As we continue to endure stressful times, making the most out of small rituals matters now more than ever. For skin care routines, these tiny habits that have become daily practice can help us keep busy and focus on what we can control, thus helping us destress.
And the products you use can help. Scents in the form of aromatherapy have long been used as a holistic practice to relieve stress and anxiety. According to reports, aromas stimulate your nervous system. Through this stimulation, the brain releases hormones that help regulate bodily functions like mood or sleep. But beyond scent, the practice of touching your skin as you massage products into it can also be a form of stress relief. As a mini massage, it helps relieve tension within the muscles, even if you’re not consciously aware of it.
As we find ourselves massaging our skin and taking in the scent, here are some cleansers and creams that refresh the skin and, in turn, calm it down from stress thanks to their formulations.
Clarins | Soothing Gentle Foaming Cleanser
A creamy cleanser that turns into foam, this one is especially for those with dry skin. Rich in Alpine herb extracts, shea butter, and chamomile, it cleanses the skin without stripping it of its natural oils, leaving behind skin that’s fresh and subtly scented.
Elemis | Pro-Collagen Hydrating Cleansing Mousse – Rich Replenishing Cleanser
Formulated with a soothing blend of 9 essential oils, you can smell the Lavender and Eucalyptus scents in this cleanser that work to calm stressed skin down.
Skin Regimen | Cleansing Cream
Skin Regimen’s Cleansing Cream is the kind of cleanser you reach for when your skin is feeling reactive and you want “clean” without that tight, squeaky aftermath. It’s a gentle foaming cream that lifts makeup, SPF and daily grime while keeping things comfortable, thanks to mild surfactants and a hydrating base that includes glycerin and betaine. It also features the brand’s Longevity Complex and a 100% natural fragrance, so it feels like a reset step when your barrier needs a calmer routine.
This Works | Deep Sleep Overnight Cleanser
Known for its clean beauty formulations that work to improve sleep, This Works is founded on the promise in its name. Their Deep Sleep Overnight Cleanser continues on that promise, using Oat Amino Acids and Hyaluronic Acid to give a gentle, hydrating cleanse that refreshes the skin.
Votary | Cleansing Oil – Rose Geranium & Apricot
A cleansing oil rich in fatty acids, antioxidants, and vitamin E, it takes off everything in one cleanse, while the scent of Rose Geranium soothes and relaxes the mind during the process. For an oil, it doesn’t feel tacky on the skin, and it works best for those with dry, normal, or combination skin.
Augustinus Bader | The Ultimate Soothing Cream
For those with irritated, angry skin, this cream by Augustinus Bader is a powerhouse at calming it down. With a plant-focused formulation, amino acids, and oils, this cream deeply nourishes the skin and tries to repair whatever damage stress has caused it.
AVEDA | Stress-Fix™ Body Cream
Making the most out of aromatherapy in its formulation, the Stress-Fix™ Body Cream comes with avender, lavandin and clary sage to help reduce stress. Whereas shea butter and sunflower seed oil hydrate and nourish the skin, giving a boost both inside and out.
Dear Klairs | Midnight Blue Calming Cream
This cream works in two ways. Either you can go the typical route as a moisturiser, or you can use it as a spot cream for when your skin has undergone laser treatments, long-term sun exposure, or shaving. Made with Guaiazulene, an extract from chamomile oil, and Centella Asiatica, this lightweight cream mainly works to calm inflamed or damaged skin. And when stress can lead to bloating, breakouts, and more, this formulation comes in clutch.
Kiehl’s | Midnight Recovery Concentrate Moisturizing Face Oil
Considering how the stress of this past week has also led to poor sleep, which in turn damages our skin, this face oil by Kiehl’s helps to correct the damage. With Lavender essential oil and Evening Primrose oil at the forefront, this concentrate hydrates the skin, helps reduce fine lines, and supports natural collagen while it’s massaged in.
