My sensitive skin stressed out during quarantine. Here’s how I fixed it…
COVID-19 did not come to play and neither did I
My skin is sensitive on the best of days. Because of this, I have a very gentle skin care routine and I’m very careful about introducing any kind of actives into my regimen due to horrific past experiences. I’m talking a compromised skin barrier people.
And with all the stress of COVID-19 lately, my skin has really been taking a hit. I’ve found it to be more reactive and sensitised than usual, which has meant I’ve had to find fast-working solutions that will have me ready for the few social interactions I have these days. You know, like my next zoom meeting or bi-weekly expedition to the supermarket (I’ll admit, it’s hard being this in demand).
Along the way I’ve found some total gems that are worth a share. Here’s what I reach for when my skin has absolutely no chill:
Nourishing Facial Oil
Along with suffering from skin sensitivity, I’ve also been lucky enough to be blessed with a face that gets dry as a bone during the cooler months, too (yay!). So I like to kill two birds with one stone and opt for a nourishing facial oil. My personal favourites are Pai Rosehip BioRegenerate Oil, an oil blend of rosehip seed, rosehip fruit and rosemary extracts, as well as vitamin E that helps to soothe and repair skin, and Happy Skincare’s Black Seed Oil, which is super calming on skin and can even be used on eczema and hive flare-ups.
Pai Rosehip Bioregenerate Oil
Happy Skincare Black Seed Oil
Soothing Face Mist
I’ve always been a bit sceptical about face mists to be completely honest, but when it comes to stressed skin sometimes all you need is a simple, no-fuss spritz that will quickly cool and rebalance skin with minimal effort. I find with soothing face mists the simpler the formula the better, and you definitely want to steer clear of anything that has alcohol high on its ingredients list. Think La Roche Posay’s Thermal Spring Water. Plus, when applied liberally to cotton pads and placed on the eyes, it acts as a great treatment for tired-looking peepers.
La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water
Facial Massage
If my skin’s stressed and looking dull, I always like to give myself a quick facial massage, nothing too fancy, just something to get the blood flowing and wake my face up a bit. I like to use a bit of moisturiser or facial oil, which I warm up in my hands before massaging into the skin using upward circular motions, making sure to follow the natural contours of my face.
Homemade Mask
If I have a bit of extra time, I also like to treat my skin with a homemade mask. I like to keep it simple: avocado and oats. Simply mash up an avocado into some oats (make sure you’ve cooked them and let them cool before applying) and Bob’s your uncle; you’ve got yourself a soothing and moisturising mask!
Nails looking a little worse for wear since quarantine started? We’ve got the lowdown on how to fix them.
Main image credit: @fingermonkey
Briar Clark got her start in the media industry in 2017, as an intern for Marie Claire and InStyle. Since then, her keen interest in fashion and beauty has landed her gigs as a Digital Content Producer and Beauty Editor with titles like Girlfriend, Refinery29, BEAUTYcrew and beautyheaven. She loves the way seemingly innocuous topics like skin care and style have the ability to put a smile on people’s faces or make them think about themselves a little differently. A big believer in self love and experimentation, Briar has made a point of becoming the Australian beauty industry’s unofficial guinea pig for unusual treatments and daring hair trends. When she’s not testing out the latest beauty launches, Briar is big on broadening her horizons, mostly in the form of food but she’s also partial to travelling to new destinations both near and far (and of course, allocating an extra bag to bring their best beauty offerings home with her).
