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What Is Lifestyle Syncing Your Skin Care? The Beauty-Editor-Approved Skin Care Routine, Explained 

Alexandra Engler
Author:
September 22, 2024
Alexandra Engler
Senior Beauty & Lifestyle Director
By Alexandra Engler
Senior Beauty & Lifestyle Director
Alexandra Engler is the senior beauty and lifestyle director at mindbodygreen and host of the beauty podcast Clean Beauty School. Previously, she's held beauty roles at Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, SELF, and Cosmopolitan; her byline has appeared in Esquire, Sports Illustrated, and Allure.com.
Applying Skin Care Product
Image by MEM Studio / Stocksy
September 22, 2024
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It can feel overwhelming to know how to take care of your skin, no? Between the revolving door of social media trends and constant stream of product drops, there's no shortage of messages out there telling you that you *need* to take care of your skin in a specific way.

However, I'm going to argue that the best teacher of how to care for your skin is—well—your skin! Every day, your skin sends you messages about what exactly it's looking for based on what's happening at a given point in time. If you just pay attention to these cues, you can better support your skin health and longevity. 

That's exactly what lifestyle syncing is all about. Rather than bouncing from trendy ingredient to trendy ingredient, this skin care method is about tailoring your routine and products to what your body and skin are dealing with at that moment. 

Here's what you need to know. 

What is lifestyle + skin care syncing?

Lifestyle syncing isn't a revolutionary concept. Lots of folks practice their own version of this every day without knowing it. However, for others who feel their skin care routine is in a rut, feels stagnant, or is no longer suiting their needs, it might be the extra push you need to reach your skin care goals. 

As an overview, lifestyle syncing is tailoring your skin care routine depending on what is happening in your life at any given time. This could mean being extra gentle to the skin after a bad night's sleep, offsetting inflammation from a night out drinking, or balancing oil production during times of stress.

On the other hand, lifestyle syncing is also about knowing when to optimize your skin care routine in order to get enhanced results. 

The gist of lifestyle syncing is simply being more mindful about how day-to-day happenings influence the skin and what steps to take in order to better care for it. 

How to practice lifestyle syncing:

Lifestyle syncing is less a prescriptive skin care routine and more a framework to build your skin care routine around. It does, however, require you to be more mindful of the ways your skin reacts to triggers. 

One way to do that is through a skin care journal. No, you don't need to write page-long soliloquies about your skin, but jotting down notes day to day can help you get to know your skin a bit better. 

"Over time, [journaling] gives you a lot of clues as to what really your skin gravitates toward," says Alicia Yoon, celebrity esthetician and founder of Peach & Lily. And, alternatively, what it cannot bear. 

Related: Check out our guide to journaling and even our favorite journals.

Here, some questions to think about as you get started:

  • How do foods and drinks influence the appearance of the skin? 
  • How sensitive are you to environmental aggressors?
  • How does your skin react to lack of sleep or increased stress?
  • When you're most confident in your skin, what habits are you sticking to? 

Once you start to know your skin better, you can tailor your skin care routine to match what's happening in your life. 

Lifestyle considerations & skin care solutions

Everyone's skin types and concerns are unique to themselves. And to layer more nuance on top of that, what we deal with on a day-to-day basis is even more individualized! So there are many considerations that I haven't addressed here, as it'd be impossible to address them all. However, these health and lifestyle habits tend to have a bigger impact on the skin and may be worth adjusting your skin care routine accordingly. 

Lack of sleep

It's important to get an adequate amount of sleep for a whole litany of reasons outside of your appearance, but since we're talking about skin care in this article, that's what I'll focus on. During sleep is when the skin barrier repairs itself1, so by skimping on that precious regeneration time—the skin may suffer the consequences. 

In fact, one clinical study2 found that poor sleepers saw a 30% reduction in skin repair ability and increased transepidermal water loss. This led to a cascade of aesthetic outcomes: The researchers noted that they found statistically significant differences in the skin quality, from fine lines to sagging. 

  • The skin care solution: After a bad night's rest, help your skin deal with the repercussions by utilizing a barrier repair cream. Since the skin wasn't as able to fortify the barrier during the night, giving it an extra boost during the day can help mitigate some of the effects. I love the Ole Henriksen Strength Trainer Peptide Boost Moisturizer.

