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Choosing Skincare Over Makeup During The Pandemic: Dos and Don'ts

Choosing Skincare Over Makeup During The Pandemic: Dos and Don'ts
Taking a break from makeup during the pandemic!

As people stay confined to their homes due to the pandemic, many have decided to take a break from makeup and give importance to self-care and skin pampering. A dermatologist explains what's good and what's bad for your skin.

Written by Editorial Team |Updated : May 14, 2021 12:29 PM IST

The pandemic has upended everyone's lives and brought with it some inevitable changes, this has also allowed for re-evaluation and improvement of everyday routine. From the widespread quarantines to prioritizing different commodities, an individual's economic needs have changed drastically. As fewer people step outside for work, partying or social gatherings - applying makeup has become unnecessary for many. Individuals have started to attach importance to self-care and pampering trends. Today, people are shifting their spending habits by gravitating them towards products that mimic the salon experience at home. An increasingly digital lifestyle urges individuals to protect themselves from the potential impact triggered by it.

Wearing makeup to cover up skin issues may do more harm

While many decide to stay confined to their homes and take a break from makeup, there are others who have no choice, but to wear makeup every day, as their jobs demand it. Those who constantly wear makeup to cover up their blemishes, dark circles and other skin issues, while also feeling self-conscious to be seen with bare skin would want to address their skin concerns. Wearing makeup also leads to clogged pores, which then causes acne, and brings along with it a lot of insecurities. This forces many individuals to cover up the acne or PIH (post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation), which again directs them to apply more makeup; this is a never-ending vicious cycle, and many are caught in the trap. Not wearing proper sunscreen underneath the makeup accelerates aging. Though, many accurately take care of their skin, some individuals just cover up their skin concerns with makeup, without following a proper skincare routine, on tenterhooks waiting for their skin problems to vanish overnight.

Through a lot of research and customer study, many renowned makeup companies like Huda beauty & L'oreal have launched their own skincare brands, or made skincare infused makeup. Another example for this is Smashbox introducing a primer with salicylic acid. This has created a huge fear of missing out amongst millennials, wanting to try it all, regardless of their skin type and needs. Parallelly, even skincare companies have started to launch new molecules such as - INKEY List's Succinic Acid and Fulvic Acid; with an established molecule some even introduce their own products. Amid innumerable products circling all over the market, it could be a tedious task for most individuals to select a suitable product for their skin, while following the trends on social media.

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Spike in online searches forpopular serums

Beauty tools, serums, and blue light-blocking skincare plays the most significant role in today's skincare trends. The beauty tools including Gua Sha, Jade Rollers and Facial Steamers have created a stir on social media. Many are inclined to have multiple skincare routines throughout the day which include layering serums. Some popular serums for instance are Niacinamide, Vitamin C and Retinol serums, these serums have seen a great spike in online searches during this period. Its popularity is probably as a result of the up-close and personal nature of now-common video calls, which draws attention to the skin imperfections. Nevertheless, at-home or DIY peels and masks have grown popular amidst the crowd, and have only escalated in popularity due to the ease in using them, and the economic comfort they provide. This also could be attributed to the elevation in making video calls in order to stay connected with the rest of the world.

Protection from blue lightemitted from screens

The general obligation to be in a lockdown, and increased work from home hours have given rise to more screen time. This raises concerns about the effect of the blue light emitted from the screens on one's skin, which can cause early signs of skin aging. There is a sudden increase in the number of people buying blue light blocking sunscreens. While many argue that blue light causes skin damage, it's also important to note that the blue light emitted from screens is much lesser than the blue light emitted from the sun. People don't need to take additional precautions other than using their regular sunscreen. However, if a person is undergoing a medical treatment like photodynamic therapy which makes them tremendously sensitive to visible light, or has pigmented skin, and feels that the sunscreen isn't enough for the pigmentation, can turn down the brightness of the screen. Sitting in a shade is always the recommended choice!

The article is contributed by Dr Manasi S - Head Dermatologist at Remedico.