Being in the beauty field for years, it's a great experience to understand how women and men feel in their skin. Everyone finds something that works for them and feel confident in their skin routine. However, the pandemic hit all of us in 2019, changed our lives, habits, stability, and made us cautious about meeting friends and family, while our face covered with a mask that causes clogged skin, breakouts, uneven skin tone. This year most of us don't wear foundation, and our "naked" skin looks older and dull. We have such a big struggle with our skin appearance. The biggest question is how we can make ourselves feel better in our skin?
To learn how to improve our skin's health, let's understand first what causes our skin the struggle?
Protective gear blocks oxygen from reach into our skin. Oxygen is essential for our cells' turnover; it allows skin detoxification and nutrients absorption. Wearing a mask on your face for most of the day causes a "choking' effect to your skin and slows down cell renewal, resulting in clogged, irritated, and uneven skin tone.
When you wear a mask, you breathe your germs that are released through your mouth from your lungs. Those germs got "trapped" under the mask and sink on your skin, resulting in sensitive, irritated and inflamed skin.
Materials that facial masks are made from, playing a major role in skin irritation. The textile fibers or the fabric may cause skin irritation, or more commonly, a contact allergy to the chemical additives used to process the fabric.
Stress due to the pandemic and the crisis is a big impact on our skin breakouts. The mind and skin are connected on many different levels. Many nerve endings are connected to the skin, which wraps around the organs, so as emotions are played out neurologically, they can be expressed through the skin. Acne, for example. When you are tense, your body releases stress hormones, including cortisol, which may increase the skin's oil production, making you prone to pimples, blemishes, and breakouts.
No sun protection is applied as needed due to a new excuse," but my mask covers my face". Lack of skin protection causes exposure to UVA/UVB X-rays that trigger melanin to produce brown spots and pigmentation of our skin's surface.
People wash their face more often, believing that clean skin will be less irritated, but cause an opposite effect - they wash off the skin's natural barrier and make their skin more irritated and sensitive.
Being with the mask all day causes us to drink less water. Dehydration causes all organs a big struggle to function properly. Skin is the biggest organ of our body, so it's affected by a lack of hydration.
What should you do to improve your skin's health?
After being in the mask all day, when you reach home, wash your face and go outside for 15-30 minutes to let your skin breathe.
Exfoliate your skin twice a week (no more), before bedtime, to peel off all dead cells, germs, microbes, etc.. Apply hydrating night cream before sleep.
Every morning apply a good moisturizer ( with antioxidants, vitamins, and peptides) and on top, apply SPF 35+. I can recommend my favorite moisturizer :
Don't touch/scratch your face during the day. Try to place a mask without touching your face and look for 100% cotton material if the mask's fabric causes your skin irritation.
Wash your face only in the morning and evening, don't over wash, and use cleansers with tee tree oil or detergents free.
Best Tea Tree Oil cleanser:
Best 100% Natural ingredients & detergent free cleanser :
6. Drink more water and keep your body hydrated. Make sure that your urine color is neutral. When it's yellow, it's a sign of dehydration.
I hope that my tips will make your skin radiant, healthy and glowing!
Stay safe & healthy
Anna Ronen
Skin Therapy Master
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