10 Skin Care Tips for the Pandemic Period

During the pandemic, masks, soap, cologne and disinfectants became indispensable to our daily lives. Alongside changes in our eating habits, intense stress and insufficient exposure to daylight, skin problems increased significantly. Dermatologist Dr. Belma Bayraktar shared 10 practical ways to rejuvenate skin in spring months and provided important recommendations.

Exercise regularly

With windows open, one hour of daily exercise provides significant physical, mental and emotional health benefits. Regular exercise greatly contributes to revitalizing our skin and preventing premature facial aging. By performing 10-15 minutes of facial yoga movements daily, we can work our facial muscles. Sitting long hours at a computer and crossing legs impede blood circulation in the legs and can lead to varicose veins. It is beneficial to place elevating supports under our feet while sitting and to stand up and walk a bit every hour.  

Get adequate and quality sleep

The contribution of sleep to our beauty is evident. Adequate and quality sleep directly affects our skin health. Although it varies by individual, an average of 6-8 hours of regular sleep per night is recommended. Since skin metabolism works at night, we prefer to apply active products in the evening. Additionally, continuously sleeping on your side causes unilateral pressure, develops sleep lines, and can create asymmetry. Therefore, we should protect our skin from pressure; if sleeping on our side, we should change position, and whenever possible sleep on our back with an appropriate pillow.  

Massage your face every morning

After a sleepless night, our skin appears pale and we wake with puffy under-eyes. Morning massage with cold water or cold gels revitalizes our skin, reduces puffiness and helps us look more refreshed. If our under-eyes are swollen and puffy, we can apply gauze soaked in chilled green tea. We can then cleanse with an appropriate cleanser and apply our moisturizing cream in an upward direction following lymph drainage massage. The same applications apply to the neck.  

Drink plenty of water

For healthy skin and body, one must drink two liters of water daily. Drinking sufficient water is essential for skin hydration, organ function and elimination of toxins from the body. Water is health, and is very important for metabolic exchange between cells. Some of us mistakenly think that tea and coffee we drink also meet our water needs, but it is the opposite – these beverages are diuretics and cause water loss. We should not overdo tea and coffee consumption; we need to drink water separately after consuming tea and coffee.  

Eat healthy

Proper nutrition is extremely important for our skin and body health. Nutrition rich in vitamins and minerals, free of additives and containing adequate protein is very important for our overall health. These are recommendations applicable to everyone. In some skin diseases, special nutrition programs are followed. In acne-prone skin, excessive carbohydrate-rich foods, chocolate and excessive dairy product consumption aggravates the condition. In those with rosacea, spice, coffee and alcohol consumption trigger the disease. Additionally, hot steam baths and sun rays also negatively affect the disease. In both these conditions, stress is a triggering factor.

Cleanse your skin twice daily without fail

Dermatologist Dr. Belma Bayraktar states: "We should cleanse our skin twice daily. Our cleansing product should be selected according to our skin type. If dry skin uses an oily skin cleanser, the skin becomes dry and wrinkled. After cleansing, an appropriate moisturizer should be used. If oily and acne-prone skin uses intensive anti-aging products, skin complaints increase. Makeup applied under masks can clog pores due to increased heat and sweating, triggering acne formation. We frequently see mask allergies in some sensitive skin types. For this reason, applying water-based, non-comedogenic moisturizers to our skin will provide protection. Heavy products that will clog pores should not be used."  

Cream your hands in the evening and keep them sealed in a refrigerator bag!

During the pandemic, our hands were the most worn organ. Frequent hand washing, disinfectant and cologne use disrupted our skin's barrier system, leading to cracks, dryness, redness and irritation. The soap we use to wash our hands is extremely important. We should use soaps compatible with skin pH, non-drying and moisturizing. Soaps containing intensive chemical disinfectants cause irritation to our skin. We should apply moisturizing cream to our hands after each wash. In the evenings while sitting in front of the television, if we apply moisturizer to our hands and keep them sealed in a refrigerator bag or plastic bag for about one hour, we can restore our damaged moisture balance. When doing housework, we should always wear rubber gloves lined with fabric inside. We should avoid direct contact with laundry and dish detergents.  

Wear sunscreen even at home

Even if we sit at home, we must always apply sunscreen. We are constantly exposed to light from screens, windows and lamps. Once or twice a week we can apply a facial mask. This mask should be one determined by our doctor that is suitable for our skin type.  

Take up a hobby

Our mental health is also very important for our skin health. Engaging in activities that make us happy, listening to music we enjoy, watching films that interest us and motivate us, reading books that are relaxing and uplifting and promote positive thinking, practicing meditation and yoga, talking and chatting with loved ones who make us happy – these are all activities we can easily do.  

Avoid smoking and secondhand smoke

Dermatologist Dr. Belma Bayraktar states: "Smoking and secondhand smoke exposure cause serious damage to our overall health, as well as lead to rapid premature aging of our skin. It causes increases in acne and capillary dilation. For this reason, it is essential to avoid smoking and secondhand smoke exposure."