Increased stress

Stress and oil production go hand-in-hand in the body—quite literally. The hormone that triggers cortisol also triggers sebum production. So as cortisol increases in the body, oil production does as well.

For some, this can lead to acne and blemish flare-ups: "This can lead to increased oil production3 [which clogs the pores], and these lesions tend to be inflamed and sometimes painful," board-certified dermatologist and founder of Hudson Dermatology and Laser Surgery Dhaval Bhanusali, M.D., FAAD, tells mbg.

For others, they may just notice their T-zone being a bit more oil-slick. 

  • The skin care solution: Use oil-balancing ingredients such as salicylic acid, green tea extract, or niacinamide. These can help the skin manage excess oil production and reduce breakouts. In the case of green tea extracts or niacinamide, they can also deal with inflammation. 

Time outdoors

The summer is nearly upon us, which means many of us will be spending more time outdoors and exposed to the elements. This is a good thing! It's great to be outdoors! However, it does come with some potentially damaging exposure to pollution and UV rays.

Both UV rays and pollution lead to free radicals and oxidative stress. This may lead to premature aging. In fact, up to 80% of all visible signs of aging4 can be attributed to UV damage. 

Alcohol intake 

When drunk responsibly, alcohol can be a great addition to a healthy lifestyle. However, it's important to acknowledge that it has less-than-ideal consequences on the skin. Most notably, alcohol intake triggers a full-body inflammatory response6 that can show up on the skin—sometimes in the form of flushing, breakouts, and dilated blood vessels. 

  • The skin care solution: On nights I drink, I avoid any potent active that may further irritate inflamed skin (i.e., strong retinols or exfoliators). Since my body is already actively trying to temper inflammation, I don't want to add fuel to the fire. Instead, I use calming serums infused with gentle actives like oat extracts and antioxidants. Aveeno's Calm + Restore Age Renewal Serum has become my forever go-to.

When to optimize your skin care

Lifestyle syncing isn't just about countering negative influences, but it can also help you know when to amp up your skin care routine to optimize your results. 

Eating a robust diet

Fueling your body with the nutrients it needs for strong, youthful skin starts with a robust diet. "I always tell people: When you build a house, you want to build a house from the best building blocks you possibly can," says Jennifer Hanway, board-certified holistic nutritionist. "And we constantly need to be giving our bodies new building blocks to be able to regenerate our cells."

This means prioritizing amino acids through protein, antioxidants, and healthy fats. When a diet is rich in these nutrients, it means the body has an abundant supply to utilize for the skin. Take advantage of this and opt for collagen-boosting treatments and products, such as vitamins C and E. Together, vitamins C and E play a role in the collagen synthesis process, help fight free radicals, and can support the skin barrier. Skinceuticals C E Ferulic is perhaps the most famous and effective. 

Alongside strength training

Fun fact: Strength training doesn't just strengthen your muscles but also strengthens your skin! 

In a study published in Scientific Reports, scientists split up 56 healthy but inactive middle-aged Japanese women into two groups: One group completed aerobic training, and the other participated in resistance training twice a day for 16 weeks. 

The results: Both types of exercise plans improved skin elasticity and upper dermal structure; however, only resistance training was found to increase dermal thickness—and this structural integrity is crucial for supple, firm skin. Researchers specifically found molecules called biglycans in these participants' blood samples, which are linked to skin firmness7. On the flip side, they found a decrease in molecules that inhibit biglycans, like cytokines.

If you're one of the many people who have recently started a strength training program, take your skin firmness to the next level by incorporating retinol and peptides. Retinol has been shown to increase dermal thickness, and peptides support skin texture.I love Origins' Plantscription Wrinkle Correcting Serum with retinol and peptides.

After 8 hours of sleep

If you've been getting a full night's sleep consistently (lucky you!), then your natural rejuvenation processes are probably in a pretty good place. Take advantage of this by gently exfoliating the skin with acids like lactic acid, mandelic acid, or glycolic acid for a brightening boost. Dr. Idriss Major Fade Flash Mask uses both glycolic and lactic acid, which are then buffered with hydrating glycerin. 

The takeaway

If you feel your skin care routine is falling short—or just not serving you in the way your skin needs—it may be because it's not the right skin care routine for your skin at this time. Instead, tailor your skin care routine to what's happening in your life at a given time. 

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