Dry Skin Rescue

The current lockdown is affecting all our lives in so many ways and the condition of our skin, although seemingly trivial in the overall scheme of things, is causing some unwanted issues. Is your skin as dry as mine and bothering you a bit right now? Is it looking a bit dull, flaky or scaly in areas and are you seeing more fine lines and wrinkles than usual?

With all of us being cooped up indoors at the moment and then our once-a-day walking allowance bringing us out into the cool, dry, air….it’s no wonder our skins suffer from moisture deprivation and feel drier than normal. Both environments are low in humidity and will play havoc with our skin’s natural defence barrier. So we need to build it up.

Firstly, we need to give our skin a drink – without smothering it – and secondly, protect it from further damage (any broken skin can be an infection risk). We can turn to simple measures such as reducing the heat of our showers and baths and limit them to just 10 minutes, to more expensive measures such as a home humidifier. Using a gentle facial cleanser is particularly important at this time of the year – but don’t forget to exfoliate (while making sure it’s carefully formulated, so as to not strip the wrong layer of your skin off!)

But please do resist slathering any old moisturiser on your face as, at best, this could prolong the dryness. And at worst, it can cause more skin problems. I personally use all the above methods bar the home humidifier, as well as using my much-loved Obagi medical-grade skincare products. I give my skin a drink with Hydrate Luxe and I’m using Elastiderm to deal with crepey eyes. I’m just starting to exfoliate with the latest Obagi Professional-C Microdermabrasion Polish + Mask, which contains 30% Vitamin C.  I tried it first on my hands and treated my left hand for 6 minutes.   It made quite a noticeable difference! Ahhh….I am now much happier with my Stay Indoors skin.

For any of you who might want to either get hold of their favourite products while our clinics are closed, or who want to try any Obagi products for themselves while we are all staying at home, we are able to arrange a mail order service with products delivered straight to your door. Please ask Julie if anyone wishes to use this service or has any other queries we can help you with.

Meanwhile, stay safe and well everyone!