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Voluntary-compulsory isolation is threatened to be extended until the summer, which means that trips to beauticians, hairdressers and manicurists are postponed indefinitely. We tell you how to make home care more effective during this period.
There is no need to tell anyone about the disadvantages of quarantine – most have already felt them for themselves. But there are some advantages to this situation. For example, there is no need to go to work meetings and the office, which means that there is no need for perfectly manicured nails and flawless daily styling.
Makeup can also be neglected, and efforts can be thrown into more thorough skin care. During the day, you can carve out a little time for yourself, even if things have not particularly decreased with the transition to remote work. In general, we have every chance to leave after quarantine in a better condition than before.
1. Let your nails rest
Whether you do your own manicure or seek the services of a master, now is the moment when you should stop painting your nails. Even the strongest nails suffer from varnishes and gels – they dry, weaken, may begin to break and exfoliate. And if you usually prefer to always have a fresh coat on your nails, now is the time to give your nails a rest.
In order to restore the nail plate and nourish it, not only special products are suitable – natural oils, for example, apricot, peach or even olive, will quite help. You can also use nourishing oil products for the face, because the nails need only a drop.
Strengthening baths with sea salt will help a lot, and it is better to use the one that goes into food. In 200-250 ml of warm water, you need to dissolve a tablespoon of salt and hold your fingertips in it for 10-15 minutes. After the bath, you should generously lubricate your hands with cream and massage the nail plate. Ideally, this procedure should be done every two to three days.
2.Restore hair
It should be noted right away that the word “restore” is used with a stretch – the hair is an inanimate substance, if it is damaged, then it is hardly possible to fix it. For example, if the ends are split, they need to be cut off, no poultices will help glue the split hair back together.
But this does not mean that it is impossible to improve the condition of the hair – it is very possible. It just requires more manipulations, for which there is usually not much time.
Now is the time to make masks, for the greater effect of which it is advised to put a towel on your head or wrap your hair with cling film and keep it for half an hour or even longer. In a frantic working rhythm, not everyone dares to allocate so much morning time before a shower, and in the evening, as a rule, it becomes lazy, and not many people like to wash their hair at night.
In this way, you can use not only a mask bought at a cosmetic store, but also what you can find in the kitchen – natural oils, fatty dairy products and even mayonnaise. The main thing is not to forget that they need to be applied to the length of the hair, and not to the roots.
To strengthen the roots, special oil mixtures, sprays or ampoules are produced, which must be used every day, rubbing into the scalp. Many do not like to do this before styling, as such a massage stimulates the secretion of sebum and can “steal” the volume of the hair. Now you can afford to take care of your head without looking back at such trifles.
3. Take a course of home peels
Perhaps the most effective way to even out skin texture and tone, improve complexion, fight possible inflammation and clogged pores – in general, significantly improve your appearance – is the use of acids and enzymes in care.
Intensive skin renewal products can cause peeling or redness, make the skin a little more sensitive, which is not always appropriate in everyday life. Isolation allows you to sit out this period at home.
Enzymes – also called enzymes – are gentler and suitable for those who have sensitive and dry skin – as a rule, enzymatic peels come in the form of a mask that needs to be applied a couple of times a week for 10-15 minutes.
The exposure time should be observed, since the task of enzymes is to “dissolve” the protein bonds between young and old cells so that the latter finally leave the stratum corneum, and we shine with youth and freshness.
If you keep the remedy for too long, the enzymes will also take care of those cells that we have not yet planned to part with. But you can use it a little more often – for example, not two, but three times a week – you can, this will spur the skin to produce collagen and renew itself.
Acid products are most often produced in the form of a lotion (in a bottle or in the form of disks soaked in it), a mask or serum, as well as a ready-made course. Most often, they use a combination of acids: salicylic (BHA), mandelic, lactic and fruit (ANA).
If the main problem is inflammation and sebaceous plugs, you should bet on salicylic acid – it perfectly dissolves comedones, renews the skin and has an antibacterial effect.
Fruit acids – tartaric, malic, pyruvic, glycolic, citric – do a great job with uneven skin texture, its dullness and earthy complexion, and also help reduce fine wrinkles. If you start right away with “serious” acids, it’s scary, you should choose almond and lactic acids – they are so gentle that they can be used even in summer, during the period of active sun.
4. Make friends with vitamin C
Good old ascorbic acid has become one of the hits in home care in recent years, making its way into the range of most cosmetic brands.
Vitamin C is ideal for skin radiance, it perfectly smoothes the skin, improves the complexion and makes it look and feel more youthful. It stimulates the production of collagen, due to which the skin becomes more elastic, and not only helps fight free radicals, but also eliminates the consequences of their influence.
The problem is that this ingredient is quite unstable – it breaks down under the influence of light, oxygen and heat. Therefore, cosmetics with vitamin C are most often produced in the form of a course consisting of ampoules or small bottles, which are enough for one to two weeks.
As a rule, the formula is made so that ascorbic acid does not cause irritation and is comfortably tolerated by the skin. But if you’re not used to, slight redness or sensitivity can be temporary, so staying home is the perfect time to make friends with vitamin C.