The spread of the coronavirus (COID-19) has been an ongoing pandemic which has been affecting individuals worldwide. During this time, we have seen closures to many of our favourite day-spas, beauty salons, wellness centres, massage parlour and more. Missing out on regular beauty treatments for maintenance and upkeep such as facial, waxing or a fresh manicure plus pedicure may have us feeling out of our usual rhythm and contribute to a loss of motivation.

Inaccessibility to beauty services shouldn’t stop you from continuing your normal skincare routine, in-fact what better excuse could come from self-isolation than using this extra time to invest in keeping your skin on track by creating the perfect morning and night skincare regimen to optimise your skin complexion. Maintaining healthy skin with a radiant, glowing complexion is the base for achieving any flawless make-up look and key to feeling confident, naturally.

So how can I keep my skin in good shape during self-isolation at home during COVID-19?

Your current skin situation:

The epidermis is the outer layer of skin which is exposed to our external environment. This skin surface is filled with pores which easily become clogged due to a build-up of bacteria, dead skin cells, oils and other substances causing inflammation, acne and a poor complexion. When you stray away from your skincare routine you may begin to notice changes in your skin’s appearance, finding an uneven skin-tone, a complexion which is dull, dehydrated, congested, has an increased prominence of fine lines and dark circles, and is also prone to breakouts. A consistent skincare routine is essential to maintain a clean, healthy complexion. The epidermis’ surface undergoes a constant renewing process where the superficial skin cells are essentially shed and replaced by new ones over a course of ~28–30 days (1 month). Fortunately, we can use this to our own advantage by supporting the skin process of renewal! So how can I keep my skin in good shape during COVID-19?

Heres 5 tips to enhance your appearance & bounce back from ‘quarantine complexion’

1. Stress & exercise levels

Reducing daily stressors such as environmental, workplace, and/or personal stress has shown to improve skin appearance. Stress triggers an increase in hormonal responses which causes a spike in cortisol levels, in turn increasing sebum (natural oil) production in the skin. Excess sebum traps dirt, causing blocked pores and contributes towards breakouts and acne. Having extra downtime allows us to wind-down and relax, try out some stress reduction techniques such as yoga, tai chi, meditation or deep breathing. Regular exercise has shown to reduce stress, promote blood and lymphatic system circulation and also maintain healthy skin.

2. Food & water

With dehydrated skin, it is important to ensure sufficient hydration every day, a helpful trick is following the 8x8 rule; 8 glasses x 8 ounce water, while minimising caffeine, alcohol and sodium intake. Supporting overall gut health and friendly flora with a healthy diet also promotes healthy skin. Nourish your body with nutrient-dense foods rich in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals i.e. colourful fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, healthy fats and berries. Reducing smoking has also shown to improve skin health through various pathways, for example smoking decreases blood circulation and oxygen levels/transportation, it reduces skin collagen and contributes to deficiencies, including vitamin C which is essential for skin.

3. Sleep

Beauty sleep! Ensure that you get a minimum of 7–9 hours sleep every night. Sleep has valuable restorative, regenerative and repairing effects. During sleep the skin repairs itself from daytime environmental stressors such as sun exposure and free radical damage. Research has found chronic sleep deprivation significantly influences skin functions, for example reduced sleep decreases collagen production therefore causing premature ageing.

4. Maintain skincare regimen

A consistent skincare routine that uses non-harsh skincare with a pH closer to that of the skins (5.5). Cleansing with cool water to remove toxins, dirt and oil; exfoliating to accelerate skin cell turnover; use serums for additional skin benefits; and moisturize with a hydrating, protective barrier. Going make-up free helps to minimise exposure to the pores and keeping pores clear and unclogged. When wearing makeup, remove thoroughly to prevent build-up.

5. LED device

Pamper yourself! Complete your perfect morning and night skincare regime with LED devices. Space touch offers a range of convenient at-home Light Emitting Diodes (LED’s) devices that offer a variety of skin benefits that are suitable for dull, congested, dehydrated, uneven and acne-prone skin types. Studies have demonstrated significant results in relieving mild to moderate acne and inflammation using blue and blue-red photo therapies with effects such as reduced sebum production and decreased size of skin sebaceous glands. Red light therapy alone has displayed significant improvements in skin complexion and improves skin collagen density.

LED therapies provide safe, rejuvenating effects to the skin. Space touch devices including the Neptune, Jupiter, Vega, Nova, Luna and Cosmo utilise both blue and/or red LED light therapies that have been tested and proved for both safety and efficiency in skin health.

Bibliography

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