Is Radiance a State of Mind?
It should be no surprise that searching “Skincare for Radiance” will produce around 38 million hits. Afterall, this is our best catch-all term for the glowing quality of skin we associate with youth and good health. But what is radiance and how do we achieve and maintain it?
See the Light
Simply stated, skin radiance results from even reflection of light. The more perfect the reflection, the greater the quality we call radiance. On the other hand, anything that causes light to scatter or be absorbed unevenly can cause skin to look dull, aged and less than healthy. Common skin issues that dim skin’s glow include:
- Lines and wrinkles
- Enlarged pores
- Flakey, dead cell buildup
- Discoloration
- Acne breakouts
- Redness from irritation
Inflammation is the culprit
What do these skin concerns have in common? They are all associated with inflammation. That’s why leading beauty industry experts have identified “anti-inflammatory skincare” as a key trend for 2022. Today, we understand this means going beyond skin deep for a holistic approach that respects the skin, body and mind connection with principles that apply to everybody, no matter what skin type, skin concern, race, ethnicity, age or gender.
All stressed out and nowhere to go
Stress can trigger inflammation in a multitude of ways. When it comes to the countless stressors associated with everyday life, it’s generally not the stressors themselves that impact our wellbeing and appearance, it’s the way that we respond to them that matters. A healthy response to stress will exercise the part of our brains that supports forward thinking, positivity and productivity. However, when we feel out of control (and who doesn’t these days?), our brains go into an alarm state or into the noisy default mode commonly referred to as “monkey mind” and start pumping out the stress hormone cortisol. While much needed when there is clear and present danger, even little stressors can trigger release of cortisol which then directs energy and nutrients away from skin, an organ that nature does not deem necessary for the fight or flight response
Your skincare routine can help manage the impact of stress
While there are no mystical creams or serums that can protect your skin from the effects of emotional stress, it is possible … and a good idea … to “habit stack” mindfulness practices into your daily skincare routine for greater resilience. When you pair mindfulness practices with products that support skin’s natural ability to defend itself against the negative effects of stress, you can get a multitude of benefits without having to spend additional time or money.
Send Your Stress Down the Drain
A mindful, integrative approach to beauty and selfcare can start with something as simple as a facial cleansing routine with Solvasa Golden Harmony Cleansing Mask. If you’re like many, you may believe that a daily mask is overkill and requires too much time. But there’s never been more reasons to change your mind; here are 5 of them:
- Natural clay base avoids exposing your skin to more aggressive surfactant cleansers, thus supporting skin’s important barrier functions.
- A clay-based mask can work for all skin types, drawing extra oil and impurities from pores but not over-drying or irritating sensitive skin.
- As the mask dries (which only takes around 2 minutes), it grabs onto dead skin cells to gently and effectively lift them away (whereas grain-based exfoliating scrubs can cause pro-inflammatory micro-tears in skin).
- Because the mask is on the skin for a couple of minutes, adaptogens like turmeric and ashwagandha and microbiome-friendly lysates have enough contact time to provide additional benefits to support skin’s natural resilience to stress.
- The 2-minute dry time is an ideal pause for a mindful breath exercise such as box breathing.
The result: A mindful start to your day with freshly refined skin that is ready to radiate wellbeing with or without makeup.
As leading Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon and Solvasa Co-Founder, Dr. Ritu Chopra says, “We used to say that when you look good, you feel better. Now we know that when you feel good, you look better.”
So when you get right down to it, achieving radiant skin may very well start with what’s going on in your head.
