There are many reasons why skin can break out – ever considered your colleagues are to blame?
There are many reasons why skin can break out, become dull and lose elasticity, but did you ever consider your colleagues may be to blame? Here, botanically based health and wellness expert Arbonne, offers some top tips on how to combat dull office skin and ensure it is protected from colleagues’ bad habits!
Air Con
When it comes to staying cool in the office, there is usually one colleague who is more dependent on the air con than anyone else. However, this can be detrimental to everyone’s skin. Air con is incredibly drying and can leave skin sore and lips cracked. Increased exposure to the air conditioning can leave skin looking much older than its years, so protecting against this is crucial.
Caffeine overload
When a colleague offers to make a round of drinks it becomes second nature to accept. However, the caffeine in coffee and tea dehydrates the skin, which can contribute to premature ageing. Instead of accepting the third coffee of the day, why not opt for a herbal tea? These can be a great addition to any diet, as they count towards the daily recommended fluid intake and help to restore moisture in the skin. Additionally, the high amount of antioxidants in drinks such as green tea will help to keep the skin clear and blemish free.
Afternoon snacking
Who doesn’t love a 4pm pick me up? However, this sweet treat sugar increase can be damaging to skin, causing breakouts and redness. Sugar causes inflammation, which can break down the natural collagen in the skin helping to accelerate the ageing process. But if you’re hungry, avoiding that afternoon snack may be tricky. So if saying no is too hard, try keeping healthy snacks on hand as an alternative. Nuts and fruit will curb sugar cravings, whilst keeping skin looking naturally radiant and breakouts at bay.
Stress
In the workplace there are many contributing factors to stress, and colleagues can be a big one! When the body gets stressed it releases bacteria, which can manifest itself in blotchy red breakouts in the form of acne. After a stressful day, it is important to switch off and let the body relax, regaining the balance in hormones. Arbonne’s Rescue & Renew Detox Mask (£43) contains rosemary oil to aid relaxation and the mask also cleanses the skin to draw out impurities; ensuring stress doesn’t show on the face!
After work drinks
It’s common office culture to get roped into after work drinks during the week. After all, Thursday is the new Friday. However, increasing the body’s alcohol intake during the week could leave skin dehydrated, affecting the elasticity and skin tone. As well as being high in sugar, alcohol is a diuretic and, as a result, leaves skin looking dull and pores more obvious. If after work drinks are unavoidable, it helps to hydrate with lots of water during the evening and apply an intensive night cream before bed to prevent premature ageing.
