Most recently updated 1/9/21

You would assume that hiding out indoors for months on end would do some good for your skin — after all, sun exposure accounts for the majority of skin aging. While yes, skipping out on UV rays will serve your skin in the long run, staying inside is taking its toll on our complexion in other ways: breakouts, dullness, dryness, and more. Our lives may not return to some version of normal for quite some time, but with a few simple tweaks, at least our skin can. Here’s how.

Gently battle breakouts

If your skin has regressed to a state of teenagedom with hormonal breakouts galore, there is a very good reason why. Stress, something many of us are experiencing at unprecedented levels right now, stimulates cortisol. In turn, this hormone drives up inflammation and oil production, the perfect combo for breeding breakouts. 

Stress’s side effects also come into play here, notes Marisa Plescia, NakedPoppy’s research scientist. Reaching for sugar-rich comfort foods as a way to cope? “With increased sugar intake, insulin levels also increase,” she notes. And this stimulates the insulin-like growth factor IGF-1, which studies have linked to acne, especially in women. 

To curb the breakouts, first make sure you’re not letting your regular skincare routine slip. “With a relaxing of schedules often comes a relaxing of habits,” says Plescia. ‘It’s essential to cleanse your skin morning and evening with a gentle cleanser to remove impurities, dead skin cells, and excess sebum that can contribute to breakouts.” 

Look for a formula that’s infused with willow bark extract, the natural (and more gentle) version of salicylic acid; this anti-inflammatory ingredient clears pores and can reduce the size and redness of pimples. If you’re dealing with an especially stubborn pimple, try treating it with a willow bark extract-spiked spot treatment at night to help shrink it down to size more speedily. Click here for a comprehensive guide to troubleshooting breakouts.

Reclaim your radiance  

Stress doesn’t just create more breakouts. It also contributes to an overall lackluster complexion. “Stress diverts blood to the vital organs as part of the fight or flight response,” explains Plescia. With less circulation in and around your face, you might notice a dull, sluggish quality to your skin. (And the fact you haven’t been as physically active only makes matters worse.) 

To compensate, start stimulating your skin with treatments. Exfoliating masks are an easy win — by sloughing away that exterior layer, they get rid of damage on top and bring smoother, softer, and more luminous skin to the surface. Fruit enzymes make for a clean and gentle exfoliation method: The papaya and pineapple enzymes in Odacité’s Bioactive Rose Gommage manage to thoroughly resurface skin without spurring the irritation that’s all-too-common with harsher exfoliants.

A little facial rolling can also come in handy here. Gently smoothing skin with a rose-quartz roller, like the Jenny Patinkin Rose on Rose Face Roller, increases circulation, instantly waking up skin and making it look more vibrant. It also promotes lymphatic drainage, circulating stagnant lymph fluid to de-puff and give skin a temporary lift. 

Double down on moisture

Indoor air can be drying on skin, even during the spring months. So, while you’re spending more time at home, make sure to moisturize — consistently. Look for formulas with ingredients that draw water into the skin to keep it plump and hydrated, like hyaluronic acid and glycerin, and that restore the skin barrier to prevent all that water from escaping, including ceramides, plant oils, and plant butters. If you find one product that does it all, then great. If you really want to maximize your moisture levels, though, consider applying formulas in layers from lightest to thickest: facial serum, then facial oil, and finally moisturizer. 

A humidifier can also be useful for this reason, especially if you switch it on at night in your bedroom. Skin tends to lose most of its water content while you sleep, so filling the air with moisture — in addition to wearing nourishing skincare — will help quench your thirsty complexion. 

Stave off (indoor) damage 

Surprise — you still need SPF, even indoors. Window glass blocks UVB rays (the ones associated with burns) pretty well, but UVA rays (linked to premature aging) sail right through. At a minimum, layer on a broad-spectrum SPF 30 every day, like Suntegrity Impeccable Skin — it features the safest form of sun protection, non-nano zinc oxide, which also happens to be naturally calming for breakout-prone skin. 

You’ll also want to layer skincare underneath that’s rich in antioxidants, like the resveratrol-infused Ere Perez Quandong Green Booster Serum. These ingredients supercharge your SPF, with research showing they can enhance the photoprotective power of sunscreen. But antioxidants also have another talent: They are one of the few ingredients studied to be effective against free radicals from both pollution and blue light, two newer environmental factors that are being studied for their skin-damaging effects — including wrinkles and hyperpigmentation. 

You may think of pollution as something that’s only happening in the middle of a bustling city, but research shows indoor air can be up to five times more polluted than outdoor air, with common sources including fumes from cooking, burning candles, and substances like mold. To clear the air, keep your home clean and well ventilated and invest in nontoxic household materials, from carpets to cookware to candles.  

Our exposure to blue light, a type of light that emanates from our phones and other devices, seems to be at an all-time high. Our iPhones remind us weekly of our ever-increasing screen time, and we’re now sitting in front of our laptops not only for work, but for Zoom happy hours too. Check your device’s settings to simply remove the blue light filter or utilize an app that will reduce it. Since blue light has also been linked with poor sleep, you’ll get better, deeper zzz’s to boot. And, as it happens, that’s also one of the best ways to improve your skin — literally overnight. 

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Shop the story:

  • Odacité Bioactive Rose Gommage 🌹
  • Jenny Patinkin Rose on Rose Face Roller 🥰
  • Suntegrity Impeccable Skin Mineral Matte Tinted Coverage ☀️
  • Ere Perez Quandong Green Booster Serum 💚

References

[1] Stress stimulates cortisol:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4082169/ 

[2] Insulin-like growth factor IGF-1 has been linked to acne, especially in women:

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamadermatology/fullarticle/393279

[3] UVA rays have been linked to premature aging:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3460660/

[4] Antioxidants have been shown to enhance the photoprotective power of sunscreen:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8869680

[5] Antioxidants are thought to be effective against free radicals from both pollution and blue light:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6549792/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27176863

[6] Pollution and blue light are being studied for their skin-damaging effects including wrinkles and hyperpigmentation:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6280109/ 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6163910/

[7] Indoor air has been shown to be up to five times more polluted than outdoor air:

https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/volatile-organic-compounds-impact-indoor-air-quality