“Agh, LOCKDOWN SKIN & BREAKOUTS...” is that you?
Congestion, excessive oil, pimples & blackheads... the list seems to be going on during this lockdown. But why?
So there are a couple reasons you could be experiencing all of this, so I thought I’d leave you a little list and maybe you could pinpoint yours👇🏼
1. Stress/Anxiety: probably the #1 cause right now. When we stressed an increase in stress-related hormones such as cortisol sends our skins sebaceous (oil) glands into overdrive, which mixes with dead skin cells which leads to breakout-causing bacteria to thrive! It also can cause an neurogenic inflammatory response leading to redness, sensitivity & itchiness.
2.Drastic change in routine: Have you been masking during this lockdown period? Maybe too much?🙊 ooops... I know! During lockdown we’ve decided maybe we’d pamper ourselves to a couple masks (way more than usual too) & often maybe the wrong one for our skin type. So either too heavy causing congestion or a “detox” mask which results to breakout activity as the skin is naturally detoxifying and drawing out the bad stuff resulting in more breakouts, but that should pass 😉
3. Diet: Banana bread🍌cookies🥠choc🍫more bread🥐 the delicious lockdown baking list continues... With a diet possibly having a higher glycemic index & more lactose than usual which could contribute to your lockdown skin. At this time you should be really looking after your gut health🥬 Did you know 70% of our immune system is located in our GI Tract... your microorganisms are working over time at the moment and offer a range of physiological functions and benefits such as harvesting energy, protection against pathogens and strengthening your guts integrity. 💪🏼
4. The other type of face masks 😷: occlusion causes a build up of warm breath. This moisture increases hydration of the stratum corneum which could result in blocking oil glands causing acne breakouts. Increased temperature and humidity on your skin could result to other flare ups like dermatitis, rashes, eczema etc. Physical friction on the skin could disrupt the skins natural epidermis barrier function leading to irritation. Therefore it's really important to clean your mask often.
So some tips...
Wash your mask daily with a gentle foaming soap and hot water. Rinse thoroughly and when dry, iron it as a means of disinfection.
Cleanse your skin thoroughly with a gentle foaming cleanser at least once daily.
Avoid harsh toners, scrubs and active ingredients like your retinol or strong AHA's
Apply a non-greasy barrier cream to the areas that might be exposed to friction. Allow the cream to absorb before putting on your face mask. i.e La Rosche-Posay Cicaplast balm SPF50+.
Avoid Makeup in the area of the mask
Dermalogica's Active Clay Cleanser is perfect for your oily & break prone skin right now...
The Dermalogica Active Clay Cleanser is honestly a winner! It is a skin-balancing prebiotic cleanser. It contains Kaolin Clay & Activated Charcoal perfect to remove any impurities on the skins surface while maintaining natural oil secretions. Just like out gut, our skin is home to billions of living micro-organisms called our microbiome. With the prebiotic formulation of this cleanser, it protects them and allows them to function optimally.
It also has a bioflavonoid-rich complex Citrus, Aloe and Broccoli extract purifying your pores and leaving your skin incredibly smooth, refined and revitalised!
I hope these tips and tricks help you with your lockdown skin. Pop me a message on Instagram or via email if you have any questions.
Lots of Love,
Amanda
xxx
Instagram: @amandafromafrica
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