What is Causing Isolation Skin?

As we move deeper into lockdown territory, some of our early thoughts on how it would play out are beginning to change. Many of us hoped to improve our health and especially our skin but perhaps things aren’t quite working out as we expected! Have you noticed drier skin, spots and pimples? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Hopefully by identifying the cause, you can better protect your skin. 

 

What Is Isolation Skin? 

We think this one speaks for itself but ‘isolation skin’ is quite simply, the conditions we’re seeing more frequently due to the lockdown. In fact, this phenomenon is even trending on instagram in certain circles. Known as ‘Iso Face’ it is important to distinguish the difference between this and Isotretinoin which is a treatment for severe cases of acne. What we’re talking about today is the dry skin, the pimples, the spots and puffiness we’re suffering from during isolation. 

 

What Is Causing My ‘Isolation Skin’?

We know that the lockdown conditions are playing their part, but what exactly is it that is causing our skin problems? 

Changes To You Routine – For many of us our world has been flipped and our routine has gone out of the window. It could be anything from when we wake up to when we eat, everything feels different. Our skincare routine is no exception. Are you overdoing it now you have more time on your hands? Or has the reverse happened and you’ve neglected your skin for a few weeks? Perhaps you’re trying too many new ideas at once. We know it’s a challenging time so the best advice we can give you is to think back on the past 7 days. What have you been doing differently? 

More Alcohol, Processed Foods and Sugars – Let’s be honest, if your skincare routine hasn’t taken a backseat then your diet probably has. If you’ve kept on top of things then well done! For the rest of us, we may be eating more processed foods and sugars. Especially if you’ve taken to baking! Equally, in boredom, many of us turn to alcohol. Unfortunately, alcohol, processed food and sugar are the key ingredients for the bad skin recipe. Try to dial it back where you can! We’ve outlined foods that are great for your skin, try to include them where you can. 

Less Exercise – Now, we know that many of us are getting really into our home workouts. However, all said and done, we’re moving a lot less. Think about your commute, walking to the shops, even a walk to the bar is something! With less exercise means less blood flow to the skin to reduce inflammation. Exercise is also a great way to move oxygen and nutrients to the skin. Lockdown, prevents us from exercising as much as we would need to reap these benefits. Therefore, it’s likely to be a contributing factor to your bad skin. 

Lack Of Sunlight – This is one we hope you can remedy yourself with some consideration. With us being indoors all day you might have overlooked how much sunlight you would typically see on a normal day. Make a conscious effort to get a little sunlight in your life. It will lift your mood and improve your skin. Be careful of course, too much sun is very bad for our skin and can lead to skin cancer. You really only need 15 minutes of sunlight a couple of times a week to keep your Vitamin D levels up. 

We hope that these causes give you some ideas on how to treat your ‘Isolation Skin’. It’s a  challenging time for all of us in both health and skin. We know, it’s easier said than done, but we ask recommend that you aim to reduce stress too as this can be a contributing factor. Furthermore, if you’re noticing spots or rashes on the skin that you haven’t seen before, we recommend speaking to our online dermatologists.