5 feel-good habits that also support skin

All you need is a mirror to know that stress impacts the skin. Still, I love it when science comes through to back up lived experiences.

A new study mapped the specific neural pathway that connects stress to skin inflammation.¹ A group of sympathetic neurons called "Pdyn+" act as a direct line of communication between the brain and the skin’s immune system. So when the brain is on overdrive, so is the skin’s inflammation.

Fascinating, huh? Well here’s how to ease that stress—both in the brain and skin simultaneously.

1. Meditation has been shown to ease symptoms for various inflammatory skin diseases, such as eczema and psoriasis.²
2. Slow, deep breathing activates your parasympathetic nervous system, helping reduce irritation.³
3. As one of the most studied mind-body practices out there, yoga is known to significantly lower stress, improve circulation, and reduce inflammatory markers—all of which may slow the molecular drivers of skin aging.⁴
4. Not only can red light therapy reduce topical inflammation, improve skin cell turnover, and boost collagen production, it has been shown to have mood-boosting benefits.⁵
5. Regular tea consumption is shown to reduce cortisol in the body.⁶ It’s also chock-full of antioxidants that help fight free radicals and oxidative stress in the skin.

And if nothing on this list sounds relaxing to you? Just tap into your own stress-reducing techniques, be that hitting the gym or grabbing a meal with friends. The gist is: calm the system, and the skin follows.

+Inflammation control

• Research reveals why stress is so triggering for skin
• A derm-approved trick to calm skin (doesn’t cost a dime)
• Fight inflammation with these antioxidants
• What does oxidative stress really do to your skin?

Dew Tell: This is the first sign of skin aging

As the director of the Regenerative Dermatology & Skin Longevity Laboratory at the Mayo Clinic, it’s safe to consider board-certified dermatologist Saranya Wyles, M.D., Ph.D. one of the world’s foremost experts on skin longevity.

So when she talks about aging, I’m listening.

The first sign of aging skin that most people ignore? A lot more common than you might think: Increased dryness.

“The minute we start aging, our barrier, which is like a basket weave, slowly starts to open up. So that means, just at rest, you’re losing water a lot easier,” she says.

• Older adults have significantly higher baseline TEWL rates compared to younger folks.⁶
• The skin becomes drier and more fragile, which can further trigger damage.
• Eventually, this leads to structural changes in the dermis, including collagen loss.

As Wyles puts it: "So you start noticing drier, itchy skin. So pay attention to those signs, because that's your skin telling you it needs that barrier support."

+ Build your barrier

• Exactly how to support your barrier inside & out
• The 5 most critical functions of skin—barrier included
• How to fix a damaged skin barrier