Our skin is remarkably resilient, just like the world. The thing with our skin is that if we take care of it, it will keep taking care of us. Healthy skin prevents infections, bounces back from sunburns, and helps react to changing conditions. It can’t do this without a little help, and stay at home has made things a little more complicated, which is why a solid organic skin care routine is more important than ever.

For many people, daily life looks different. We no longer get up every day, go to work, and spend hours on end there. Instead, we’re waking up and finding a corner of our homes to work in. Even those going out to work need to make changes, as many of our regular skin care options are closed. Since stay at home, and most of its variations are here to stay for a while, we need to set up our organic skin care routines for the long term.  

Stay at Home Skin Care Problems

Stress

The stress associated with stay at home and pandemics affects it in a couple of different ways. The big one, however, is the hormone we produce while stressed called cortisol. Cortisol causes our sebaceous glands to overproduce. For most people that means their skin becomes oilier. Extensive cortisol exposure can also cause the skin to show signs of aging.

Acne, Eczema, and Other Recurring Conditions

Changes in routine, added stress, and even the changing seasons can cause our recurring conditions to flare back up again. These conditions require we treat the flares as they happen; however, we can take some basic precautions in our daily routine as well.

Sun Damage

Since we’re not doing our normal activities, it’s tempting to skip the SPF. Many of us are instead spending time indoors to work and going outside for our exercise. These short periods of exposure can still lead to long term sun damage on our skin if it is not adequately protected.

Hydration

Many of us are balancing the new normal, whether it’s working from home or continuously wearing masks. Either case interferes with our standard water drinking routine. Establishing a new one takes time and dedication, which we may not have gotten perfect yet.

Handwashing

While not as evident as the skin on our face, stay at home is also hard on our hands. All the extra handwashing and hand sanitizing, our hands are incredibly dry. This dryness can be solved with a little extra care.

Decreased Blood Flow

In general, stay at home means we’re all moving less. In turn, every area of our skin feels that decreased blood flow. Blood normally carries oxygen and nutrition out to even the furthest extremities of our bodies. The reduced flow can leave us pale, and our skin more prone to imbalances.

Our Best Skin Care Advice

Stick to an Organic Skin Care Routine

Stay at home has changed routines drastically, and this means it’s easier for us to get out of the habits we worked for with our organic skin care routines. If we can stick to a routine, then our skin gets what it needs.

Swap Some Products

The stay at home has altered the composition of our days, which in turn means our skin is handling different conditions. While keeping our organic skin care routine is essential, we may also need to swap out a product or two to meet this new balance.

Let Skin Rest

Now is not the time to go crazy with the facial masks, exfoliants, or even makeup. Instead, stay at home is an excellent time to let our skin rest. This rest will promote healing and allow our skin to reset. Doing so will help us emerge healthier.

Avoid Some “At Home” Versions of Treatments

While our skin misses our routine aesthetician appointments, we need to avoid trying to do our treatments ourselves. We do not need an infection from a microneedle or a burn from a chemical peel during this time, so let’s leave those types of treatments to the professionals.

Get Sun (Safely)

While the sun does damage to our skin, going without direct sunlight has health consequences too. We need sunlight to create vitamin D, which is essential for normal body functions. Beyond that, sunlight interacts with our brains and can help us regulate our sleep cycles. Being able to get the right amount of sleep does wonders for our skin.

Mind the Foods

While processed foods are comforting and tempting, remember to eat them only in moderation. Most body systems, including skin, react best to unprocessed foods like whole grains and vegetables. Eating this way compliments a healthy organic skin care routine and helps our skin shine.

Relax

Though stay at home provokes stress, it also gives us more time. We don’t need to zip around doing everything from soccer practice to happy hour. Instead, relaxing and practicing self-care can do wonders. Try setting aside a couple of minutes a day to something relaxing and see the difference.

Do a Virtual Consult

Everything may be closed, but that doesn’t mean people are unavailable. Virtual appointments are a prominent result of stay at home for everything from doctors to repair people. The people who work in spas, beauty parlors, and other places have done the same thing.

We can set up virtual consults with our usual spa centers quickly. This timeliness makes checking in with someone about our organic skin care routine and receiving suggestions is a few clicks away. We can even get consults on concerns before going to a dermatologist.

The Optimal Organic Skin Care Routine for Stay at Home

Stay at home organic skin care routines do not need to be complicated. In fact, simplicity is a virtue. However, in the case of dry skin or sensitive skin, some modifications may be necessary.

In the Morning

Step 1: Rinse

The first step in an organic skin care routine is preparing for products. In the morning, this task is simpler. Most people do their heavy skin cleaning at night after the rigors of the day. This choice means there’s no need to repeat it in the morning unless there’s a compelling issue.

Instead of harsh cleansing, we prefer a simple warm water rinse. This act removes the debris from overnight without adding more compounds to the face. Additionally, the warm water is an invigorating way to start the day.

