By Uma Campbell
The current and ongoing pandemic has affected almost every element of our lives. Millions of us are staying home more than ever, schools are digital, and we are all being asked to wear masks to slow the spread of the virus. While these changes affect many elements of daily life, there are other factors you might not have considered. If you had a skincare routine before the pandemic hit, you should continue it as the new situation could be taking a toll on your skin. If you don’t have a regular skincare routine, it is time to adopt one. Below are all the reasons why your skincare routine still matters during the pandemic.
Skin Deep Is Deeper Than You Think
You may think that your skin’s status and health are entirely dependent on external forces or that your skin becomes healthier or dirtier based on what it comes into contact with from the outside world. However, that is not the case. Your overall health affects your skin’s health. What affects the rest of your body will ultimately affect your skin as well.
It is perfectly normal to be stressed right now as a lot is happening in the world, but that stress could be affecting your health. If you turn to comfort or junk food when stressed, the extra sugar could be causing candida overgrowth, which brings other symptoms along with it. Not washing your mask regularly can cause localized acne. Changing your semi-permanent hair dye can cause a skin reaction if an ingredient causes irritation. Your skin can and will be affected by various forces, and a proper skincare routine is the best way to combat adverse effects on your skin.
Different Aspects of Skincare
Skincare is more than just washing your face once or twice a day. Different aspects of your life all contribute to your skin’s health. Before you start changing your current skincare routine, double-check these other elements of your life.
Clean your toothbrush, sheets, living spaces, wash clothes, mask, makeup brushes, and anything else that touches your skin. If there is dirt or bacteria in any of these products, it will transfer to your skin and cause problems. Fully replace your toothbrush head every three months and wash your makeup brush or beauty blender after every use with a deep clean every few months. You should ideally wash your sheets and mask once a week. Clean your environment and everyday products before you take more drastic measures to help your skin.
Your mental health also affects your skin’s health. During these trying times, you may have noticed apathy or depression creeping in. Take steps like getting dressed for work every day or practicing meditation to manage stress to keep your mental health stable. You can also reach out for telehealth therapy to talk to a professional about ways to manage your problems.
Skincare Routine
There are many elements to overall skincare, but the products you put on your skin specifically for skincare are core elements. Everyone’s skin is different, and not all products work well for everyone. Before you adopt a new product or full routine, you do proper research to ensure your skin will not react negatively to any ingredients. If your current skincare routine is working for your skin, there is no reason to change it. Regardless of the different products you use, there are some simple guidelines for any skincare routine.
You should ideally clean your skin twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. Moisturizer, cleanser, and sunscreen are the three most essential products to put on your skin every day. Keep your skin clean, moist, and protected from the harmful sun with these simple steps. Stay away from overly stripping cleansers that will leave your skin far too dry. Add exfoliation to your routine when you feel your skin has lost its shine or is drier than usual, but do not exfoliate every day as that will irritate and potentially damage your skin.
Playing around with new products can be fun, but you should also be careful. Not every product plays nice, and mixing the wrong ingredients can cause serious problems. Avoid layering vitamin C and niacinamide together, and do not mix Vitamin C or retinol with AHAs, BHAs, or one another. These mixtures are connected to severe reactions and irritations, so check the label to ensure you are not accidentally mixing ingredients you shouldn’t.
Skincare can be easy to forget about, especially with everything going on globally, but that doesn’t mean skincare is not essential. Your skin’s health depends on more than just cleaning your face as your mental health, daily habits, and your environment all play a role. Take care of yourself and your skin by working on your mental health, keeping your environment clean, and of course, washing your skin with your skincare routine. And you can always turn to dermatology care services if you find something of note that you’d like to improve or have looked at.
