How to Care for Your Skin When Staying Home
If you’re staying at home to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, it’s important to find new ways to engage in the routines you’ve become accustomed to. Your skin care routine should be near the top of the list — dry, contaminated indoor air can wreak havoc on your skin and make the signs of aging more apparent.
Here’s what I recommend for my patients’ skin when staying at home and how to book your appointment with our office under new COVID-19 policies.
Protect Your Skin from the Sun
When staying at home, it’s important to try to get outside and get fresh air and sunshine as often as possible. That said, you still need to protect your skin from harmful UV rays, especially on your face.
Wear sunglasses, a shade hat, and liberally apply a good sunscreen that is at least 30 SPF to your face and any exposed skin. Remember that sunscreen must be reapplied every 30 minutes to remain effective, even if you’re simply outside gardening or relaxing.
Use High-Quality Skincare Products
Not all skincare products are created equal. Often, over-the-counter moisturizers, cleansers, and serums contain surfactants or contaminants that are harmful to your skin.
I created a line of specially formulated skincare products designed specifically to deliver the hydration and nutrients your skin needs without harmful ingredients. Browse our line of medical grade cleansers, serums, toners, blemish fighters, exfoliants, moisturizers, and more here.
Put Your Skincare Products In the Fridge
Cold is a vasoconstrictor, meaning it constricts or tightens your blood vessels. This is why ice packs are so effective after an injury — swelling and inflammation can be greatly reduced by constricting blood vessels near the area of injury. Cold works the same everywhere else on your body, including your face.
Treating your facial skin with cold can also help constrict the small blood vessels there, reducing the appearance of redness, spider veins, and tired eyes. Keep your skincare products in your refrigerator, or invest in a small mini-fridge designed specifically for this purpose. The instant shock of cold when you apply your refrigerated serums and moisturizers will tighten blood vessels in your face immediately, giving you a refreshed, more youthful appearance.
Stay Hydrated
How hydrated your skin is on the outside directly correlates with how hydrated you are on the inside. Make sure you’re drinking enough water to keep your skin moisturized — if you notice your lips or cheeks feel dry, you likely need to grab another glass. An added benefit to better skin when hydrated is a boosted immune system. Viruses like the coronavirus are more difficult to fight off when you’re dehydrated.
Avoid Makeup When Possible
If you’re self-quarantined or isolating at home, you’ll likely need less makeup. This is great for your skin — foundation, powder, blushes, and other cosmetics tend to clog pores and make it more difficult for your skin to breathe.
Keep makeup light or nonexistent when possible, and remove it immediately as soon as you no longer need to wear it, such as right after a video conference. When you’re practicing social distancing at home, it’s easier to allow your skin to recover from makeup use.
Need a Skin Boost? Contact Us for Your Consultation
My office is now open with new COVID-19 policies in place to keep our patients and staff safer and reduce the spread of the coronavirus. Together, we can discuss your optimal at-home skincare routine and what in-office procedures will help you achieve your aesthetic goals. After your skin care consultation, we can ship products to your home. You can also visit our online store anytime and have your products renewed and shipped to you. Contact us now for your appointment at 1-201-505-1020.