When you're stressed, your skin can react in all kinds of ways. But what if we told you the common Western approach to wellness might not be helping?
We break down an alternative approach to wellness, explaining how it can be used to elevate your self-care and skincare.
Key Takeaways
- In the West, relaxation is often treated as a reward, or something to be optimized.
- But in other cultures, it's seen as something foundational to overall wellness.
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Jamu is an ancient wellness tradition that has been practiced in Indonesia for thousands of years.
- It refers to herbal tonics, but also to a general practice of staying connected to yourself, your community, and the natural world around you.
- That holistic approach to wellness can help you support yourself and your skin.
- It also informs high-quality skincare products, which can help calm stressed skin.
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Calming Skincare
Metta Murdaya, co-founder of JUARA Skincare, says:
"Wellness looks very different in Indonesia than in the West. The lessons from Indonesia's centuries-old wellness tradition can help you support your overall health, including your skin health."
Sometimes it can feel like our skin breaks out at the most inconvenient time, when we're already overwhelmed. But if your skin feels irritated when you're stressed, it's not a coincidence.
Our skin health is intimately connected to our overall health and wellness. General stress can become reflected in our skin: irritated skin, inflamed skin, reactive skin...
Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to support stressed skin. Sensitive or irritated skin can often benefit from high-quality skincare products, which we'll discuss later.
But if your sensitive skin is reacting to general stress, you might need to go more than skin deep. Chances are, you could use a self-care upgrade.
The Problem With Western "Relaxation"
In Western culture, relaxation isn't always treated as a necessity. Instead, it's often viewed as a reward.
Relaxation is something you earn through hard work. It's something to look forward to, to motivate you to push through the pain and make it to the end of the week.
Meanwhile, the grind is widely celebrated. Putting off relaxation to get more stuff done is widely seen as a good thing, something to be proud of.
This principle can even turn relaxation and self-care into a challenge. They need to be optimized, perfected, done the right way.
Under this framing, our body's warning signs are something to be brushed aside. Uneven skin tone? Skin irritation? No time for that; stay focused on the tasks ahead.
You can deal with all that when you're done.
The problem is twofold. First, self-care isn't optional. It's not a reward.
Instead, self-care is absolutely crucial to overall health and wellness. These things are, of course, intrinsically valuable. But if you had to justify them, you could point out that wellness is necessary for you to function at your best.
That leads to the second point. Ignoring or pushing through stress is damaging in the long run.
Stress and a Compromised Skin Barrier
That's true in many ways. Our skin is often one of the first places stress manifests.
If you've ever dealt with stress, you likely know this already. You might have experienced visible redness, an uneven tone, or other changes to your skin's surface.
When you're stressed, your body releases certain hormones, like cortisol. These cause a variety of effects throughout the body. Those effects can undermine the functioning of your skin barrier.
Your skin's natural barrier is absolutely crucial. It's a protective layer that keeps out potentially harmful substances and is also vital for moisture retention.
When your skin barrier function is undermined, you can experience a wide range of problems. One common issue is dehydrated skin, because the barrier becomes less able to prevent water loss.
Compromised skin barrier function can be particularly difficult for people with reactive skin conditions, like those with eczema-prone skin or acne-prone skin.
Worse, an undermined skin barrier can also interfere with your skin's regeneration processes.
Your skincare routine can support skin barrier function and skin healing. But it should form one part of a holistic wellness routine.
Explore More: 8 Ways to Get Rid of Puffy Eyes
Another Way: Indonesia's Ancient Wellness Tradition
Thousands of years before wellness became a global industry, communities in Indonesia approached it very differently. They followed an ancient tradition, still alive today, called Jamu.
All About Jamu
Jamu refers to herbal tonics crafted from natural ingredients. People would blend them for each other, with different combinations used to address different problems.
These tonics combined potent botanical ingredients, like turmeric, ginger, and candlenut. Today, modern research has confirmed the potential health benefits of these ingredients.
Jamu also refers to the general approach to wellness. It isn't a reward or something to optimize.
Instead, wellness is a collection of daily self-care rituals. It's something you do often, for yourself and for others. It's a way of connecting with yourself, your community, and the nature around you.
"Jamu is more than just an herbal healing tradition," explains JUARA co-founder Metta Murdaya. "It's a lifestyle based on a community of people who believe in being super in touch with your own senses and surroundings."
