In such uncertain times, it is more important than ever to ensure that we are maintaining good hygiene to reduce the spread of the virus. This also applies to your daily skincare routine.
Here is a simple checklist of the Do’s and Don’ts of beauty under quarantine.
Do wash your hands before touching your face.
Ordinarily, we should be washing our hands regularly throughout the day but just before we touch our faces it becomes a definite must! Follow good hand-washing practices and risk of spreading germs (be it Covid-19 or acne causing germs) is significantly reduced.
Do wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water.
Experts recommend wetting hands under clean running water and working up a lather with soap for a minimum of 20 seconds.
Do wash all surfaces of your hands.
Give the back of your hands, your thumbs, palms and fingernails and in between the fingers a good scrub. If necessary, invest in a nail brush to really wash the dirt and germs out from under the nails.
Do dry your hands with disposable tissues or paper towels and dispose of in a lined waste bin.
This piece of advice is commonly followed by health care professionals so that re-contamination from the same flannel is eliminated. If paper towels are not available to you, ensure that you are using a clean towel to dry your hands.
For those who want to go the extra mile, do wipe down the exterior of bottles, tubs, jars and tubes of beauty products that you are using with alcohol wipes or wash the exteriors of your products with soap and water regularly.
Don’t dip your fingers into the product.
If the product comes with a spatula, use it to scoop out the product. This way bacteria and germs stay out and your products stay sanitary for longer. A clean teaspoon will also do the job if a beauty spatula is unavailable.
Don’t touch your face during the day.
This one is a definite no-no. In ordinary times, we shouldn’t touch our faces anyway as this is a sure-fire way to trigger pimples. In Covid times, it is even more pressing that we avoid touching our faces as much as possible!
Don’t keep products which are past their expiry date.
Check the dates of your products regularly. Those whose date has already passed, it’s best to chuck as they could be a breeding ground for bacteria which could cause irritation or infection. Check carefully on the packaging if the date is the expiry date or the manufacturing date. Korean products will often print either the date of manufacture or the expiry date.
Manufacture date is printed with the following: 제조
Expiry date is printed with the following: 까지
Don’t leave cosmetics and brushes in a dirty makeup bag.
Clean your cosmetic bag and your makeup brushes regularly to avoid germs and bacteria from breeding. Give your bag a regular clean with soapy water or wipe it down once a week with at least 60% alcohol solution.
Don’t use dirty tools.
The same applies to your beauty tools. Brushes, sponges, wands, spatulas all need a regular cleaning with soapy water. Then leave out to air dry. We use these tools to apply products to our faces all the time and if they are built up with grime and germs, we are asking for trouble!
If you are sharing products with others who live with you, it is easy to maintain good hygiene by following the above pointers.
Self-care is equally as important as good hygiene in this rather unsettling turn of events. Doing things which make us feel good and investing time and care in yourself boosts your morale and those around you.
Stay safe everyone and keep well! We’ll meet again.
