09 Jul 2020

A Quarantine Skin Care Routine

We were doing so well in quarantine up until just a couple of weeks ago! As restrictions were easing up a bit, I wanted to try and incorporate some of my previous daily routines while still being cautious, of course. I was restarting my daily coffees, taking regular walks, even getting some fresh air at the beach. All of these things, took up 5% or less of my entire day. What I didn’t realize was that while short in duration, it meant me having to put on and take off my mask more often. Little by little, that tension started to chip away at my skin and the week afterwards, I was dealing with massive blemishes that I had never tackled before. They call it “maskne.” Even though I wasn’t seeing anyone, I felt insecure.

This week we’re in recovery mode, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting this all to go away overnight. Here are some small changes I’m making to my routine these days:

Wash Your Masks Regularly

At the start of quarantine, I was so excited about the 3-pack of masks that I had purchased from Etsy. In fact, so excited about one in particular, that I neglected the other two that came with it. I haven’t been washing my mask after every single use, but I could be giving it a wash more frequently than I have been. Another way to combat this is to also just have more masks on hand. Masks are pretty easy to clean especially if you have the cloth ones, but I usually just throw them into my laundry when I’m doing a load with everything else to make sure they are extra clean.

Give Your Face A Break

Even while in quarantine, I was doing 50% – 75% full face of makeup. Getting ready helped me to wake up, have a routine, and start my day even if I was headed to my couch for work. During my “maskne” breakout, I wanted to give my face a chance to breathe. Since it was a holiday week, I knew it wouldn’t be meeting heavy for me which meant minimal face time on Google Meet. It was the perfect time to have a fresh face with only moisturizer. Not only did this cut down on getting ready time, but I just felt better overall.

You can also explore the face oil range that acts as a moisture sealant. Light oils can also help with clogged pores and are beneficial for sensitive skin. Best face oil can enhance your skincare regime to give you soft, silky, smooth, and acne-free skin.

However, before applying the oil to your face, make sure that your face is cleansed properly. You can use your regular face wash or just plain water. Well, in case you prefer just water, distilled water would prove to be a better choice than tap water. Distilled water tends to help unclog pores and also removes impurities. Besides, it doesn’t leave any calcium or other residue on the face, unlike hard water. When your skin is clean and pores are open, the oil or any cream you apply would penetrate better. To explore its other benefits, you could buy distilled water and experiment yourself!

But You Still Have To Wash Your Face

This is a habit we’ll be practicing for the rest of our lives! Just because you aren’t putting as much gunk on your face doesn’t mean you skip the wash before bed. Now that I’m dealing with the “maskne,” I’m washing my face before bed and following a strict routine. In the morning, I use another cleanser on my face for the shower. Some may say that it’s overkill, but I also believe that so much build up is created during the day and even a bit overnight.

The Best Time For Experimenting

Since we’re in quarantine anyways, I’m using this extra time to take advantage of the samples I always said I would get around to using it. The pro is that if you find something you like in a sample, you can order it online and get it shipped to your door. On the other hand, the con is that if it backfires on you and your skin reacts negatively, at least you can recover at home. I’ve collected so many samples just in the last six months or whenever it was that we were last shopping. My goal for quarantine is to always minimize and cut down on my belongings so this feels like a good place to start.

Pro-Tip:

If you’re going out anyways, all you have to do is apply make up to the top half of your face. Why bother getting your mask dirty when you likely aren’t going to be taking it off?

Posted on July 9, in Style