What’s Happening to My Face? Blemishes During Quarantine

Have you noticed something strange in the mirror or when seeing your image on a Zoom call? If so, you’re not alone. Many people, women especially, are experiencing the worst outbreak of blemishes they’ve had since middle school!

The stress of the past three months is written all over their faces. Stress can cause extra amounts of the hormone cortisol to be released into the bloodstream, stimulating oil production.

Yes, quarantine skin is a thing. People are noticing new zits emerging. There’s even a hashtag #Quarantineskin.

 

With so many video calls on our schedules – whether they’re work related or simply to connect with family and friends – our appearance takes on much more importance.

Home treatments include spreading mashed avocado or mashed coconut over your face. Not good. The pore-clogging oil in both can actually worsen breakouts.

CLEAN UP YOUR COMPLEXION

• Foods high in sugars and simple carbohydrates can cause inflammation and acne. While studies linking these are only observational, eliminating fast carbs may make a difference.
• Follow an anti-inflammatory diet rich in fruits, vegetables and fish.
• If the stress of the last few months has driven you to drink, stop. Or drastically cut back. Alcohol is dehydrating which can affect the appearance of your complexion.
• Try eliminating dairy from you diet. While the role of milk in acne development is controversial and most studies are observational, it is certainly worth a try to see if it helps.

  

• By now, you no longer consider coffee as a guilty pleasure. It’s actually a healthful drink, in moderation of course. Women who drink caffeinated coffee daily may reduce their risk of rosacea, a chronic skin condition that causes redness, suggests a study published in JAMA Dermatology in October 2018.
• Hydrate from within. Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids – such as fish, flaxseeds, walnuts and chia seeds – and water keep skin hydrated from the inside out.

  

• By now, hopefully you’ve learned that chocolate is NOT a culprit in skin blemishes. The studies pointing a finger at this sweet treat – published way back in the 1960s and 1970s – were poorly designed, controlled and analyzed.
• If it’s wrinkles you’re wrestling with, consider almonds. In a 2019 study published in Phytotherapy Research, women post-menopause who ate two ounces of almonds daily reduced the severity of their wrinkles after four months.
• Do your best to catch enough zzzzz. Adequate sleep can help your skin look better and younger. Avoid binge watching shows late at night.
• Finally, if you’ve been tempted to try collagen supplements, save your money. Peer-reviewed research does not support their use. Lifestyle choices that damage your own collagen as you age include smoking, having an elevated blood sugar level, a sedentary lifestyle, weight gain and, of course, sun exposure.

 “CLEAR” TAKE AWAY Get it?

Don’t let breakouts show the world how stressed out you feel. By taking these steps you may be able to clear up your complexion and get a little healthier, too.