Dealing with "Quarantine Skin"

You might think going makeup free during quarantine would help your skin detox. Or maybe all the extra to care of you skin would leave you with a fresh, natural complexion. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case.

Three major factors could be making your quarantine skin bumpier or patchier than you expected.

Stress

If a global pandemic doesn’t raise your stress level, nothing will. Increased levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, is largely to blame. Cortisol tells our sebaceous glands to produce more oil. More oil means our pores become more swollen and create more acne.

Reducing stress is sometimes easier said than done. Regular exercise, meditation apps, yoga or even just listening to music can help.

Diet

Diet is another contributor to the way your skin looks and feels. Right now, it’s easy to give in to temptation and eat easy-to-prepare processed or takeout junk food. Increased alcohol consumption can increase dehydration, cause inflammation (puffiness) and cause redness due to dilated blood vessels under the skin. Keeping all that in mind, it is very important to try to stick to a health eating regimen.

Lack of Vitamin D

Lastly, being inside more often than normal can reduce your body’s inability to repair and rebuild our skin, thanks to lack of sunlight and vitamin D. Try to head outdoors when you can do it while still practicing social distancing. Try doing your exercise routine outdoors, spend time in the flowerbeds or play outside with the kids for at least 30 minutes a day.

If your skin is still giving you trouble, it might be time to look at your skin regimen again. For oily skin, cleansing the skin twice a day with a salicylic acid-based cleanser will help dissolve oil and grime clogging your pores. For dry skin, look for serums and moisturizers containing antioxidants. Even investing in a humidifier can help your skin when indoor air is typically much drier than our humid climate outdoors.

No matter what your skin type, using a non-comedogenic hydrating cream containing sunscreen during the day and adding a hyaluronic acid moisturizing treatment (after cleansing) at night can be beneficial. Finally, be mindful of touching your face – for lots of reasons!

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