For many of us spending time at home, not stepping out at all, managing both household chores and spending time with our families along with work from home can prove challenging to our overall wellbeing. In fact, people are increasingly worried about a sense of “burn out” during the Covid-19 lockdown.
Some of us may not be able to take the time out to take care of ourselves in indulgent ways, so here our Ayurveda Expert has curated 10 simple beauty and wellbeing tips that you can follow easily while you work from home, in between conference calls and at the end of a hectic weekday.
Remember, that it is extremely important to take care of your mental and physical wellbeing, now more than ever!
10 Skincare & Beauty Tips From Ayurvedic Experts
Tip 1 – Be Friends with Sunscreen
Even if you aren’t heading outdoors, and aren’t going to make any contact with sunlight, using a moisturizer with at least SPF 30 is essential. Digital devices including your computer screen emit HEV (high-energy visible light) or blue light. Although the amount of blue light devices emit is only a fraction of that emitted by the sun, the amount of time we spend using these devices and the proximity of these screens to our faces is concerning. Additionally, UV rays of the sun can enter through the windows of your house.
A 25 or 30 SPF based natural sunscreen can help you prevent blue light from doing unspeakable damage to your skin.
Read more at Sun Protection For Your Skin – The Everyday Sun Protection Fluid
Tip 2 – Use only natural skincare products
Switch to natural, freshly prepared and clean skincare products. This is a good time to reassess your skincare choices. For those of you who are hooked onto chemical infused products make the transition to products that are gentle on your skin and contain the same nutrition that your skin needs to feed on, that is skincare full of vitamins, minerals, fruit, herbs and flowers. Some of us may have extremely rare and unique combinations of skincare concerns and are unable to find a perfect non-abrasive moisturizer, for this reason we have now introduced our Customize Your Own Forest Essentials Cream service, where you can work with our robust team of experts to make your own personalize cream that targets your and only your skin concerns and needs.
Tip 3 – Hydrate yourself often, inside out
Staying hydrated helps your skin breath, feel better, and glow. Keep your daily water intake at 8-10 glasses. Fill up a water bottle and keep it at your workstation and you can keep track of your intake with apps like Hydro Coach. While drinking water will help you hydrate internally, you can spritz the Forest Essentials floral water based and alcohol-free face toners on your face, at least 3-4 times a day.
Read more at Hydration Or Moisturization – What To Do This Winter?
Tip 4- Moisturize dry hands
Frequent handwashing and sanitizing can be a source of dryness of hands. When water isn’t sealed into the skin after washing, it can dry out your hand. The reason being, water acts like a magnet and it will attract water out from the deepest layers of the skin and evaporate into dry air. The result is even tighter, drier skin. To prevent this, use a natural hand wash apply the Forest Essentials Deeply Nourishing Hand Wash with Mandarin and Neem. Unlike other harsh cleansers, this Ayurvedic Hand Wash formula cleanses and protects your hands with fresh Aloe Vera, Organic Honey, refreshing Mandarin and purifying Neem. It uses Reetha as a natural cleansing agent instead of harmful and drying sulphates, to maintain the moisture balance in your skin.
After cleansing with the Hand Wash, apply the Forest Essentials Ultra-Nourishing Hand Cream Mandarin & Neem to replenish moisture with the oils of Almond, Apricot and Coconut that are blended with organic Honey, Avocado and Shea Butters. Alternatively, if you do not have these products you may apply a few drops of natural oils including cold-pressed Coconut oil or Argon oil, after cleansing.
For regular application throughout the day, keep a Hand Serum next to your workspace and apply throughout the day. You can also hand serum liberally before bed and slipping on a pair of gloves to help lock in all that moisture.
Tip-5- Masking during work
Hydrate, nourish and your skin with the application of a quick Sheet Mask while working from home. Having ingredients saturated on the skin through a silken, highly absorbent serum in a mask makes this a great and quick pick-me-up for glowing skin. You can keep these in the fridge and apply chilled to get an anti-inflammatory, soothing effect on the skin as well.
Read more about masking at 5 Masks For Miraculously Luminous Skin
Tip 6 – Take care of your eyes
If too much screen time tires your eyes, follow the 20-20-20 rule, take a 20 second break, every 20 minutes and look at something 20 feet away. Avoid continuous staring for a prolonged period of time. Periodically blink and look away at regular intervals to prevent eye strain.
At the end of a long work day, apply a cooling and rejuvenating Under Eye Gel around the eye area, to soothe your eyes. This step should come before you apply a nourishing Night Cream. Essential Tip: Apply the Eye Gel or Eye Cream chilled for best results.
Read more at Do You Really Need An Eye Cream?
Tip 7- De-stress with a face massage
A two minute facial massage is all you need to uplift your mood and facial muscles. It gives an instant rejuvenating effect. Apply a few drops of serum or facial oil to your fingertips, then massage your skin with firm, upward strokes. When you have more time, use a Facial Roller, perhaps as a quick evening break.
Tip 8 – Uplift & relax with your favorite essential oils
While you may not be able to burn your favorite candles or personal diffusers at the office, you certainly can when your workspace is your own living room. Turn your home into one of your favorite places to be, starting with your favorite aromas that smell downright amazing. When energizing is needed, you can add citrusy essential oils to your diffuser, and when relaxation is required opt for sensuous floral fragrances.
Tip 9 – Move Around
Chances are you aren’t fitting in your recommended daily steps while staying indoors. To make movement a part of your daily schedule, try practicing yoga in the morning before you start working or at the end of the day to create a clear separation between work and your personal life. Avoid sitting in the same posture for a long duration, take brisk walks in between your work.
Tip 10 – 5 minutes of meditation
Five minutes can feel like a small duration of time, but in reality 5 minutes of mediation can do wonders to calm your mind and set the tone for your work. If you are not a morning person, you may also take five minutes as a short break for yourself during the work hours to pause, meditate, and improve your overall sense of wellbeing.
For specific concerns and questions relating to your lifestyle or skincare feel free to reach out to our experts through the Chat feature on our website, we would be happy to help you!
Dr. Taruna Yadav
Senior Ayurveda Expert, For Forest Essentials