Is too much stress making your skin a mess? The answer is probably 'yes' if you live in Newcastle

A new study has revealed startling differences in how women from cities across Britain are able to care for their skin. Research showed that stressed-out Scousers were most likely to suffer from poor skin health, citing they feel stressed for an average of 39.81% of their day, with hassled Jordies feeling almost as much, and scoring stress levels for 39% of their day. That’s nearly a third of your day feeling frazzled! Scottish ladies ruled the other end of the spectrum, with glowing Glaswegians coming out on top for having the best skin, followed closely by the women of Edinburgh. The survey – conducted by sensitive skin experts Simple® Skincare looked at regional variations, such as environmental factors and stress levels, and its impact on the facial health of women. More than 1,000 women living in large cities were quizzed about their lifestyles, with results being compared against other influential factors affecting skin sensitivity and condition, such as UV measurements and pollution levels. One of the main factors affecting Liverpool was stress, with results surprisingly showing stress levels in the North West city are nearly 10% higher than London, who came second sue to their high pollution levels. Liverpudlian women cited their main reasons for being stressed as struggling to get a good night’s sleep (61%), feeling overworked (35%) and finding their commute to work stressful (16.7%). Despite Liverpool having a lesser pollution level than London (26% compared to London’s 33%), the overall stress levels that women endure – added to factors such as UV in the area – exceed all other key cities and cause more damage to their skin, thus making their skin more sensitive. Psychologist Dr Christine Bundy comments: ‘A lack of sleep, commuting, working long hours and eating on the go all contribute to an increase in stress hormones, which cause your immunity levels to drop. And this is when spots and other conditions literally show on our faces.’ ‘A way to combat the effect stress can have on your skin is to follow a skin care regime but by paying particular attention to your senses. Smell the familiar smells of your bathroom and feel the cool sensation of the cleanser, moisturisers and other facial skincare products as you apply them. The essence of mindfulness is being 'in the moment'. Just acknowledge and accept thoughts and sensations that come into your mind as you do this, don't try to change anything just realise that these are just thoughts and not reality. Let them come and then go. Do this every day for a couple of weeks and you will notice the difference.’ ‘The research by Simple was quite surprising, though, as I certainly would have put London as the most high-risk city with the biggest impact on our skin – but it goes to show how stressed women are in other cities for many different reasons. Pollution, weather, stress and other factors can make all skin sensitive to the city. That’s why Simple is kind to skin. Simple® Skincare is the kind solution for city skin with vitamin goodness that will keep skin healthy and happy, no matter what city you live in.