Keeping our skin looking beautiful isn’t just for aesthetics – it’s also a reflection of our body’s general wellbeing.
These recent lockdowns have forced us to radically change our lifestyles, making us more sedentary, more anxious and more stressed out, which are all things we need to learn to manage.
So it’s completely normal for our skin to react in the same way, making our face appear duller, blotchier and drier than usual. Let’s take a look at the different factors that put stress on our skin and find out how we can take a little better care of it.
Lockdown factors that put stress on our skin
- A sedentary lifestyle can accentuate relaxation of the skin, even on our face, which then suffers from lower oxygenation of the tissues due to inactivity.
- The lack of positive stimulation from our natural environment, especially from sunlight, can affect our skin. UV rays are essential for the secretion of vitamin D, which (among other things), promotes growth of the skin’s surface cells, giving our skin a youthful and healthy appearance.
- The increase in stress and constant worrying we’re all experiencing during lockdown can have visible effects on our skin, such as a reduction in its protective functions, an increase in sebum production and a slowing-down of cell renewal.
- We’re spending more hours in the company of our smartphones and other electronic devices, which also isn’t good for our skin. In the long term, the consequences of exposure to blue light from screens are similar to getting too much sun (e.g. photoageing, sagging skin, and loss of tone and elasticity). But the result of too much time spent in front of a screen is also immediately noticeable at the end of each day.
- One of the effects of stress is what’s known as emotional eating. A poor and unbalanced diet isn’t just reflected in our body but also in our skin, which can become shiny and blotchy.
- Changes to our sleeping habits are also having an effect on many people, causing some to have difficulty falling asleep, poor quality of sleep and to continuously wake up during the night. These changes, among other things, have a huge effect on the area around our eyes, making them look more fatigued.
Our tips for giving your beauty routine an extra boost:
- Lack of fresh air leads to a dull and lifeless complexion. Right now it’s more important than ever that you remember to keep your skin perfectly hydrated.
- Once or twice a week, remember to perform a facial scrub to get rid of dead cells and smooth out your skin. The scrub also makes it easier for the active ingredients in your products to get through the skin.
- After your scrub, apply a moisturising and rejuvenating mask, and leave it on for a while. Take your time and try to carve out a small moment of your day just to relax.
- Now more than ever, don’t forget to use a specific moisturising and relaxing product for your eyes, applying it morning and night.
- For extra brightness if your skin is starting to look dull and lifeless, you can add concentrated vitamin C in illuminating and brightening cosmetic drops. For maximum effectiveness, remember to also integrate this precious vitamin into your daily diet for the perfect IN & OUT action.
- To counteract sagging, give your face a deep massage while applying your creams, stimulating the microcirculation of the blood which has slowed down due to a lack of physical activity.
- Make sure to keep the temperature inside your home no higher than twenty degrees and ensure it stays well ventilated. Too high a temperature and lack of fresh air can inhibit cell regeneration.
- Remember that the beauty and wellbeing of your skin starts with a nutritious and balanced diet.
- If possible, try to get some sunlight every day for around twenty minutes, remembering to use a suitable sunscreen for your face so you can fill up on vitamin D while enjoying having luminous skin.
Remember that your pharmacist is always there to provide you with practical and trustworthy advice that can help you to take care of your health and beauty, even (and especially) during these difficult times.