Do You Have ‘Lockdown Skin’?

With so many of us now confined indoors, many aspects of our lives have changed. These changes, however, are not just impacting our social lives, but our skin as well. Dryness, breakouts, and redness are all effects of being stuck inside. Read our article below for more information on what we’re calling ‘lockdown skin’, as well as some top tips to keep your skin looking its best.

Why am I breaking out more?

Wearing less makeup and having less exposure to outside pollutants might seem like the recipe for a flawless complexion, but stuffy rooms and stress can all cause increased skin issues. As well as this, a poor diet, increased alcohol intake, and reduced exercise can cause more breakouts.

Getting out less also means we are getting less Vitamin D from the sunlight, which can also lead to skin looking sullen. Healthy levels of Vitamin D can help to prevent skin aging, as well as a whole host of other important functions within the body like boosting the immune system, promoting healthy bone growth and improving your mood. Low levels of Vitamin D have been associated with skin conditions like psoriasis and atopic dermatitis.

How to care for your skin in lockdown

Vitamin D

On a sunny day, you can get your daily Vitamin D through 15 minutes of sun exposure, ideally between 10 am and 12 pm. However, you cannot quantify how much Vitamin D you are receiving through this method, and on an overcast day you may not be getting enough. Public Health England is recommending that people consider taking daily supplements containing 10 micrograms of Vitamin D as the coronavirus lockdown continues.

Cleanse, Tone and Moisturise

If you aren’t already, you should start using a cleanser, toner and moisturiser twice a day. Building a skincare routine can be tricky, so for more information check out our article Building a Skincare Routine for Beginners.

Dry Skin

Central heating is not only good to heat your home, it is also excellent as sucking all the essential moisture from your skin! This is likely to cause a build up of dry skin on your face, which you can gently buff away with a physical exfoliant.

A physical exfoliant (scrub) is best used once a week in the shower. The shower softens dead skin cells, ready to be buffed away.

To promote healthy cell regeneration, you might want to consider using a chemical exfoliant.

SPF

You should be wearing SPF every day, even when stuck inside. Harmful UVA rays are present all year round and can penetrate through glass. Even if you are only sitting by a window, you skin may still be at risk of UV damage, which can cause premature aging.