Lockdown Beauty Tips For You To Keep In Mind Right Now

Given how we are all at home, in a conscious and group effort to defeat the novel coronavirus, it’s easy to feel bored and/or stressed. While trying to get used to a new normal, we need to update our routine, including our skin and hair care. Staying at home has given us all a great opportunity to switch up our skincare routine and focus some time and attention on it. Beauty and hair care is also the easiest form of self-care, one of the most effortless ways of maintaining your mental health in times of uncertainty. It’s time to pamper yourself with your favourite beauty routine and these lockdown beauty tips will help you get there.

Follow These DIY Lockdown Beauty Tips And Don’t Let Isolation Dull Your Radiant Hair And Skin

Moisturise Those Dry Hands

We all know how imperative it is to wash our hands, especially now to keep the virus at bay. But, this diligent washing is also leading to extreme dry hands. You can prevent these cracks or chapping on your hands by following a proper skincare routine during times like these. Use cool water for every wash, pat your hands dry with a towel, and moisturise with a hand cream or a moisturiser. At night, you can also try slathering your hand with a thick moisturiser and covering them with cotton gloves to increase absorption (if you live in less humid areas). 

Take Care Of Your Hair

Without regular blow-drying, straightening or curling, your hair should already be better than before, since these treatments do take a toll on the health of your hair. But keep in mind that your hair condition can get worse if you neglect the stress that summer heat and sweat adds to it. The ideal hair care routine doesn’t just require oiling, hair wash, and conditioning. Shampoo your scalp and condition your hair 2-3 times a week. Comb your conditioner through and after your shower, apply your choice of serum. Always pat dry with a micro-fibre towel, or a plain cotton T-shirt. This prevents hair breakage. You can also deep condition your hair once a week to keep the frizz at bay and strengthen your hair follicles. Oil your hair once a week, but avoid keeping the oil on for longer than a few hours. 

Also read: Hairfall problems due to hard water? Here’s your solution!

Give Some Attention To Your Feet 

Foot care is often neglected. But when you’ve been at home for an extended period of time, it’s the perfect opportunity to lavish some care and attention to your feet. Here are some beauty tips that you can try at home.

1. Soak and wash your feet thoroughly, with soap and water, and use a brush around your toes.
2. Smooth out damp heels or calluses with a pumice stone or foot file.
3. Trim your toenails and file the edges.
4. Moisturise your feet with your favourite cream – preferably at night when you’re in bed.
5. Wear socks to protect your newly moisturised feet against dust and dirt. 

Repair Your Skin

Taking care of your skin begins at home. You don’t need a beauty parlour or shelves full of products. Remember that a lot of your skin health is genetic. But that doesn’t mean you can’t help it a little bit. Follow these lockdown beauty tips for better skincare:

1. Follow a proper cleansing routine even if you’re at home all day. Cleanse once in the morning and once at night. If you’re wearing sunscreen (which you should be), double cleanse in the evening (with two cleansers or use your favourite one twice) to make sure you get rid of every layer on your face.  
2. Hydrate your skin regularly. If your face feels tight immediately after a shower, it means your skin is dehydrated. It’s not solved with a moisturiser (that adds a layer to seal in the goodies on your skin and doesn’t penetrate enough to hydrate). Instead, make sure you drink at least two litres of water a day. If you have any skincare with hyaluronic acid as one of the ingredients, use them lavishly.  A spritz of cooling face mist also helps.
3. Be intuitive about your skin—not everyone needs a detailed skincare routine. And your routine need not look the same every day. Your skin might need a moisturiser on some nights and some nights you might feel you don’t need anything on your face at all. 
4. Face masks are a great indulgence – and they force you to take 15 minutes from your day to relax. Remember that not ALL natural ingredients are safe for you just because they are natural. Stick to combinations and products that you have tried before. This is not the time to experiment since you won’t be able to rush to your doctor if your skin suddenly breaks out.
5. Sunscreen is imperative—it’s proven to be the most effective protection against the sun to prevent spots, pigmentation and wrinkles. Not to mention, skin cancer. If you’re indoors all day, the sun’s ultraviolet rays still come in through the windows. Pick a sunscreen that has both UVA and UVB protection.  

Get Some Physical Activity To Pump Up Your Mind And Body

Decreased physical activity also takes a toll on your skin and hair. The usual routine and movement of the body that involves getting out of the house and indulging in physical activities, leads to good metabolism. Good gut health or metabolism affects the quality of our skin and hair. Therefore your lockdown beauty tips also require a gentle daily work out—be it taking the stairs or a brisk walk for 20 minutes, or 10 Surya namaskars. This basic amount of physical activity also maintains mental health and increases your immunity. Indulging in your favourite physical activity (it can even be breaking out into a dance for 20 minutes to your favourite tracks) helps in the circulation of antioxidants in your body, and the burst of endorphins will give you an added glow that no product can fake. 

Also Read: 7 Easy Hobbies That You Can Learn During Quarantine

Reduce Processed Foods

During the lockdown, it’s easy to fall prey to processed foods that often contain unhealthy levels of sugar, sodium and saturated fat. While they might taste good, an indulgence of them leads to serious health issues, along with acne and breakouts. Choose to eat as healthy and fresh as possible. Have food filled with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. One trick is to eat as many naturally colourful vegetables and fruits as possible, to get in as many antioxidants possible. Stick to leafy vegetables, fresh fruits, coconut water, and lots of water. This lockdown beauty tip will help calm down your skin and hair and also improve your immunity. Reduce spices, and add (good) fatty nuts (such as walnuts and almonds etc) in your diet. Have fish or add an omega 3 capsule to your daily intake and watch your skin glow.

A Beard-ed Attention

For bearded men, social isolation might look like an enforced choice between staying clean-shaven or adopting a hobo look. Thankfully, we are here to tell you that good beard maintenance is perfectly possible at home when you know what to do. Wash your beard at least 2-3 times a week with a natural shampoo, condition with a moisturizer or beard oil and regularly trim uneven patches, split or loose ends.

Stay Beautiful With These Self Care Tips

It’s best to look at these dark times with a positive mindset, and not only entertain ourselves with various hobbies but also take care of our mind and body. While there may be other benefits of staying at home, including not having to bother with hairstyling and makeup, there are certain basic tips that you can follow to get your skin to glow and become radiant. Use this lockdown to improve your skin, hair and body by following these lockdown beauty tips. Let us know your own skincare and hair care tips in the comments below.