The stress of finals week can wreak havoc on your skin. From choosing the right products to getting sleep, you can keep your skin clearer through it all! When we were teens, we were “promised” that acne was just a phase we went through during puberty. Yet, here we are, adults, and now we get to deal with the stresses of adulting, like final exams, with breakouts, too. Or do we?
Does this scenario sound familiar? You’re going along just fine, studying for your finals, cramming in late nights, and boom. There it is — the mother of all pimples, just in time for your big day. But it doesn’t have to happen that way. Certain factors cause acne and other breakouts, and if you can avoid those triggers, you can prevent the eruptions.
Keep these five steps in mind while you go through your final exam season, and you’ll have clearer skin and one less stress to worry about!
1. Watch What You Eat
During final exam season, it’s so easy to forget about nutrition and focus on fast and easy foods.
Who has time to look for something healthy when studying is so important?
Once you understand nutrition and how it impacts your mind and body, you’ll make time for healthy eating. Taking an extra half an hour to cook a nutritious meal for yourself gives you hours of additional studying capacity.
High in sugar or caffeine, junk food gives you a short spike of energy right after consuming, but then you get the crash. Even worse, over time, these processed and greasy foods make your body sluggish.
The grease builds up under your skin and in your systems to make you feel perpetually tired. Then you feel like you need caffeine to stay awake, and you’re too tired to cook, so junk food it is! It’s an ongoing cycle until you force yourself to break it.
Besides the fatigue, the grease and blockage in your body show up in your face as breakouts. These get worse when you’re stressing over final exams.
The only way to fix this is by drinking a lot of water to flush all the toxins out of your system and start eating better. Avoid greasy, unhealthy food and stay hydrated, especially during exam season.
2. Don’t Slack on Your Hygiene
Have you caught yourself cramming so hard you wake up drooling at your desk?
If so, did you remember any of the content you’d been “reading” before you passed out.
Falling asleep over your books doesn’t do you any good. If you’re like most students, you’re trying to force yourself to keep going long beyond when you’re retaining anything.
The trick to being able to study longer is to stay active in short intervals. Keep a timer in the background to remind you when it’s time to move. This gets your blood flowing so you are more alert and retain what you’re listening to or reading.
But falling asleep without your basic hygiene is terrible for your skin, too. If you’re too tired to move to your bed, you’re not going to make it to the sink to wash the day’s debris off your face.
If you’re already prone to acne, this bedtime routine is essential to preventing breakouts. When you go to bed without clean skin, you still have any makeup and sweat on your face. Dirt, bacteria, dead skin cells, and sebum build up and cause acne.
The dirt and debris end up on your pillow and sheets when you sleep, getting back on your face again. That means one night of skipping your nighttime cleaning routine can affect you until you rewash your sheets.
3. Use the Right Products
It’s tempting to skip the regimens that help your body stay clean when you’re busy. This is a recipe for breakout-central.
If you don’t have the extra time that masks and microdermabrasion routines require, that’s fine! You just need to make sure you’re using the right products for your skin.
Not all soap is created equal. Your face needs special care because the skin is so thin and sensitive. Additionally, everyone’s skin is different. Your products should match your skin’s sensitivity, oil, and dryness level.
But going into the body wash aisle of your local department store can be overwhelming.
With so many products, how do you decide which ones to buy?
To start, you need two main cleansers: a facial wash and a body wash. These should not be the same product. Your face needs different care than your body does.
Check the ingredients on each bottle or bar. The more simple they are — the better.
Many manufacturers add fragrances and chemicals to make their products smell better, foam up, or look more attractive. None of that is necessary to prevent breakouts. Sometimes the complicated ingredients actually irritate your skin and increase your breakouts!
4. Get Restful Sleep
Ha! You may be laughing at this one.
How can you sleep when there’s so much pressure?
The key is to make sure the sleep you do get, even if it isn’t much, is restful. It’s actually okay to get by on five or six hours of sleep, as long as you do it right.
For busy college students, this isn’t always easy.
These tips may help you increase the quality of your sleep instead of focusing on the quantity:
- Go to bed and wake up about the same time every day, even on weekends. This consistency eventually trains your body’s sleep/wake cycle.
- Don’t drink caffeine or alcohol later in the day. Both of these are stimulants and, even if you don’t feel their effects, will keep your mind from resting.
- Avoid napping during the day. While you’re trying to train your body, this can be tough. Rough sleep the night before makes it tempting to take a nap the next day. This perpetuates the “no sleep” cycle, though, keeping you from getting restful slumber again that night.
Getting enough movement in during the day helps tire your body out, too. Try to wear yourself out enough that your body and mind are ready to relax by your scheduled bedtime.
The better sleep habits you have, the easier it is for your body to get rid of the toxins that cause breakouts.
5. Avoid Bad Habits
Most of us don’t turn to bad habits when things are going well. We don’t need them!
During stressful times, like final exams, we get tempted to take unhealthy shortcuts to deal with our problems. These bad habits are usually the main things that cause acne and other skin issues.
If your goal is to keep your skin clear, avoid falling into behaviours that increase stress on your body, such as:
- Consuming energy drinks
- Smoking
- Drinking alcohol regularly
- Cramming all night
- Eating junk food
This time of the year, more than any other, healthy routines and staying hydrated are essential. Do your best to keep your willpower strong and walk away from bad habits that will make your breakouts — and your stress — worse!
Conclusion
When you know the triggers for your breakouts, you can “break” the cycle. Use these tips to keep your skin clear, and your mind focused on your exams during finals season.
[Author bio]
Adam Marshall is a freelance writer who specializes in all things apartment organization, real estate, and college advice. He currently works with The Proper Raleigh to help them with their online marketing.
