I’ve seen it talked about on Instagram, I’ve discussed it with friends, and I’ve dealt with my own quarantine skin issues. My skin hasn’t been thriving lately. Quite frankly it’s been looking dull and dusty. So I needed to check myself before…I wreck myself.
I know I’m not the only one looking for answers on what’s causing quarantine skin which manifests itself in breakouts, redness, textured skin, and cystic acne. Shouldn’t the lack of regular makeup use, not to mention less exposure to pollutants and sun, have our skin looking better than ever? So what gives? Why has our skin forsaken us in our time of need?
Below are some potential causes behind quarantine skin besides, you know, stress.
Let’s take a critical look at our behavior over these last few months to identity potential factors contributing to quarantine skin so that by the time phase three of opening up the state rolls around we will have our skin in check.
Blame it on the Banana bread
We are bored in the house and in the house bored, many of us have turned to food for comfort and entertainment.
With the kitchen being only a few steps away it’s easy to revolve our days around what we are eating next. Higher consumption of carbs, dairy, sugar and processed foods can lead to acne breakouts. Especially if you’re like me, who in an effort to commit to self-quarantine, has spaced out my grocery trips resulting to less access to fresh fruits and veggies.
It’s natural to gravitate to junk food and baked goods and it’s natural to eat said food. However, do keep in mind the saying “garbage in, garbage out” Your quarantine diet could be directly related to your quarantine.
Skincare Overkill
With all the extra time on our hands I’ve been pretty religious with replacing my commuting time with a morning routine that includes AM skincare. Before quarantine my morning skincare routine would look like cleansing, adding a serum if I was feeling fancy or had the time, and finishing it with a moisturizer with SPF. Now, I’m in the bathroom experimenting with new products or using products that have been collecting dust in the back of the collection. What used to be a three step system (on a good day) is now at least five. Could this be too much too soon?
During quarantine I know we had dreams of perfecting our skincare routine but our skin isn’t used to all this extra attention. This onslaught of new products and formulas could be doing more harm than good. Slow it down and introduce one new product at a time to give your skin a chance to get used to it.
Could the answer to our quarantine skin issue be putting down the products, exiting out of Sephora’s website, and getting some natural vitamin D instead? The lack of vitamin D cuts down on our skin’s ability to repair and rebuild. Go for daily walks, read outside, try to spend 30 mins a day outside, and don’t forget the sunscreen.
Ya Nasty
When our commute to work is now 30 seconds from the bed to the couch with your laptop in hand it’s easy to forget to do the simple things like wash your face. Has your hygiene taken a backseat during quarantine? When’s the last time you changed your pillowcase? It doesn’t matter if your pillowcase is satin, cotton, or the finest silk. If your pillowcase is not being washed regularly then it’s still housing dirt, oil, sweat, and build-up of products from your hair and skin.
Think about it, once you’re done lathering on those night time products, you’re headed to bed where you toss and turn and spread it on your pillow.
Not only can not touching your face protect you from infection, but while safely quarantined inside, it helps stop the spread of breakout causing dirt and bacteria on your face as well.
A word of advice, just because you’re not wearing makeup doesn’t mean you should stop washing your face. You should still be aiming to cleanse your face at least twice a day especially at night. Even though we have been in quarantine and most of us have been doing just about everything at home our skin is still picking up pore clogging dirt and sweat.
Speaking of sweat, don’t let sweat linger on your face after your workouts. Even if you’re taking a midafternoon workout break make sure you at least wash your face before returning back to work.
Too Many Zoom Happy Hours
Alcohol can run rampant on our skin. It doesn’t look like our days of working from home are over yet which means more zoom meetings and more zoom happy hours. Do we need a reason to drink? Heck no, we are experiencing a pandemic, if that doesn’t call for a margarita I don’t know what will. However, between work, friends, and family, zoom happy hour ends up being a daily occurrence. A few times a week, swap out booze for water as your drink of choice, hydrated skin is happy skin.
Alcohol dehydrates the body which will lead to dull and dry skin. It also contains sugar which is known to cause breakouts and break down collagen. We need collagen if we want glowly supple skin. So while face masking with a glass of wine is very instagramable it can be counterproductive for our skin care goals.
With work happy hour, zoom with family, and house party app with the friends it’s not hard to fly through a few bottles of wine a week. Excess alcohol will alter our hormones and disturb our sleep. Throw some late night snacking on top and you’ve got yourself a quarantine-skin cocktail.
Don’t Sleep on Good Sleep
What day is it? What time is it? I can’t be the only one with their internal schedule all out of whack. I’m guilty of staying up later because I know my commute is 99% shorter than normal. Turns out quarantine related sleep issues and quarantine skin are closely linked.
We need adequate sleep, around 8-9 hours in order for our skin to repair any damage done during the day. Sleep deprivation affects us inside and out such as depression, collagen growth, skin texture/hydration, and inflammation.
Research even says that just one night of poor sleep can cause:
- hanging eyelids
- swollen eyes
- darker under eye circles
- paler skin
- more wrinkles and fine lines
- droopier corners of the mouth
If you don’t get enough sleep your body will release more cortisol, the stress hormone that can cause acne, eczema, and psoriasis. When cortisol levels increase it causes your skin to produce excess sebum, an oily and waxy substance which protects and moisturizes the skin. Too much sebum clogs pores and causes quarantine skin problems.
Luckily cortisol can be regulated with proper sleep, a good diet, and maintaining hydration. Stress and cortisol levels can be managed by maintaining a workout schedule and not sitting around in your sweat!
Quarantine Skin, in the Grand Scheme of Things isn’t a Big Deal
I’m not going to go on about how stress plays into quarantine skin because there are people who have bigger concerns than a few breakouts.
If you’re an essential employee, then you face a whole different side of quarantine skincare issues. The Today Show gives great tips for frequent mask wearers.
With Love,
Dani
Read why seeking comfort throughout your day can lead to better productivity