Stress creeps up on all of us at the most inconvenient times. Whether personal or professional, navigating this time and juggling life's many obligations can lead to tension. Caring for a sick child, nursing a broken heart, and navigating complicated relationships all add undue anxiety.

Can each of these stressful situations truly affect your appearance as well as your mental and emotional state? It’s not in your head, the evidence is on your face. Breakouts aren’t just a teenage nightmare, pimples can pop up at the first sign of stress. And it’s not just acne - under eye dark circles, hives, eczema, frown lines, and dry skin can all be aggravated by the everyday anxiety you experience. Stress can leave you feeling and looking a little less Kate Middleton perfection and a whole lot more Kate Moss messy.

The first step to calming your complexion is calming your nerves. Luxuriate in a self-facial massage to increase circulation and lymphatic drainage, use a diffuser with relaxing essential oils, and introduce yoga and meditation into your daily routine. Most importantly, follow the Rule of Eight: drink eight glasses of water a day, get eight hours of sleep each night, and take eight cleansing breaths when you need to soothe your psyche.

But, we all have those nights when lengthy shut-eye is as elusive as the perfect fit for high waist denim. Who doesn’t have days when instead of gulping water you are chugging coffee until it is socially acceptable to switch to wine? And let’s face it, sometimes cleansing breaths get left behind as you are sprinting to meet a deadline.

When life keeps getting in the way, I turn toward a few quick and easy skin saving practices.  Each morning I start off the day by throwing a little fresh lemon in my water to get a Vitamin C boost. Throughout the day I make sure Tulsi is in my mug (and in my Toner!)- it detoxifies and helps neutralize environmental stressors. Lunch time? A bit of Turmeric incorporated into my cooking  infuses my meals with rich antioxidants that keep me looking young.  To trigger collagen production while reducing stress and anxiety, Ashwagandha supplements can be the savior.  To rescue my complexion and completely unwind in the evening, I treat myself to an at-home spa experience, savoring in Taïla’s NAVA JUNGOL Detoxifying Jungle Mask. The scent of sage soothes and relaxes, while the honey and clay work wonders on dull complexions and acne prone skin.

Don’t let stress stand in the way of your beautiful, radiant skin. Press pause on your stress, relax the mind and spirit, and give your skin the nourishment it deserves.