In the midst of this global pandemic, COVID-19 has made us press pause on our regular day-to-day activities. We have taken shelter indoors, doing our job as good citizens and distancing ourselves socially. Even though we might be in self-quarantine, let’s make sure that we aren’t distancing ourselves from our beauty treatments and skin care routines!
While we are in self-quarantine, our beauty routines continue to be a standard part of our everyday lives. During our COVID-19 staycations, many of us are seizing the opportunity to try out different home beauty tips and techniques. This has been a great time to implement a new self-care regimen, particularly with a strong emphasis on personal hygiene.
The Beauty Med team is sharing some of our favourite beauty tips to try at home. These natural beauty tips will make you feel confident about your appearance during the self-quarantine period:
Beauty Tip #1: Apply skin care for your hands.
During COVID-19, personal hygiene is weighing heavily on our minds. In order to reduce the spread of the virus, many people have been militant about frequent hand washing and sanitizing. Unfortunately, there is an inadvertent side effect of washing our hands too excessively. The skin on our hands will take a beating, causing it to feel raw, patchy and tight.
A beauty tip that you can try at home is to apply a thick oil-based cream after washing your hands. This coat of hand salve will protect and prevent dry, chapped skin. Petroleum jelly is another great option for sealing in hydration. However, you may want to save this beauty treatment for bedtime, as it can make the hands feel greasy and slippery.
Beauty Tip #2: Try moisturizers for dry skin.
Dry skin is a common symptom after staying in quarantine for a while, due to the stuffy and humid air in our homes. The good news is that you have access to numerous cosmetic products, many of which can keep your skin feeling nourished and hydrated. With a vast selection of hydrating creams, serums and moisturizers, you are one step closer to turning your makeshift home salon into a facial spa.
One possible home remedy is to use a hydration-packed facial moisturizer in the morning. Every time your skin feels dry, you can reapply the moisturizer throughout the day. When your skin is packed with moisture, it will look more radiant and resilient. As an added bonus, the occurrence of wrinkles will also reduce in the long term.
Beauty Tip #3: Maintain morning and night beauty routines.
During self-quarantine, most of us have been interrupted from our regular routines and thrown into a state of disarray. As a result, it may be common to stay up later at night and then sleep in during the next morning. This off-kilter schedule makes it easy to lose track of time, causing you to miss out on your beauty routines occasionally.
The best time to apply your beauty routines is every morning after you wake up, followed by every evening before you go to sleep. By following this regular schedule like clockwork, you will never forget any of your morning or night beauty routines.
Beauty Tip #4: Replace old skin care products.
Cosmetics are breeding grounds for bacteria, particularly any products that come into contact with your skin directly. Some common culprits include mascara, lip gloss, and eyeliner. As a general beauty tip, toss out any of these higher risk liquid-based products that are older than 4 months, and everything else that is older than a year. If you can’t remember when you purchased the product, this is a sure sign that it needs to go.
If you’re using old cosmetics that contain active ingredients, they may no longer produce results if the product has been open for longer than a year. Many anti-aging moisturizers and serums contain powerful agents such as hyaluronic acid or Vitamin C, but these ingredients lose potency over time. Get in the habit of labelling and replacing your unfinished products after a 12-month period as part of your skin care routine.
Beauty Tip #5: Clean your cosmetic brushes.
While we’re elbow deep in our beauty cabinets, pull out all your brushes and product applications. There’s no better time than the present to give them a good washing. The heavily used brushes should be cleaned once every 7-10 days. During the cleaning process, make sure you wash each brush thoroughly and effectively. The dust, oil, skin flakes and bacteria just love to make themselves at home within the many crevices and crannies of the bristles.
Give each of your rinsed brushes a swirl within a bowl of warm water, mixed with a mild shampoo. Rinse and repeat until the brushes appear clean, then lay your freshly laundered tools flat on a clean towel until fully dry. This beauty tip ensures your cosmetic brushes are in sanitary condition, which is important for ensuring good personal hygiene during COVID-19.
Beauty Tip #6: Hair care is just as important as skin care.
Skin care has a significant role in your beauty routine, but you should also show some love for your hair care procedures. If your parched ends require some extra hydration, consider applying a hair mask treatment. There are various hair masks that can be purchased or homemade. A hair mask can be easily concocted on your own, using a variety of recipes from natural ingredients around the household.
The best time to apply the hair mask is in the morning. After coating your locks in a thick layer of hair mask, pull your hair into a bun or a towel for several hours. Then, take a quick break at lunchtime to wash away the hair mask. Apply the hair mask about once a week, and you will revel in how luxuriously soft your hair strands feel.