Folks, it’s that time of the year again – when libraries are open twenty-four-seven and filled with students, books, and coffee mugs. We can all relate when finals (and stress) roll around and suddenly the motivation to do anything else (especially laundry) recedes. Despite the lack of will to really do anything but eat, study, and breathe, there is one thing that I urge everyone to pick up some motivation to do: Take care of your skin!
Stress is one of the things that your skin is constantly battling, and you can help ease this prolonged struggle by making small but effective changes in your daily life. Hopefully, these five tips will help your skin stay hydrated, smooth, and healthy in the weeks to come!
1. DRINK UP
Keeping hydrated is the key to maintaining good-looking skin, especially during times of stress and sleeplessness. Drinking water, or tea for something with flavour (other beverages may need to wait!) is your safest bet, as there are no additional preservatives or sugar added. Drinking large amounts of water or tea clears up the skin, and prevents the prominence of dullness, pores, and wrinkles. Vancouver gets extremely dry during the December finals season, so increasing water intake can moisturize your skin and retain its elasticity.
Fun tip: as university students, keeping a low budget is priority. I am a big fan of purchasing a box of teabags, stuffing several of them into my backpack, and then heading to Irving to grab a cup and hot water at Ike’s. They have free hot water refill, which is definitely cheaper than the large-size coffee you usually get! Also, certain types of tea are caffeinated, so it can be a healthier replacement for coffee.
2. MAINTAIN THAT SKIN ROUTINE
Like chapped lips, dry skin (or combination, or oily skin) needs to be moisturized. Finding a suitable moisturizer, like getting a good chapstick for your lips, is crucial. In general, there are three types of moisturizers that we usually see on the market: cream moisturizers, gel moisturizers, and hydrating mists. Cream moisturizers are high in moisture, and are catered to those with extremely dry skin that is prone to itchiness and redness, while gel and mists are most widely used by those who have combination or oily skin. Other than using a suitable moisturizer for your skin, washing your face with cleanser is also a key step to keeping your skin healthy and glowing during finals season (and beyond). Try to wash your face twice a day, and use a moisture-locking face wash (a strong one for dry skin, and a milder one for combination and oily skin).
3. CUT OUT THE JUNK FOOD!
… And coffee, but we all know that’s not a likely option (tea does work out as a good alternative for that caffeine boost, though!) Snacks and other convenient foods are quick and easy to access, and are a stressful university student’s favorite. However, the excess oil, salt, and sugar intake puts a toll on our skin; so, in addition to sticking to a good skincare routine, eating healthy is crucial for maintaining nice, healthy skin. Crunchy snacks with excess flavouring and oil cause breakouts, and sweets and chocolate can lead to a larger buildup of toxins inside the body. We all need our comfort food once in a while, so the best thing to do is to limit the snacks to a once-weekly or end-of-exam treat! What I usually do when I crave snacks is to drink two mouthfuls of tea for every bite I take!
4. SLEEP
This may be one of the hardest things on the list to do, but it is a major factor in improving skin quality during finals season! Sufficient amounts of sleep is revitalizing not only to the brain (and exam performance!), but also to your skin, allowing it to rest. Without enough sleep, your skin is prone to wrinkles, dark spots, discolouration, and dark circles, and these may take more effort to get rid of after finals season, than to prevent during. Create a sleep schedule that allows you to get at least seven hours of sleep every night, and at least seven hours of study time during the day. You can even slip in a short thirty-minutes-or-so nap in between! Though the hardest to achieve, this tip is all-rounded as it can boost performance and skin quality all at once.
5. BREAKOUT REMEDIES
Acne is definitely a prominent sight when stress and anxiety is piling up, along with unhealthy eating and lack of sleep. Tea tree oil is the most common remedy for treating acne, and there are many tea tree products on the market catered towards different skin types. For acne-prone skin due to exam stress, the combination of using a mild face cleanser for sensitive skin, and a mild gel-type moisturizer is a basic step to heal painful breakouts. Try to find a mild, foam-type cleanser that is both suitable for sensitive skin and has a good moisture-locking function. Finish the basic routine off with a gel-type moisturizer to prevent the skin from getting too dry after the wash.
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We hope these simple tips will help revitalize your skin – good luck with exams!
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