That's a very different way of approaching wellness and self-care. But when you think about it, it's actually quite intuitive.
After all, wellness is a foundation, not a reward. It's what helps you be your best self. Of course, you should stay in touch with it as much as you can.
You can probably see how this approach to wellness could support long-term skin health.
Indeed, skincare looks very different in Indonesia, compared to the US.
"We look at skin and beauty as an expression of not only how we look on the outside, but really how we feel on the inside," explains JUARA co-founder Metta Murdaya. "When we talk about skin care, yes, it is about smoothing skin, reducing redness, and plumping skin. That's all very valid. But there's an element of, 'How are you feeling?' 'How are you taking care of yourself?'
Ingredients for Calm Skin and Barrier Repair
Just as your skin is often the first place stress shows up, your skincare is a great place to start with this holistic approach to wellness. After all, skincare can often double as self-care.
That's especially true if you're looking to support stressed skin. That involves using products with skin-soothing ingredients.
These ingredients should soothe irritation, deeply hydrate, and protect from environmental stressors. They should also be blended into high-quality products that are a pleasure to use.
You can use such products in simple rituals of self-care. For example, massaging your hands with a natural body oil. Or taking a moment to smell your favorite perfume oil.
Let's discuss a few ingredients to look out for.
Essential Fatty Acids
Essential fatty acids are a crucial component of your skin barrier. If you imagine your barrier as a brick wall, fatty acids form the mortar holding everything together.
Research suggests that topical application of essential fatty acids can support skin barrier repair.
JUARA's Candlenut Glow Body Oil contains candlenut oil. It's rich in omega fatty acids, which are important for skin health. This is blended with other potent natural oils, like passion fruit oil and moringa oleifera.
Turmeric
Turmeric, or specifically its bioactive compound curcumin, has anti-inflammatory properties. Curcumin can support skin hydration, acne breakouts, and dark spots, and has powerful antioxidant properties.
JUARA's Radiance Complex Plumping Serum contains turmeric. It's part of our Radiance Complex, a proprietary blend of botanical actives naturally high in vitamin C to brighten and protect skin.
Green Tea Extract
Green tea extract is packed with a potent kind of antioxidant called polyphenols. They help protect the skin from damage caused by reactive molecules called free radicals. That damage is called oxidative stress.
It's not just green tea, either. White and black tea extracts can also contain these powerful compounds.
JUARA's Triple Tea Antioxidant Essence blends extracts of green, white, and black tea to help soothe irritation, balance pH, and protect skin from environmental stressors. These extracts are combined with tamarind seed extract, which helps support hydration and smooth skin texture.
Meanwhile, our Miracle Tea Recovery Creme, Miracle Tea Complete Eye Creme, and Sweet Black Tea and Rice Moisturizer all contain kombucha, a fermented black tea. It's rich in antioxidants to smooth the look of fine lines, protect skin from environmental stressors, and promote a radiant complexion.
Conclusion
Wellness is a necessary daily practice, not a reward. By drawing from ancient traditions, like Indonesia's Jamu, we can help develop holistic self-care practices that support overall wellness, including skin health.
Skincare products can play an important role in this model of self-care. JUARA uses natural skin-supporting ingredients, informed by thousands of years of tradition and modern research.
Keep Reading: 7 Ways to Hydrate Skin From the Inside Out
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Most Calming Ingredient for Skin?
There isn't really a single "most calming" ingredient, as it depends on what your skin is reacting to. Common soothing ingredients include centella asiatica, colloidal oatmeal, aloe vera, and green tea.
What Ingredient Calms the Skin?
Plenty of ingredients can help calm and soothe the skin. Examples include hyaluronic acid, aloe vera, colloidal oatmeal, centella asiatica, and green tea extract.
What Can I Use to Calm Down My Skin?
That depends on what has upset your skin. In general, experts often recommend using a gentle cleanser and moisturizer, which you can put in the fridge for soothing coolness. Look for high-quality products made from natural, soothing ingredients.
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Juara Skincare incorporates ancient rituals with Western skincare science, creating the ultimate beauty experience. We aim to transport you from the mundane to the extraordinary with our exotic ingredients, intoxicating scents, and powerful, skin-improving formulas. All of our products are nutrient-rich and botanically based. We are proud to be certified cruelty-free. Get the latest skin care tips and info on Juara products by learning more about our founders and following us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.
