A Beauty Regime to Fight Coronavirus

Coronavirus is a global pandemic and the number of affected people in India is going up everyday with the first death being reported at Karnataka. The total number of infected persons in India now stands at 415. While you have brought out your masks, gloves and sanitizers are they enough to get you battle ready? Your skin is the largest organ and the most exposed to environmental factors, you need to adapt a regime to ward off the threats. Here’s a dermat-approved plan for you.   

Wash your face thrice a day

This is the time when you shouldn’t bother about over cleansing, says Dr Deepali Bhardwaj, dermatologist and founder of Skin and Hair Clinics, Delhi-NCR. “I usually advise everyone to wash their face twice. But you need to keep the face as clean as possible,” she says. Use a gentle cleanser to keep irritation at bay. Make sure you wash your face after removing makeup and once again before going to bed.

 Amp up on hydration

Dry and itchy skin with open pores is more likely to contract any kind of infection including COVID-19. “Spray some mist, rose water or thermal spring water on to your face after applying moisturizer and sun screen,” says Dr Bharadwaj. Face mist will seal the moisturizer and make it last longer. Also invest in some face serums and creams containing hyaluronic acid to ramp up hydration levels.

Keep your makeup products packed safely

Coronavirus spreads through nosocomial transmission, which means an infected person, can leave a fomite behind (inanimate objects that become contaminated and serve as a vehicle for transmission of viruses are called fomites) for up to 48 hours. “Your lipstick, comb, kajal, sunscreen are all potential fomites. If left lying in the bag they can get contaminated during frisking, as fomites on the gloves of the security personnel can be easily transmitted on to your products,” says Dr Bharadwaj. She advises you pack your products in transparent bags that make it easily visible.

Avoid excessive use of hand sanitizers

Excessive use can kill the good bacteria on your hands and zap moisture from your hands. Dr Bharadwaj advises you restrict sanitizer use to public places. At home wash your hands with soap.  

Stay away from strong perfumes

Strong perfumes or deodorants can trigger allergic reactions in many causing skin irritation. “Irritated, itchy skin leads to open pores that can easily absorb viruses and bacteria,” says Dr Bharadwaj.

A little timely precaution can save you a lot of trouble. So follow the expert advice above and put off any visits planned to the salon, till the situation improves.