May 04, 2020
Self-isolation has probably seen more than a few changes in your life. Besides working from home and home schooling, your fancy clothes are now “the PJs without holes in them”, your hair washing routine is more of a weekly event, and you often have cereal for dinner (and sometimes lunch). But in amongst all this your skin is going through some pretty big changes too. You would think that the makeup-free time and laxidasical skincare routine would leave you with the best skin of your life, but actually for a lot of women the opposite has been true. Instead, breakouts, irritation, sensitivity and dryness all come out to play instead. But, why? Well it turns out being inside all day is actually not great for your skin.
Why your skin is freaking out in isolation - One word: stress. That’s right, these last few months have been just a wee bit stressful with the whole “global pandemic” thing and all the craziness and change surrounding it. And your skin is taking the brunt of it. Our skin shows stress in different ways. For some people it may be an eczema flare up, for others it could mean breakouts. Combine this with the time indoors (most likely in heating/cooling) and the lack of sunlight (which can exacerbate flare ups and lower immunity) and your skin can become dry and sensitized. Not to mention your solid iso diet of refined carbs adding to its pain.
But don’t go rushing out and buying the world of quick fixes either. Overloading your skin with too many products can make it worse. Instead, focus on a few considered, targeted products and a simple but thorough skincare routine and go from there. Here are some tips to get you through.
Exercise and eat well - We know you may have been hoping for a wonder product here, but first things first: look after your body. Exercise is essential for mental health, but it can also help in lowering your stress levels (because it pumps your body full of happy hormones) which in turn will help your skin. We also know that what you eat is reflected in your skin (it is the largest organ after all) so a diet full of fresh fruit and veg will help too.
Cleanse and moisturise - simple - Now is not the time to go trying a million active ingredients. Instead, go back to basics. Cleanse with a non-stripping cleanser like Noosa Basic's Natural Foaming Cleanser that has nourishing hemp oil in it. Moisturise with an emollient (a soothing, softening) moisturiser that’s suited to your skin type. For dry or mature skin we like this Natural Face Serum which doesn’t contain artificial fragrances (also known to irritate the skin). These moisturisers will not only hydrate the skin, but also protect it, acting as a barrier from external aggressors. For an extra shot of skin hydration, you can top up with a face mist, like the Natural Face & Body Mist throughout the day, and you can also add in a serum with vitamin A (for repair) and C (for a brightening boost) – if you need it.
Don’t forget to exfoliate - If regular exfoliation isn’t already a part of your routine, it should be. Exfoliating is like a good, deep clean for your face, like when you scrub the bathroom tiles and see they were white under there. It removes any product build up, and sloughs off the dead skin cells, which not only makes your skin look fresh, but helps products penetrate better. For normal skin you only need to do this once or twice a week, but this can be increased to three for those on the oilier side.
If all else fails, take a bath - Because when everything around you is going crazy, the calm of the bath will always be a sacred space to relax, light your favourite candle and let it all go.
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