Have you noticed how lockdown is affecting your skin? Granted, all of our attention is on the state of our body’s health but that should also include the health of our skin. In fact, being stuck at home, as well as the heightened stress levels, isn’t doing the best for our skin. What’s more, the introduction of face masks and hand sanitizers into our daily lives is also introducing new skin concerns and forcing us to reevaluate our beauty products in hopes of finding something more lockdown-friendly.
How does lockdown affect our skin?
While hand sanitizers and constantly washing our hands helps to curb the spread of the virus, they’re also drying out our hands and nails. If that isn’t enough, the use of face masks can also cause a host of unwelcome beauty concerns. Maskne is a new term coined to describe the redness and breakouts people are experiencing as a result of face masks.
Furthermore, with us spending more time indoors, we may also choose not to wear sunscreen. Unfortunately, the sun’s rays can still affect you while you’re still by the windows, while you’re working in the garden, and even when you’re taking a quick morning stroll. It’s important to remember that UV damage is responsible for up to 80% of visible signs of aging in the skin, therefore we should do our best to protect our skin. This also involves protecting our skin against the aging effects of blue light, what with the number of ZOOM meetings we have, has significantly increased.
Stress and your skin
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The heightened stress levels are causing breakouts and it can even dull our skin. What’s more, high-stress levels can also cause us to develop unhealthy eating habits and what we eat can affect the health of our skin. In fact, a diet high in sugar, fats, and processed foods can aggravate skin conditions such as acne, eczema, and it can also trigger premature sagging and the formation of wrinkles (1).
The fact of the matter is washing our hands, using hand sanitizer, wearing masks, and practicing social distancing is done in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19. However, this does not have to be done at the expense of our skin’s health. In fact, you can do all the aforementioned things and still keep your skin healthy and happy, and the below products can help you to do so.
Lockdown Beauty Must-Haves
1. Diego dalla Palma Professional Icon Time Gold Elixir
An elixir is a great way to address specific skin concerns and this effective elixir from Diego dalla Palma does that and so much more.
Diego Dalla Palma Professional Icon Time Gold Elixir
What’s In It?
The elixir’s key ingredients include golden microcapsules of hyaluronic acid, ‘no-a.g.e.s’ peptides, and the sublime infusion of gold, enriched with Golden Collagenine.
The high levels of gold may amuse you, but gold-infused skincare can help provide anti-aging benefits for the skin.
What are the beauty benefits?
As mentioned, high-stress levels can dry out your skin, and dry skin not only accelerates the aging process, but it can also trigger skin conditions like eczema. Thankfully, the presence of hyaluronic acid in the elixir helps to provide as well as maintain moisture in the skin. Additionally, the presence of gold in the microcapsules helps to improve blood circulation, and this too helps to keep your skin hydrated.
Peptides are amino acids involved in the production of collagen and elastin. Both of these two compounds help to keep the skin firm and wrinkle-free. Unfortunately, high-stress levels and unhealthy habits can cause a breakdown in both, leaving you with sagging and wrinkled skin. However, the ‘no-a.g.e.s’ peptides helped to stimulate the production of collagen, leaving you with a youthful and fresh appearance even on your most stressful days.
Furthermore, Golden Collagenine combines the anti-aging benefits of gold, peptides, and collagen, leaving you with a fresh, youthful, and radiant complexion.
2. Bionike Defence Boost Renewing Concentrate with Retinol + Tocotrienols
Bionike Defence Boost Renewing Concentrate with Retinol + Tocotrienols
High-stress levels not only age the skin but also inflame it, leading to acne and breakouts. The use of face masks can also do the same. That said, it’s important to look for a product that helps to address both the formation of wrinkles and acne, and it appears that Bionike has that very product.
What’s In It?
The booster combines the powers of retinol and tocotrienols.
Retinol is a form of vitamin A, and it is the ultimate anti-aging ingredient providing collagen boosting and skin protective properties. It can also help with acne. Tocotrienols, on the other hand, are part of the vitamin E family. It contains antioxidant properties, protecting the skin from free radicals.
What are the beauty benefits?
Retinol is exactly what you need if you want to combat lockdown skin problems.
Firstly, retinol helps to stimulate the production of collagen, and we know this helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. However, that’s not all. Retinol also triggers the production of new blood vessels in the skin, and this improves skin tone as it fades away from age spots and pigmentation.
Additionally, if you’re battling with maskne, retinol helps to unclog as well as prevent clogged pores and it even reduces the risk for acne scars.
In regards to tocotrienols, the antioxidant properties it possesses help to reduce the aging effects of free radicals such as stress and UV damage.
It’s best to use the booster 3-4 times a year in one-month cycles if you want to properly provide your skin with the support it needs. You can purchase the booster from your selected pharmacies.
3. Eucerin Advanced Repair Hand Cream
Regular hand washing and hand sanitizers have become a part of our daily lives. However, so has dry and cracked hands. Thankfully, this fragrance-free hand cream from Eucerin can keep your hands moisturized throughout the day.
What’s in it?
Eucerin Advanced Repair Hand Cream
The hand cream combines the hydrating powers of ceramides and shea butter. These two ingredients help to repair dry skin by providing your hands with the moisture that it loses as a result of hand washing and the frequent use of sanitizers.
What are the beauty benefits?
Ceramides are lipids found in the skin’s barrier that help the skin to retain moisture. A decrease in ceramides will leave the skin dry and irritated, so it’s important to replenish the skin and the Eucerin hand cream does this quite well. Additionally, the inclusion of shea butter helps to restore, as well as lock-in, moisture to the skin.
You can purchase the hand cream here.
4. Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Intensive Lip Repair Balm
Just because you’re wearing a face mask does not mean you should opt out of proper lip care. Doing so can leave you with dry and chapped lips. Luckily, Elizabeth Arden provides lip balm that will leave your lips nourished and moisturized throughout the entire day.
Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Intensive Lip Repair Balm
What’s in it?
This nourishing lip balm hosts a range of moisturizing ingredients. They include vitamins E, honey extract, Arnica Flower Oil, and Watercress Extract. Each ingredient works to provide intensive moisture and long-lasting hydration.
What are the beauty benefits?
If you’re worried about the state of your lips, the vitamin E found in this particular lip balm may be exactly what they need. In boosting circulation, vitamin E helps to soften your lips whereas the honey extract works to help remove any dead skin from your lips. Additionally, Arnica Flower Oil works to relieve chapped lips, and Watercress Extract helps to provide long-lasting moisture.
You can purchase the nourishing lip balm here or here.
References
Amaro-Ortiz, A., Yan, B., & D’Orazio, J. A. (2014). Ultraviolet radiation, aging and the skin: prevention of damage by topical cAMP manipulation. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 19(5), 6202–6219. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules19056202
Cao, C., Xiao, Z., Wu, Y., & Ge, C. (2020). Diet and Skin Aging-From the Perspective of Food Nutrition. Nutrients, 12(3), 870. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12030870
