This is why your skin is still breaking out during self-isolation and lockdown

31 March 2020, 16:21

Is your skin still suffering break outs amid the lockdown? Picture: Getty

By Alice Dear

Still suffering break outs even though your skin is detoxing from daily makeup? This is the real reason why.

While we expected one of the silver-linings of lockdown to be fresh, free and detoxed skin, some of us are still left disappointed.

While may have more time to look after our skin, and stop the daily build up of makeup, many of us are still struggling with spots and random breakouts.

And while that might not make sense to us, apparently it's completely understandable, according to clinical aesthetician and co-founder of Mortar and Milk, Pamela Marshall.

Your skin may be suffering due to the current pandemic. Picture: Getty

Talking to Cosmopolitan, Pamela revealed that there are "many" factors involved with causing break outs during self-isolation and lockdowns.

Of these, the main culprits are stress, diet, hygiene and lack of vitamin D.

Lack of Vitamin D is bound to cause skin issues during the lockdown. Picture: Getty

Pamela Marshall explained: "When our body is stressed it releases cortisol which is our fight or flight hormone.

"When cortisol is high, oestrogen production is lowered. As our oestrogen decreases, our androgen (male sex hormone) is in abundance and it will send messages to the sebaceous glands to produce more oil."

She continued: "Our pores don't like an abundance of anything, therefore they will swell and inflame, creating a spot."

It is understandable people are stressed during the current coronavirus pandemic, but it's important for your skin and mental health to take time out to relax and take yourself away from the current pandemic.

You can use mindfulness apps, yoga, painting, colouring in, knitting or reading to help unwind.

Take time out to destress and unwind in order to stop the stress showing on your face. Picture: Getty

Pamela also added that "succumbing to junk food" will "wreak havoc on our guts", which in turn wreaks havoc on our skin.

With that in mind, it could be worth sticking to your healthy eating regimes, even though you're at home all day and have constant access to the cupboards.

Make sure to keep your skin clean and hydrated. Picture: Getty

Another contributing factor is also the lack of Vitamin D we are getting thanks to the lockdown keeping us inside, Pamela reveals.

"Vitamin D is important for cell development, so not being able to be outdoors will increase our deficiency", she explained.

A simple way to combat this is make sure you're getting some sunshine on your skin in the day, whether that's sitting in your garden or out on your one exercise session of the day.