Surely the chance to wear less makeup and escaping the pollution of our daily work commute should translate to amazing skin. Our skin should be thriving, right? But for some the opposite is true! Lets look at a few things that could be causing you to have Lockdown Skin!

 

Stressed Out!

Stress is definitely a contributing factor to breakouts! When we are stressed we produce more of the stress hormone cortisol. When your cortisol levels go up your skin will produce excess sebum, the skins natural oil. This can cause breakouts on your face and body!

 

Not Getting Out Enough!

Lockdown has limited our outdoor time, meaning we could be getting less Vitamin D, an essential vitamin, important for healthy skin and a health immune system too! If we can’t get outside as much as we are used to, our skin will become unhappy! It’s important to get outdoors, even if it’s just for a walk around the block!

 

Lack Of Exercise

Lack of routine and feeling less motivated can reduce our desire to exercise. It’s easier sometimes, to sit on the sofa and binge watch Netflix! (I must admit The Last Kingdom has been amazing!) But seriously exercise is a great stress reducer! It makes us feel energised, improved our circulation, supplies our skin with essential nutrients. It also promotes the removal of toxins resulting in improvements in the overall health of our skin.

 

Poor Eating Habits And A Teeny Weeny Bit More Alcohol!

We are stuck at home and boredom might be setting in! This is when the fridge and the wine bottle start calling our name! And bad habits don’t take long become the norm! Try to make healthy choices, with an occasional treat.  Limit your sugars! These are in abundance in snacks and alcohol. Sugar is known to cause inflammation, (and ageing!) which can lead to breakouts too!

 

Changes In Your Habits

Most of us have taken this opportunity to be a bit more thorough with our skin care routine. Breezing through numerous facemasks and skin scrubs several times a week! But using too many products can be part of the problem. Keep it simple. Less is sometimes more! Also avoid picking, squeezing and poking at breakouts too, this can lead to infection and pigmentation!

 

What Can We Do?

Get at lease 30 minutes outdoor time every day, more if you can. This is a great way to make sure you produce enough vitamin D. Your can take a supplement too if you are not getting enough outdoor time! (We recommend the Advanced Nutrition Programme; speak with one of our therapist to get your personal prescription) Twin this with your daily exercise, get moving and you will see an overall improvement in your skin.

 

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Drink lots of water it will help flush out toxins and keep your bowel movements regular. It will also re-hydrate after the occasional tipple too! Be sure to up your intake if you have had a few too many bevvies the previous day!

 

Try to relax more often read our blog on ways to de-stress

 

A great rule to stick to when it comes to making good food and drink choices is the 80/20 Rule. Be good 80% of the time, and make healthy choices, limiting snacks and alcohol. Have what you want for the remaining 20% within reason of course!

 

Sometimes less is more, so keep your skincare routine simple! Consistency is key! If what you are doing is not taking you closer to your skincare goals, stop, re-evaluate and get back on track. If your would like an Online Consultation with one of our Skin Pro’s please email us hello@beautymattersleeds.co.uk