Tips For Back-to-Work Skin Care Routines

Tips and product recommendations from dermatologists to help consumers transition back to their traditional skin care routines after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tips and product recommendations from dermatologists to help consumers transition back to their traditional skin care routines after the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, consumer’s skin became familiar with a few controlled environments while spending so much time at home. Now that many are heading back to a standard commute, they can expect some skin care changes. Here are some tips from dermatologists on The Today Show to help ease the skin back into its old routine.

Related: How COVID-19 Affects Skin

After a yearlong break from foundation, it is recommended to reintroduce makeup one product at a time starting two to four weeks prior to returning to traditional routines.

A sudden shift in the environment can leave skin dry and sensitive.

Dermatologist Ranella Hirsch, M.D., says, "If you are going from working at home where you can open windows and suddenly head back to an office building and the incredibly dry air, that can do a number on upping sensitivity," Hirsch said.

Hirsch suggests a humidifier and a facial cleanser with salicylic acid as an active ingredient to help with mask-based acne breakouts.

Robert Anolik, M.D., a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology, also expressed concern about a change in the environment affecting the skin. 

Anolik says, "If we don’t change our skin care routine and add more moisture in the absence of the mask, many of us will notice flaking and redness because of skin barrier issues from re-exposure to cooler, dry air. As fall and winter approach, the problem will be compounded by even colder and drier air — drier outside and inside because of indoor heating."

Dermatologist Sandy Skotnicki, MD, says, "Pollution is not only the new scrooge for skin aging; it can also irritate the skin. If you walk to work and live in a city with a lot of pollution, this can definitely be a sudden change your skin is not used to.”

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