There is no better time than now to adopt and learn new beauty rituals as lockdown regulations are eased and some of us step back into the world.
As a visit to your local salon or spa is still out for now, in the meantime a little DIY is necessary ahead of our return to public spaces or even for those pesky video conferences. Here are a few tried and tested skin and healthcare treatments that I discovered during my years as a health and beauty writer.
4 steps to a radiant skin during lockdown:
Step 1 - Deep, gentle clean
The first step to achieving glowing, healthy skin is to thoroughly remove all make-up and surface debris with an electric facial cleanser. I have been using an electric facial cleanser for a few years, and after only a few days I felt and saw a vast improvement in my skin tone. The soft rotating brush leaves my skin looking glowing and radiant. My skin feels much softer and products are absorbed into the deeper layers of the skin, improving their efficacy.
Step 2 - Moisturise
While there are many moisturising treatments available, there is one miracle treatment I have found that does everything - Snail Gel. The magic ingredient is Helix Aspersia Muller, the substance that snails produce to regenerate their own shells and skin when damaged. Snail Gel moisturizes, hydrates and nourishes dry skin, soothes inflammation, helps to repair damaged tissue, stimulates the production of collagen and elastin, and repairs stretch marks, rosacea, scars and burns.
Step 3 - Prime
Applying a primer before foundation has a multitude of benefits. It provides a smooth base for your make-up, creating an even skin tone by reducing inflammation and redness, filling in wrinkles and fine lines, minimizing shine for oilier skins and reducing the size of the pores. As I spend up to 8 hours a day in front of a screen, I look for primers with a SPF to protect the skin against UVA radiation, and vitamins to moisturize and nourish the skin.
Step 4 - Foundation
The perfect foundation covers the skin in a delicate veil of moisture, providing daylong hydration and creating a silky, healthy-looking sheen. The consistency should not be too runny; with a smooth velvet feel, making it easy to blend and apply. An added bonus to look for is a SPF factor of around 15, which is great for indoors and outdoors.
Essential but forgotten treatments
Although our feet are hidden from view during the winter months they also require attention. This is the perfect time to pamper your feet with an easy foot mask treatment. I have found that the most convenient and efficient foot masks are in the form of booties that you apply and wear for 20 minutes while the active ingredients penetrate and moisturize, helping soothe and soften rough and dry skin, chapped feet and cracked heels.
The protective liner in the booties won’t mess the products and you can walk around if you need to. After 20 minutes, my feet emerge looking smoother and feeling silky soft.
Another home treatment that I cannot do without is my Teeth Whitening Kit. Over time our teeth become stained from tea, coffee, wine or smoking. The home kits offer an affordable, easy and effective method to whiten and brighten your teeth in the comfort of your home. The results last for about six months, depending on your lifestyle.
During lockdown a gadget that my husband can’t do without is a Precision Trimmer. It is excellent for the fine trimming but is still able to cut a lot of hair quickly without getting blocked.
He travels a lot and always takes it with him as it is small and easy to pack. The extra small head defines sharp lines and shapes and it also trims those hard-to-reach areas like under your nose or chin. It comes with a 5mm and 8mm comb.
Dietary supplements
I have always been a great believer in vitamin supplements - and for many years have supplemented my diet with certain essential vitamins.
The citrus fruit vitamin is usually associated with it’s immune boosting properties, however, it has a myriad of other benefits, including reducing the risk of chronic diseases, high blood pressure, lowers the risk of heart disease, reduces blood uric acid levels to help prevent gout attacks and prevents iron deficiency.
Vitamins for hair skin and nails
It has been proven that great hair skin and nails depend on our diet. A good hair, skin and nail supplement includes all of the vitamins and minerals that our body requires to function properly. Not only does it contain ingredients that promote thicker, faster-growing hair and firmer, younger looking skin and strong nails, they also enable skin cells to become permeable, allowing oxygen and minerals to be absorbed and releasing toxins, balancing cellular pH to be more alkaline.