5 quarantine skincare essentials you shouldn’t skip out on

Why it needs to be a part of your quarantine skincare routine:
It is a common misconception that if you aren’t spending time outdoors, you don’t need to be wearing sunscreen. Even when you’re indoors and working from home, you’re still exposed to UVA and blue light rays. UVA rays penetrate through glass, and blue light can be emitted from laptop and smartphone screens, both of which have lasting harmful effects on the skin.

Suffice to say, sunscreen should remain an essential part of your quarantine skincare routine. Dr Ang Por, Consultant Dermatologist at Dermatology Associates, shares, “When you do go out, some masks may block more UV than others depending on the material but your neck, chest, arms, legs are still exposed, especially if you’re wearing sports attire outdoors. So you should still wear sunscreen as per usual in those areas.”

Airin Lee, hair and makeup artist from ARLY, says that “As much as I am religious with sunscreen, I highly advise not to apply sunscreen on areas where it’s covered by a mask. With the heat and moisture-retaining within the enclosed area, it’s a great breeding ground for bacteria. With more products applied to it means increasing the chance for a breakout.” So if your skin is on the sensitive side and prone to breakouts, you can either look for masks made from UV-blocking materials or opt for a lightweight sunscreen.

Get: Shiseido Global Suncare The Perfect Protector SPF 50+, $65 (50 ml)
Lightweight and water-resistant, the Shiseido Perfect Protector uses a trademarked technology that strengthens the protective veil of the sunscreen when exposed to water and perspiration. Even in hot and humid climates, the sunscreen still performs powerfully. Formulated with enriching skincare ingredients, it helps prevent fine lines and dark spots caused by exposure to UV rays.

Why it needs to be a part of your quarantine skincare routine:
“Beyond the basic skincare routine essentials of cleansing and moisturising, it’ll also be beneficial to continue with products that are rich with antioxidants like vitamin C,” Dr Ang says.

Vitamin C is often regarded as the holy grail of skincare ingredients, and rightly so. It is a flexible and apt treatment for a wide spectrum of skin issues, from uneven skin tone, dullness, fine lines, rough texture, to inconsistent pigmentation.

“Being at home right now is the best time you can reboot your skin,” Airin shares. Take this time to give your skin the extra needed boost and aid your skin’s natural regeneration process with this key ingredient.

Get: Peter Thomas Roth Potent-C Power Serum, $149 (30 ml)
Packed with a 20 per cent vitamin C concentration, the serum’s benefits are amplified with the addition of vitamin E and ferulic acid. The combination of three enriching and powerful antioxidants deliver a treatment that promises to firm, brighten, and smoothen out fine lines and uneven texture. The Peter Thomas Roth Potent-C Power Serum is 50 times more powerful than the traditional vitamin C with its innovative formulation.

Why it needs to be a part of your quarantine skincare routine:
According to Dr Ang, “A gentle moisturiser will help before and after wearing the mask. Turn to products and ingredients that have direct calming and hydrating benefits to soothe any irritation that happens after wearing a mask.”

People with sensitive skin might feel that wearing face masks leads to skin irritation, and one way to defend your skin from this is to protect it with a lightweight layer of hydration before going out. It’s important to do the same even when you come home and take off your mask; that way, you give your skin a much-needed hydration boost after.

“If you are sitting in a cold air-conditioned room all day, then you should increase your hydration and moisturising frequency to avoid the skin drying out,” Dr Tan suggests.

Get: Lancome Clarifique Refining Enzymatic Dual Essence, $140 (150 ml)
Enriched with wild French beech bud extract, this essence works to leave your skin texture feeling refined and smooth. The refining formula is designed to nourish your skin with hydration while leaving it softer to touch with every use. Within four weeks, it may help to reduce the appearance of large pores, and brighten and freshen the skin tone with a natural translucent glow.

Why it needs to be a part of your quarantine skincare routine:
With constant exposure to heat and dryness, especially with air conditioning and electric fans, your skin is likely feeling more parched these days. As such, moisturising should still remain essential in your quarantine skincare routine. “Opt for a gel moisturiser instead of a cream product,” Airin says. “I recommend to use it as a moisturiser in the day as a layer of protection to the skin.”

“I’ve experienced this even before Covid-19, having sensitive skin and wearing a mask most of a 10-hour workday so I reapply moisturiser regularly during the day which helps to protect my skin,” Dr Tan shares. Gel moisturisers are more lightweight than cream moisturisers, and that texture difference makes all the difference when it comes to those of us who are living in warmer climates. Gel moisturisers hydrate without leaving an oily finish, and if you’re going out with a mask, the thin barrier is enough to protect your skin from potential irritants.

Get: Clinique Moisture Surge 72-Hour Auto-Replenishing Hydrator, $75 (50 ml)
Formulated with new auto-replenishing technology with activated aloe water, this gel-cream aids the skin by creating its own water source to rehydrate itself. Refreshing and nourishing, it delivers an instant moisture boost that locks in a plump and dewy glow for up to 72 hours.

Why it needs to be a part of your quarantine skincare routine:
The skin around your eye is more commonly known as the eye contour, and it is also the part that is the first to show the passage of time. Whether it’s fine lines, wrinkles, eye bags, or puffiness, the facial skin around the eye is most fragile and requires an extra touch of TLC.

As many of us are working from home, routine changes in the amount of time we spend on our laptop and sleeping habits are all contributing factors to under-eye lines and skin discolouration. A gentle and routine application of eye cream easily targets those problems and strengthens the skin’s elasticity.

Get: Guerlain Abeille Royale Eye Cream, $140 (15 ml)
Using corrective technology, the Guerlain Abeille Royale Eye Cream blends honey, royal jelly, and hyaluronic acid to plump and nourish the skin. Over time, it helps minimise dark circles and puffiness as the skin around the area smoothens and becomes more radiant.

This article was first published in Women’s Weekly.