How do I take care of my skin during Covid-19?
With current stay-at-home orders on both a state and national level, you may be asking yourself, “What can I do at home to keep up with my beauty routine?” We all know that looking better can impact how we feel about ourselves and self-care is wildly important, especially in this time of uncertainty. I applaud getting outdoors, continuing to reach your fitness goals and taking time for yourself, but there are some considerations to keep in mind as you manage your beauty routine from home. You are not alone, I’m here for you! As a nurse practitioner and skin care expert I am available to answer questions as they come up including on products or devices you find on the internet. Please call or text with your questions anytime. I am happy to help you navigate your skin care concerns, research items you are interested in purchasing and give a recommendation on any product or device.
The internet is full of products and skin applications that can do more harm than good. I have seen many times patients using eye patches or at home chemical peels just to say, “My skin has never been the same since,” and in a bad way. Products are best purchased from reputable websites to ensure you are getting what you pay for. There are often “imposter” products found on the internet that look like the real deal but may be fraudulent. While supplies last, Dandelion has our entire Lira Clinical skin care line available for free delivery. View the entire Lira Clinical line here.
Be careful with whipping up at home masks or treatments from recipes found on the internet. While these may sound fun to try, some ingredients can actually damage the skin and its natural barrier while clinical-grade skin care products like Lira Clinical are designed to protect the skin while addressing specific skin concerns. Crazy ingredients often found in these recipes include garlic that when applied raw to the skin can cause hyperpigmentation and scarring, cinnamon which can burn the skin and cause an inflammatory response and coffee grounds can create microscopic tears in the skin. Much of your pantry is better served to spice up your inner chef than applied to your face. There are some safe ingredients to consider including avocado, honey, cucumber and plain yogurt but make educated decisions before bringing your kitchen into your skin care.
I’m sorry to say, but absolutely nothing compares with efficacy of Botox and Dysport because these medications treat wrinkles way down in the muscle, not the skin or even the wrinkle itself. There is no cream that can recreate the effect of Botox or Dysport because it simply cannot get to the muscle when applied topically. Shy away from products that say they are a “Botox cream” or a “serum better than Botox;” these are false claims. There are many creams, serums and moisturizers with ingredients like retinol, hyaluronic acid, peptides and vitamins that benefit the skin, but they will not treat wrinkles the same way Botox and Dysport will. There are also no specific ways to make Botox or Dysport last longer because this is dependent on so many variables like age, gender, skin health, metabolism and lifestyle factors. I have seen online options for purchasing products like Botox for self-injection at home. DO NOT do this. These products usually come from outside of the United States and you have no way of knowing what they are actually sending you. The same is true for dermal fillers. The risks include not only poor results and infection that can scar the skin but even death. Yes, death.
Devices like microdermabrasion machines, microneedling pens, light therapy for the skin, etc. are all the rage for affordable, at home skin care but they do not compare with the FDA-approved medical devices used at Dandelion Medical Aesthetics or other medical spas and dermatology practices. Medical-grade microneedling pens and light-based devices are actually heavily regulated by the FDA. Nothing a lay-person can purchase on the internet will compare to medical-grade devices and often carry hefty price tags with the potential for high risks and may not offer any actual benefit.
Microneedling rollers (not electric “pens”) may actually offer some benefit to the skin by minimally “piercing” the skin to increase collagen and elastin and allow for your topical products to better penetrate the skin. There are several on the market available for online purchase at an affordable price ($15-$30). Be sure to do a little research and follow the manufacturer’s directions, particularly in relation in how to sanitize a microneedling roller. Here’s a great article I found about microneedling rollers.
Here’s what I suggest:
Wear sunscreen of at least SPF 30
Drink plenty of water (at least 2 liters each day!) and use moisturizer as needed: hydrated skin looks less dull and wrinkled.
Go out for a daily walk and fresh air before 10:00 am and/or after 4:00 pm to decrease exposure to the sun’s most risky rays.
Make time for yourself to relax, read, meditate and exercise.
Limit caffeine and alcohol.
Skip makeup if you can, take this time to let the skin just breathe.
Be sure to include fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet throughout the day. You should be eating a rainbow every day!
While not in my wheel house, skip drug store hair color. Your stylist and your hair will thank you.
Consider facial massage, you don’t need a jade roller for this. Check out this article on jade rollers.
Don’t forget to call or text Dawn at 720-471-7017 for help in researching something you are interested in trying. I’m here for you!