Top Tips to Take Care of your Eyes & Hands During Lockdown
Expert Tips from Dr. Aparna Santhanam – Skincare Expert Consultant, ITC Dermafique
COVID-19 outbreak has put the spotlight on personal hygiene. However, washing hands with soap and water and sanitizing them often with alcohol-based products puts a lot of pressure on skincare as well. Another side-effect of the pandemic is the increased screen time – spending all your time at home, working or otherwise, is bound to keep our smartphone, television, and computer screens on for longer than before.
Hence, it has become important to take care of your body in the right way, using the right products. Here are a few expert tips that can help you get started:
Hand Care
While frequent hand-washing and sanitizing leads to dry, scratchy, rough skin conditions, lack of proper moisturization can result in micro-breaks or tears and could become the major source of entry for microorganisms predisposing us to infection and disease.
With the following hand care tips, you can continue to wash your hands as recommended, yet protect and heal dry skin to fend off viruses and bacteria:
- Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds in lukewarm water. Wash every part of your hands, including between your fingertips and in and around your nails.
- Dry your hands with a clean towel but leave it a bit moist, which will in turn help retain the moisture on the application of a product
- Use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol to kill germs, when unable to wash with soap and water
- As hand sanitizers can be very drying, apply a pea-sized amount of moisturizing and restoring Hand Cream onto your hands, soon after applying the hand sanitizer.
- Make sure to hydrate your fingertips and nails. Always use a hand cream like Dermafique Oleo Restore Hand Cream that contains mineral oil and is fragrance-free – these tend to feel less irritating and are absorbed quickly, relieving dry, chapped skin.
Eye Care
The skin around your eyes is extremely delicate and thin and requires proper care to keep the signs of dullness and aging at bay. Our eyes work a lot throughout the day, from blinking to expressing our emotions and this can be a major reason for premature aging. Moreover, genetic reasons, ultraviolet (UV) rays, external stress and lifestyle choices can also cause the skin around the eyes to age quickly.
Considering the current situation, you need a special, dedicated routine to take care of your eyes that would fit into the demands of your day. Just follow these simple steps.
Moisturize – Moisturizing your skin is one of the most basic yet underrated steps that people tend to ignore often. Our skin is like a grape – once it starts losing water, it starts to shrink and wrinkles can become visible. But once moisture is restored, the skin plumps up and reduces the appearance of lines and wrinkles. Since the skin around the eyes lacks oil glands (our skin’s natural moisturizer), it can be more prone to dryness and dullness. Hence moisturizing is an essential step for the under-eye area. Try the Dermafique Aqua Cloud Crème to restore moisture in your skin.
Choose the right make up remover – There are so many makeup products for the eyes like mascara, eye shadow, concealer as well as eyeliners and kajal that can pile up and leave a lot of residue in and around the eyes. Choose a cleanser that is best suited for all skin types and which has humectants to ensure that the moisture around the eyes is kept locked in – Dermafique Micellar Water/ Biphasic Micellar could do the job well. The key to using an eye makeup remover is to place the cotton pad on your lids for a few seconds and then gently wipe it across from inside to outside. Avoid rubbing harshly as this causes the skin to stretch and ultimately leads to lines and wrinkles.
Invest in a good Anti-Ageing serum – Serums contain more concentrated and potent ingredients that target specific concerns, be it fine lines, puffiness, eye bags, or dark circles. Serums also have a thinner consistency so that the skin absorbs it faster than an eye cream. Serums like the Dermafique Age-Defying Serum can also be applied underneath make-up as they are quite lightweight as compared to creams. Always apply from the inner corner of the eye to the brow bone using a clean finger and light pressure. Be mindful of the fact that the cream/serum should not be applied directly to the lids or too close to the eyes as the product may cause irritation.