing and follow a 4-7-8 breathing pattern; that means inhale for a count of 4, hold for a count of 7, and exhale to a count of 8. 

Take a time out. This is as effective for adults as it is for our kids. If you can find a quiet place to take 10 deep breaths and re-centre yourself. You’ll be amazed how quickly this can change the way you are feeling.

Be in the moment. Whenever you’re doing something enjoyable, like taking a walk, sitting outside , or just looking out the window, pause and take in the experience. Make a mental note of what you are seeing, smelling and how the experience feels. By being present in the moment you can slow down all those thoughts in the back of your mind.

Take 10. Find time every day to just slow down. Whether it’s first thing in the morning, before you go to bed or sometime during your day, finding 10 minutes of quiet time can make a huge difference.  When you make this a part of your everyday routine, it gives you a chance to park that stress and recharge your body.

A few minutes a day is all it takes to refresh your mind, and stop stress from showing up on your skin. 

If you haven’t already, why not try one of these stress busting tips right now.

Together, with regular meditation and skincare from Lexi Skin, you'll see the results written all over your glowing face.