LIFESTYLE - Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) has changed the way we live.
It is key that we all remain strong and adhere to the practice of social distancing during this lockdown.
However, being in a lockdown can cause us to slip out of routine and it could be easy to lose sight of the important task of taking care of ourselves.
On average, we touch our faces 20 times per hour.
However, most of us do not wash our hands three times during this period.
Unfortunately, it takes a crisis of this magnitude to bring this to our attention.
One of the highlighted risks of spreading the virus is through touching the live molecule of the virus on a common surface and then touching our eyes, nose or mouth.
Health officials reinforce the habit of avoiding contact with those parts and adhering to the 20 second-hand washing protocol, or use of a 60% alcohol-based hand sanitiser.
Tips to help you stop touching your face
*Keep a box of tissues or pocket tissues handy and use these instead of your fingers to relieve yourself from a scratch or an itch.
*Keep your hands busy. Use other objects to reduce instances of touching your face.
*Identify triggers and become aware of when and why you are touching your face, addressing the root cause.
Overall skin maintenance
*Sunblock:
Being in isolation should not halt your health regimes, like skincare. After conducting a survey, I was able to establish common habits that negatively impact skin condition.
Results showed 50% of clients stopped the use of sunscreen during this time, highlighting a common misconception that sunscreen is not necessary when one is indoors.
Let’s put this to the test. When you wake up in the morning, is there a need to switch your lights on where there is a window? There is no need to switch the lights on, due to the sunlight in your room.
The sun produces three types of ultraviolet rays, one of which is the sneaky UVA, which can penetrate through glass and reach the skin’s deeper layer.
This contributes to photo-ageing, such as wrinkles and darkening hyper-pigmentation. My mantra is to use sunscreen daily, as you would brush your teeth.
It’s best to use separate sunscreen not built in with a day cream, especially if you have scars and hyper-pigmentation as those conditions are vulnerable to darkening even further.
*Beware of dairy in-take: During the lockdown, about 70% of clients tend to consume warm drinks with milk, like tea and coffee.
Evidence-based studies have shown that milk has a high concentration of hormones and this is a common trigger to acne.
Since most dairy cows are given growth hormones, the consumption of milk, cheese and yoghurt become factors that influence endogenous hormones and mimic the hormones that trigger acne. Try green tea instead, without milk. This also enhances the immune function.
*Stay active: Try to stay active. Our movements and space are restricted during the lockdown and poor circulation can be evident on your skin, appearing in a dull and shallow tone.
You can alleviate this by massaging in your cleanser, when washing your face in the mornings and evenings. It’s important to massage in circular movements.
General tips:
*Yoga, pilates or even dancing are known to lower stress hormones and keep your immune system working effectively.
*Our body is made of up of more than 60% water. Water assists with detoxing, as it carries oxygen. Increase your water intake. Foods that contain a high percentage of water include oranges, lettuce, cucumber, spinach and watermelon.
*Strengthen your immune system by adding turmeric to your diet. You can also introduce antioxidants such as sunflower seeds and avocados.
*Try introducing anti-inflammatory food, such as ginger, that reduces sore throats and other inflammatory illnesses.
*Stress impacts your immune system and the more you stress, the more you are reducing the body’s ability to fight off infections.
*Be grateful for everything we have and use this time to catch up, and spend time with loved ones.
Ramlakan is an internationally qualified and trained beauty therapist, and the founder of NB Skin Science skincare. Facebook and Instagram @nbskinscience or visit www.nbskinscience.com