5 things you can do to keep your skin clean and healthy during quarantine

How many of you are experiencing terribly dry skin while on quarantine, raise your hands!

It's true — just because we don’t leave the house, doesn’t mean we're exempt from skin troubles. It sounds like a superficial concern, considering we're fighting COVID-19, but it is valid point, especially when you're using your time to take extra care of yourself. 

GMA News Online had the chance to interview dermatologist Dr. Winlove Mojica this week, so we asked him what homebodies can do to help their skin stay healthy as we try to avoid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

1. Wash your hands

It’s no doubt that many of you learned to practice frequent handwashing over the past few weeks, but a little reminder never hurt anyone.

Before applying skin care products or lotion, make sure you wash your hands thoroughly first. This ensures you won’t end up transferring any unwanted microbes onto your face or the containers where you keep your precious oils and moisturizers.

Dr. Mojica also mentioned that frequent hand-washing and sanitizing might result in the drying of the hands. For this, he recommends some hand cream or a hand lotion after washing.

For those with severely dry hands, the application of moisturizer every one to two hours may be necessary to prevent flaking and fissuring. A liberal coat of petroleum jelly at night can also help seal in moisture.

2. Take a nice bath

Have you gotten to the stage of asking, what's the point of it all? We totally get you, but also, we are here to remind you that (1) taking a bath once a day will rid yourself of any unwanted microorganisms on the skin and (2) taking a bath after a supply run is another way of protecting yourself from COVID-19 and (3) it's summer, it's hot, bathing will keep your skin cool.   

If you're the type to shower thrice a day because it is summer, Dr. Winlove says “baths should last only about 5 minutes to prevent excessive drying of the skin.”

He also recommends that you avoid scrubbing your skin to prevent trauma which can cause redness and itchiness. “Just use your hands to cleanse the skin with soap and water.”

3. Thoroughly clean store-bought products

After getting supplies from the store amid the threat of COVID-19, make sure you thoroughly disinfect all the items.

Dr. Winlove reminds us that SARS COV 2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, stays active for different periods of time on different types of surfaces. Because you don't know who touched those grocery items before you plucked them from the shelves, it's “prudent to wipe the packaging of skin care products with an alcohol-based sanitizer especially if you have brought them outside the house prior to the ECQ (enhanced community quarantine).” 

Consider throwing away any unneeded boxes or packaging, too.

4. Eat healthy

Since we’re counting down the days until we can live normal lives again, why not try something new and improve your diet?

We asked Dr. Winlove how people can best treat their acne at home, and he said those who don’t have any prescribed medication for acne can try to lay off high glycemic index food to reduce the inflammation in the skin, which contributes to the development of pimples.

These include white rice, white bread, oatmeal, potatoes, pineapple, watermelon, and popcorn. Yikes!

5. Get some sleep!

As most of us are advised to stay home as much as possible, we’ve got loads of time to get some Z’s. According to Dr. Winlove, a good night’s sleep can be great for the skin.

For one, it can help people who suffer from acne. “Sleep before 10 p.m. so you do not stimulate the hormones that will make your skin oily. Excessive skin oiliness triggers acne,” he explains.

Remember: Now is not the time to get any severe skin problems, especially since our healthcare facilities are expected to prioritize life-threatening conditions amid the COVID-19 threat.

So stay home, and take care of your skin! — LA, GMA News