What you need right now is a pandemic skin-care self-care plan. Simply put, it’s committing to and following a routine that will benefit the health of your body’s largest organ (that’s your skin, notes Berkeley Wellness) and deliver the bonus of providing the structure and pampering that benefits your psychological well-being.
“Caring for my skin is one of the first steps in my self-care routine,” says Erum Ilyas, MD, a board-certified dermatologist with Montgomery Dermatology in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.
“The reality is that our skin in so many ways is a ‘check engine light’ for our internal health. When skin looks and feels good, we tend to feel better about ourselves,” she says.
Marcela Luevanos, a skin care specialist and owner of Skin by Marcela, elaborates on this idea.
“Firstly, it’s super interesting to realize that our skin is the largest organ in our body. Yes, it’s an organ! When we know this, with this perspective I think more people will realize the importance of taking care of it. Our skin begins to age at the age of 12/13 years old.”, said Luevanos.
“It is super important to take care of the skin first with sunscreen. Every day, apply and reapply several times during the day, especially if we spend long hours in the sun and also in front of an electronic screen. The blue light emitted by electronics is also harmful, so applying sunscreen is essential,” adds.
Luevanos explain that UV rays from the sun cause changes in skin texture, pigmentation, wrinkling of the skin and also cause skin cancer.
“From an early age, it is extremely important to take care of our skin using products to protect and hydrate it by drinking the right amount of water, which also helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles,”, said Luevanos based in Los Angeles.