Being locked inside during the Covid-19 outbreak is having multiple effects on us all, but most noticeably to the health and appearance of our skin. While the quarantine is certainly a necessary measure to protect us all from contracting and spreading this virus, it’s causing extreme difficulties in some of our usual daily routines, such as our skincare.
Taking care of our skin is important, not only for our appearance and subsequent confidence, but also for our general health.
Stress levels and hormones contribute greatly to the status of our skin and how often we breakout, so it’s no wonder during this uncertain time that we’re all experiencing a few more spots every day or so.
There’s no easy way around avoiding our hormones giving us a few breakouts, but there are ways we can control our stress levels. Stress can change the different hormones we produce and how much of each, which in turn can affect our skin.
Taking time out each day to relax and do something calming, like reading a book, sitting outside if it’s sunny or meditating can also ease stress. Not only will it make us feel a bit better about everything, but it will also lessen the chances of breaking out.
Our diets also contribute hugely to our skin and its wellbeing. Eating too many sugary foods or meals that are high in fat can have a negative impact on our skin. One way to combat this is to swap a sugary snack with some fresh fruit, or a smoothie. It will replace the extra bit of fat or sugar that was in a snack with some natural sugars which is better for our health and some vitamins which will have a better impact on our complexion.
Naturally in our day-to-day lives before this pandemic, we would all be relatively more active from walking around work, seeing friends and being in college or school. Being housebound has now taken a lot of that natural activity away from us, which means we have a tendency to sit around relaxing more during the day. Because of this and our out of place schedules, a lot of us may have a very confused sleep pattern at the moment, which also affects our skin.
An average of eight hours sleep is recommended for each night. That way, we are getting enough rest to keep us going for the next day. Not only does sleep give us a chance to catch up on some energy, but it also lets our bodies turn off and reset for a while, including our skin.
If we don’t get enough sleep, we are more likely to suffer with more stress and anxiety which release more negative hormones into our system. This in turn will impact our skin and cause an increase in breakouts, which is why getting our eight hours or close enough to it is so important.
Another key change we’re all experiencing on foot of being quarantined is that we’re not outside as much. Our usual Irish weather means we get a lot of rain, but as of late we have been experiencing some warm, inviting sunshine.
The sun gives us vitamin D, which is really good for our skin. The World Health Organisation (WHO) stated that getting between five and 15 minutes of sunshine two to three times a week will give us enough vitamin D we need provided we don’t wear any sunscreen or any material that will cover our face, arms of legs so it can penetrate through our skin. Of course, if you’re planning on staying out any longer than that in the sun, it’s recommended to wear sunscreen to protect against UV rays.
Vitamin D can help against skin problems such as eczema, and helps boost the overall health of our skin, according to Inside Space. As the sun can give us enough vitamin D, it can really help your complexion to get out even just for a few minutes each day.
It’s certain that the quarantine is affecting us all in a variety of ways, but most commonly among us all is that our skin care is suffering a lot. By reducing our stress levels, eating well, getting plenty of sunshine and sleeping enough we can all help our skin out during this tough time.