Is anyone else struggling with their skin right now? No amount of face masks have helped to tame our breakouts since lockdown began, but fear not. We have expert advice from Clare O' Connor that'll help soothe your skincare woes.
Changes in our environment and increased levels of stress and anxiety can impact our skin and it can take some time before our skin adjusts to our new surroundings and circumstances. This can cause temporary changes in the skin’s barrier, causing changes to the levels of moisturisation and natural resilience to external factors.
Stress and anxiety increase hormones within the body can in turn trigger inflammation and oxidative stress within the skin, ultimately leading to unhealthy skin which can manifest itself as dry red patches or increased oiliness and spots.
According to Clare O’Connor, Boots skincare expert, maintaining a dedicated skincare routine is just as important while in isolation, such as using serums and day creams and paying attention to problem areas in order to minimise the impact on your skin in the longer term. “Now that many of us are working from home, for some people they may have seen an improvement in their skin, as they are exposed to lower amounts of pollution and weather extremes, and due to the fact that they are wearing less makeup."
“However, many are experiencing the opposite. It’s important to give your skin some extra TLC in the evenings, as well as avoiding screens late at night to minimise the impact of free radicals. Before bed is the opportune time to prepare a dedicated skincare regime and by investing the time in the evening, you will reap the benefits over time.”
While we continue to stay at home, we have become wedded to video calls on laptops and phones as we have abruptly moved into a virtual world for work and socialising. Video meetings use a great deal more energy and concentration than face to face. As we concentrate more, we tend to frown and squint to focus on a small screen, all of which leave us with tired eyes and increased risk of dynamic wrinkles. Help to soothe and rejuvenate your skin with a great night time regime.
As well as using your chosen serum and night cream, consider adding an eye cream or eye serum into your routine, as the delicate skin around the eyes is the first to show signs of ageing. Adding in an overnight skin paste a few times a week can give your skin an extra boost overnight. For extra hydration you can use an overnight hydrating paste and for calming redness and nourishing skin overnight cica paste is ideal.
Even the healthiest skin will quickly become dry from increased hand washing and from the alcohol in hand sanitisers. To reduce the impact, some of the treatments you would normally use on your face will work well in providing added moisture to your hands.
Clare O’Connor said, “Ingredients such as Jojoba, Argan oil, Shea Butter or Hyaluronic acid can help soothe dried out skin and hands. We recommend adding a couple of drops of your No7 facial oil to your chosen hand cream or into a hydrating skin paste and leaving it soak into the skin overnight.”
