Lockdown skincare routine

Indeed it's a very confusing time for all of us. Whether to talk in terms of work from home routine, sleeping hours, eating habits, etc, everything these days is a hassle. With skincare in no exceptional category, all of us have become beauty aficionados. Whatever we are capturing from social media, we are keeping no stones unturned to try them all. Since everyone's skin is dissimilar, every ingredient reacts differently. Therefore it is very important to understand what's damaging for our skin and what isn't. So here's a blueprint to keep in mind while following that stay-at-home skincare routine.

Avoid applying lemons

Yes, you heard it right! Direct application of lemon juice on your face can lead to rashes, irritation, inflammation, etc. Rather diluting it in honey, rose water, or even normal water would do the job to protect your skin against its harmful effects. And, if you have dry skin but still want to treat yourself with natural acids, curd would be the best choice. Enriched with lactic acid, it's a natural source of alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that aids in exfoliation, reduces sun-damage, prevents pigmentation and stimulates the growth of new cells. You can also replace lemon juice with orange juice in your home-made face packs. Orange juice helps in shrinking the pore size, brightens up the skin and prevents flakiness.

Don't over-cleanse your face

While washing your face two times a day is fine. But exceeding the prescribed limit leads to dryness, pH imbalance, and excess sebum and oil secretion. Try to choose a milder face wash or cleanser, which doesn't harm the natural barrier of the skin and keeps natural moisture intact. To avoid using a face wash in the morning, you can also try cleaning your face with a mixture of clay( Multani-mitti) and apple cider vinegar. This mixture will deeply cleanse your pores while protecting the natural barrier of the skin. And, if you have dry skin, replace apple cider vinegar with rose water or honey.

Say no to sugary teas and coffee altogether

Excess sugary drinks force the skin to indulge in the process of Glycation, where the sugar binds itself with the proteins( collagen) and lipids to form glycation end products(AGE's), which in turn is a form of free radical. Not only this, but a high carb intake diet also provokes oil generation which causes whiteheads and other skin problems. The recommended intake of sugar as prescribed by the nutritionists is about six tablespoons of sugar every day. So delve into antioxidant-rich food like grapes, blueberries, watermelon, bananas, apples, oranges, lettuce, etc. These natural fruits and vegetables help in neutralizing the free radicals that are produced underneath our skin every day. And drinking a glass of water 7-9 times a day keeps the urge of drinking teas and coffees multiple times at bay.

No over-exfoliation

Since you have ample time to spare, scrubbing every day might be an extra step in your skin-care routine. Doing it every day can make your skin look patchy and dry. Excess exfoliation leads to over-stimulation which causes redness, inflammation, enlarged pores, and dullness. Therefore scrubbing your face thrice a week should suffice your skin exfoliation needs!

Don't forget to moisturise

Not applying a moisturiser after washing your face leads to excess sebum secretion. For drier skin, it can cause over-dryness, patchy skin and might even cause flakiness. To keep your skin smooth and supple, it is crucial to apply moisturizers every day and night. Therefore hydrate well, drink lots of water, use a hydrating cream that contains ceramides and hyaluronic acid. Both of them make sure that your skin's moisture content is perfect. Also, ingredients like shea butter, coconut oil, or aloe vera in the body creams ensure your skin gets the maximum nourishment. Since we cannot control the things around us, we can surely use this time to nourish and heal ourselves.