Step 2: Toner

The goal of toner is twofold. The first thing it does is pick up any debris the rinse we started with missed. The second is to supply a balance that our skin is missing in terms of pH and hydration. Now, there is no one size fits all for toner, and it may not be necessary in every case.

Toner is generally applied to the whole face. Conventional application methods include sprays or cotton swabs. Depending on our skin, we may not be able to use a toner every day.

Step 3: Moisturizer

Moisturizer is the key to most organic skin care routines. Contrary to popular belief, moisturizer does not add moisture itself. Instead, it forms a barrier and holds water to the outermost layer of skin for extended periods. This moisture is then absorbed by our skin gradually and used by the skin cells. These cells may use it to keep the oil balance, effect repairs, or even support simple cell functions.

Moisturizer should be applied to the full body. However, we recommend using a dedicated facial moisturizer to avoid clogging pores. By moisturizing the entire body regularly, we can prevent many signs of aging and skin damage.

Step 4: Sunscreen

Sunscreen creates a thin barrier over our skin and then filters out the most harmful ultraviolet waves. This filtration prevents sun damage from happening in the first place, which means our skin doesn’t need to repair it.

Even a light SPF sunscreen is infinitely better than not wearing any. We recommend applying sunscreen on top of moisturizer, but before any makeup, to allow it to do its magic. Even if we plan to spend most of the day indoors, having sunscreen on is a good idea.

Step 5: Makeup (as applicable)

Stay at home offers an opportunity to reduce the amount of makeup required for many of us. The lighter applications, such as only making our eyes pop instead of doing a full face for conference calls, lets our skin breathe. Using organic products when makeup is necessary also helps prevent skin damage.

In the Evening

Step 1: Cleanser

The goal of cleanser is to remove the day’s debris without being harsh on our skin. Cleansers come in many forms, from waters to gels to creams. Finding the correct cleanser can be a bit of trial and error since our skin reacts differently to the various formulations.

Generally, using a cleanser with a cotton swab is an efficient way to remove makeup and daytime debris. This action prepares our skin for overnight treatment and prevents further debris damage from occurring.

Step 2: Exfoliant

Exfoliants are designed to remove old skin cells which are no longer doing their job. Exfoliants are abrasive, which loosens the less healthy skin, so the new layer underneath is exposed. Typically, this fresher skin is more absorbent and better able to serve as a barrier.

Exfoliants are too harsh for most people to use every day, and overuse can lead to all manner of skin issues. Instead, using a quality product once or twice a week is all it takes for us to receive the renewing benefits.

Step 3: Toner

Toners provide balance, which in turn helps our skin be its best. The primary balance toner helps us achieve is in our skin surface pH. These products can also aid with hydration. Typically, using toner regularly can help cut off problems like blackheads and overlarge pores.

Toner is not a required product. However, it’s a good one to continue if we were already using it or begin if we’re not satisfied with our skin’s feel.

Step 4: Serums

Nighttime serums tend to vary in key ingredients from product to product to combat various issues. Our skin does significant amounts of its healing while we are asleep. Therefore, this is the perfect time to give our bodies compounds like retinol or vitamins like C. When our skin absorbs these, they go straight into the skin healing process.

Serums can be used to target specific concerns, such as hyperpigmentation, or general ones like age signs. Applying them at night allows for the maximum absorption time of these lightweight products.

Step 5: Moisturizer

Nighttime moisturizers offer significant benefits. In fact, these are an essential part of helping our skin heal as much as possible from the day’s trials. The barrier moisturizer forms to hold water to our skin’s surface also prevents the escape of products we apply underneath it.

Nighttime moisturizers can be applied to the whole body, though we do have a dedicated one for our faces as well. The face is incredibly sensitive to change, and we want to avoid any disruption to it. Using a moisturizer designed for the face prevents pore clogging and other unpleasantness.

After Sweating

Anytime we work up a sweat, whether running or doing yoga, requires special attention for our skin. When our bodies heat up, sweat glands release water, which then evaporates to cool us off. Unfortunately, this leaves debris on our skin.

Since the face is particularly sensitive, it’s crucial to rinse the sweat off it as soon as possible. Otherwise, we may end up with disrupted pH, clogged pores, and other symptoms, which then require correction.

Wrap Up

Stay at home has dramatically altered all our habits and routines. Unfortunately, those changes are unlikely to completely revert soon. Instead, we must adapt and persevere. While skin care routines may seem like a small thing, they’re good for our overall health.

Our organic skin care routine during this time does not require cabinets of fancy items. Instead, it focuses on the basics and letting our skin rest. Taking care of our skin and ourselves is a morale boost and one that we all need right now.

Organicskincare.com offers an extensive collection of products to help those looking for an organic approach to skin care.

Organicskincare.com loves hearing from our customers, so let us know about your favorite skincare products below!