IF THE current crisis is constantly on your mind, you may have noticed some changes in your body. You might be getting more break-outs when you normally have clear skin or perhaps your hair is feeling limp or falling out. Here's how anxiety can impact your body and what you can do to combat it, including some recommended products...
YOUR SKIN
Our "skin mirrors our health", says dermatologist Dr Howard Murad of Murad Skincare. "When we consider the skin and the brain are affected by the same hormones and neurotransmitters [such as the stress hormone cortisol] we can see how everything is connected."
It's an obvious point, but eating right, drinking enough water and exercising will boost your mood.
"I'm a great believer in the power of touch and facial massage," says Murad. "Touch is vital for emotional and physical health, helping to release toxins while relaxing the mind; essential when combating the effects of stress. Not only does self-massage help to drive skincare ingredients deeper into the skin, but it firms muscles, aids lymphatic drainage and calms the mind."
Instead of skipping out on your normal skincare routine, use it as an opportunity to practise self-care. Murad recommends using serums with "relaxing and reviving ingredients, such as cannabis seed oil, neuropeptides, niacinamide and hyaluronic acid".
If your sleep is disrupted, Murad says breathing techniques will help calm your body down: "All these factors can significantly reduce stress, improve moisture retention and calm the mind, which ultimately has a powerful effect on the skin."
:: Kiehl's Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil Herbal Concentrate 30ml, £40, Escentual
:: Q+A Hyaluronic Acid Facial Serum, £6.50, Prettylittlething.com
YOUR HAIR
If stress means a well-rounded diet has gone out the window, this could also be affecting your hair. "The hair texture becomes thinner when there's not enough nutrients, so eating plenty of protein and a healthy diet is key," stylist Michael Shaun Corby of Living Proof explaind. Corby's answer to boosting hair health? "Massaging your scalp. Helping the blood circulation and moving the scalp is really good for maintaining a healthy hair and scalp, helping to prevent hair loss."
Even if your hair hasn't changed in isolation, you've suddenly got a bit more time - so why not indulge in a hair mask or treatment?
:: Living Proof Dry Scalp Treatment, £25
:: Coco & Eve Like A Virgin Hair Masque, £34.90
