With South African citizens being stuck indoors at the moment, having to divert drastically from our normal routines have become commonplace. But we may be slipping in other ways that we might think won’t make a difference, too. For example, and it’s a big one, our beauty routines!
Sure, staying inside has most of us avoiding make-up, but that doesn’t mean we don’t need to look after our skin. Not to mention the state of our hair and all the missed-out maintenance in that area…
Well, we take a look at the beauty mistakes you might be making during lockdown – and how to best avoid them…
ALSO SEE: The Reason Why Your Skin May Not Be Looking Its Best During Lockdown
Here’s a list of the beauty mistakes you could be making under lockdown
1. Not wearing SPF
Our time spent outdoors might be limited at the moment, but SPF is still a non-negotiable part of your daily skincare routine.
“We’re still encouraged to seek fresh air once a day and as the sun is out, you must protect your skin,” explains Dermalogica’s International Education Manager, Candice Gardner.
“It may not seem enough for you to be concerned about the impact, but the UVA rays are still strong enough to lead to skin damage,” she says.
Similarly, if you’ve set up your new home-working desk by a window to lap up those beautiful blue skies, your skin needs extra protection.
“You may have heard that you can’t get sunburnt through a pane of glass, but that doesn’t mean glass blocks all ultraviolet, or UV light. The rays that lead to skin or eye damage can still get through, even if you don’t get burned,” adds Candice.
“Whilst UVB, the high-intensity wavelengths that cause burning, cannot penetrate glass, you will still be vulnerable to the skin-damaging and ageing effects of UVA.”
Elizabeth Arden Great 8 Eight Hour Defense Moisturizer Broad Spectrum Sunscreen SPF 35, R440 for 45ml, is brilliant. Its lightweight gel formula blends seamlessly into all skin tones and keeps you protected without clogging pores or leaving an undesirable white cast.
ALSO SEE: The Autumn Skincare Mistake You’re Probably Making
2. Growing your nails
If you’re a fan of falsies or are planning on growing your natural nails, you might want to think twice.
“Long nails are not entirely ideal during an outbreak simply for the reason that they take longer to clean,” explains New York-based gastroenterologist, Dr Niket Sonpal.
“People are not mindful that they have to allocate more time than usual to wash the underside of their nails, and they harbour more germs and bacteria.”
Nail nibbling can cause problems too, so stock up on some foul-tasting polish and try to kick the habit.
“All kinds of bacteria, viruses, dirt and debris can collect under the nails – and this can then be transferred into your mouth when you bite your nails,” says allergist and immunologist, Dr Purvi Parikh. “Particularly if you aren’t washing or sanitising your hands properly.”
Repetitive hand washing can not only cause dry, flaking hands but dehydrate your nail bed too.
ALSO SEE: 6 Top Hand Creams And Lotions To Soothe Dry, Chapped Skin
Incorporate OPI Pro Spa Nail & Cuticle Oil, R270 for 8,6ml, into your routine and massage into the nail plate every night before bed. Your nails will become stronger, and less prone to snagging or splitting over time.
3. Over-consuming alcohol
With so much uncertainty, it’s relatively unsurprising that alcohol was one of the items we bought in bulk before shutdown commenced.
Unfortunately, while a glass of vino might be the escapism you crave, one too many can harm your immune system.
“People who drink alcohol excessively tend to be at an increased risk for infectious diseases, take longer to recover from illnesses and have more complications after surgery,” explains Dr Jenna Macciochi in her book Immunity The Science of Staying Well.
Alcohol is notorious for robbing our skin of its natural radiance too, another good reason for limiting your intake.
“Whenever you drink alcohol, your body becomes dehydrated, which has a massive impact on your skin,” adds the author of Drink Less, Live More, Katherine Kay.
“It’s stripped of the vital nutrients and vitamins it needs to remain healthy, so can quickly become dull and grey. Fortunately, the skin reacts well to change, so it can return to its usual glowing glory after only a couple of days of cutting back on alcohol.”
ALSO SEE: How Much Alcohol Should You Be Drinking In Lockdown?
4. Using hair tools
With no place to go, besides the grocery store that is, and no one to see outside of your household, now is the perfect time to give your hair a rest from repetitive blow-drying, curling and straightening.
If you’re never normally a wash-and-go type, worried about how your hair will look by the time you reach your destination – try embracing your natural look.
You might just find a beachy wave or gorgeous spirals hiding under all that heat damage.
Give stressed-out strands some TLC by enjoying a weekly hair mask. Try new Palmer’s Natural Fusions Chia Seed & Argan Oil Hair Mask, R39,99 for 60g. It uses superfood chia seed to reconstruct breakage and argan oil to improve gloss and leave hair cuticles seriously smooth.
ALSO SEE: The Easiest DIY Hair Masks To Try At Home
5. Reaching for the home hair dye
Before you reach for the bottle of permanent colour, remember – changing your shade too dramatically without the help of your hairdresser could lead to breakage or an unwanted colour transformation you won’t be able to fix at home.
Luckily, most colour-related problems are easy to maintain, or fix in the short-term, with the help of root-touch ups and toners.
Banish brassiness in blonde or grey locks with the help of a purple shampoo like Redken Colour Extend Blondage Colour-Depositing Shampoo, R315 for 300ml.
Sitting on the opposite side of the colour wheel to yellow, it neutralises straw-like tones, replacing them with cool, icy tones.
Words: Jess Beech. Additional Words: Martinique Stevens
