3 important skincare tips to bear in mind for lockdown

It’s a very strange time to be alive. The global coronavirus crisis, and the national UK lockdown that’s followed, has changed life for many of us to an unrecognisable degree. One of the biggest consequences of the lockdown is that a lot of us are losing our routines, and that means it can be really easy to get out of step with good habits. Everyone’s already very well versed in the importance of staying fit when we’re largely limited in our movements, but for much the same reason it’s important that you look after your skin too. At the time of writing our own treatment centre is still closed, so until we reopen we’ve got a few key tips to help you look after your skin.

1. Feel free to wear sunscreen

We’re now fully into springtime, and on the whole the days are becoming a lot warmer and brighter. You may have already been out enjoying them in your back garden! The thing is, since we’re all spending so much more time indoors at the moment, it can sometimes be easy to get a bit complacent – so don’t forget that sunscreen is still important!

Sun exposure is more of a risk at this time of year, and it’s easy to underestimate how quickly it can cause unhealthy changes in pigmentation, and even increase your risk of skin cancer. So, whether you have fair skin, olive skin or darker skin, make sure not to neglect it. We’d recommend a sunscreen with an SPF of over 20, but if you’ve got products that are higher than that, those are good to use too.

2. Hydrate and moisturise

When you’re working your normal hours, it’s generally not too difficult to keep yourself hydrated. But if you’re working from home and you haven’t got colleagues making regular trips to the kettle anymore, it can be easy to fall out of step. Having said that, a less busy kettle might not necessarily be a bad thing. Coffee is not the best at hydrating you, and tea is only a slightly more preferable as an alternative. Really, it’s best to stick with the simple stuff and stick with water. If you’ve had four or five glasses by the end of the day, you can generally be sure of keeping your skin in good health.

On a similar note, don’t forget to moisturise! It’s equally important because it helps to maintain the barrier function of your skin. For best results, it’s easiest to do it as soon as you get out of the shower, and make sure you properly cover your neck and décolletage.

3. Double cleanse

You may be scaling back your usual make up routine when you’re housebound, but your skin will still be collecting dirt throughout the day, so you’ll need to make sure that you’re cleansing it properly. That means removing makeup at night (on those few days when you do apply it), and doing a second cleanse for a more thorough clean. This bit is key, mainly because it prepares your skin to more efficiently absorb active ingredients from other skincare products.

It’s a good idea to use a gentle cleanser that won’t have too much of an impact on all the natural oils from your skin. If you’ve got naturally oily skin, you may want to use a foaming face wash which is appropriately gentle, whereas if you’ve got dry skin it’s generally better to use a cream or lotion form of cleanser to avoid too much irritation.

Finally, don’t neglect your eyes and lips in your wider skincare routine! They’re the more fragile and sensitive areas of your face, so they’ll need appropriate attention with eye creams and lip balms.

As we touched on above, at the time of writing our treatment centre is still closed due to the coronavirus crisis, but if you’ve got any questions or you need any specific advice, you can always give us a call on 01254 297 000. We’re here to help!