The beauty problems left behind for over a year of pandemic

The image that the mirror sends back to us after an abundant year of pandemic is not exactly comforting, indeed, let’s just say that these tiring 13 months have left many marks on our faces. Of tiredness, stress, premature aging. We notice them during the endless job calls on Zoom and, at times, they almost make us jump in the chair. As the psychologist Elena Welcome, «There is no need to dramatize. We have been back for a year completely out of all predictions, full of incessant worries.

Some more, some less, all of us are confronted with problems of insomnia, anxiety, unregulated diet and an imposed and prolonged sedentary lifestyle. Instead of pitying ourselves, let’s try to give ourselves a moment of respite and put things back into perspective. This emergency situation will come to an end: what we can do in the meantime is to invest time for us, gratifying ourselves with beauty care and well-being, for the benefit not only of the physical aspect, but also and above all of the mood ». In 2021, after more than a year of health emergency, the skin of the face is the first aesthetic concern of women. As marketers well know, the pandemic has changed the way we shop for beauty. As reported by the 9th Avon Beauty Observatory, the purchase of specific skincare products has beaten the sales of products dedicated to make-up. Best sellers? Products with soothing action to combat the mask, that is, the blemishes and imperfections caused by the mask (38%), accompanied by the need to have more and more personalized products (35%). Here are the main ones blemishes resulting from this year’s pandemic. With the beauty solutions recommended by the experts.

1 DARK DARK CIRCLES
As he points out Angela Noviello, beauty director of Milano Estetica, there is dark circles and dark circles. «By slightly compressing the eye with pressure, if the area changes color it is a circulatory defect, otherwise you are in the presence of hyperchromia. Hence the choice of the best approach. In presence of hyperpigmentation, yes to the use of lightening ingredients based on alpha hydroxy acids, then protecting the area with a high SPF sun product. If, on the other hand, the eye is generated by poor blood circulation, the focus shifts to cosmetics based on peptides, polyphenols, algae, black tea extracts, green tea, to restore circulation in favor of a more toned skin ».

2 BAGS UNDER THE EYES
“Puffiness under the eyes is difficult to get rid of,” she admits facialist and biotechnologist Silvia Russo of Natural Biolifting Milan. Among the substances that help reduce this imperfection, when due to fluid retention and not to a formation of fat (against which only plastic surgery works), we find “aloe vera, cucumber extract, escin, vitamin E. If you suffer from bags under the eyes, the advice is also and above all to reduce salt and alcohol (swell), taking care of hydration. Also try not to stress the area by avoiding eye makeup for some time ».

3 MASKNE AND MASK IMPURITIES
Pimples, blackheads and even acne breakouts: it happens that the area of ​​the face covered by a mask is all an impurity. As Noviello recalls, “the use of the mask imposes a custom skin routine. On the upper part of the face, moisturizing and anti-aging cosmetics are ok, while for the lower third, i.e. the lower part of the face, it is necessary to act with antibacterial and antiseptic products, which counteract the hyper production of sebum. Good cleansers, serums and specific creams based on white tea, licorice, salicylic acid and clay. The use of light moisturizers equipped with a protective shield that protects the skin from the mask fabric. Mask that, of course, must be changed every day ».

4 NECK-TECH, MARKED NECK AREA
According to aesthetic doctor and plastic surgeon Valentina Finotti of Sotherga Milan, «The long days in smart working, which see us sitting too often with incorrect posture, are doing increase the requests for touch-ups in the neck and chin area. Areas that, with the new hyper sedentary life, tend to age prematurely, bringing back fine lines and laxity. Ok the lifting cosmetics based on peptides and collagen, but at some point, if the problem is very obvious, I recommend a injective treatment such as Profhilo, which redensifies with a pleasant biorevitalization effect on the skin. Maybe in association with the micro Botox, where the signs of aging are marked ».

5 BLUE LIGHT MATT LEATHER
Skin pollution given by the blue light emitted by electronic devices, see under the heading tablets, PCs, smartphones, which have become companions of our days (and evenings). Noviello remembers: “blue light penetrates the skin, hitting cells and causing strong oxidative stress and free radical production, which in turn causes inflammation, collagen damage, premature wrinkles and hyperpigmentation. As always, the beauty routine is fundamental: it will have to promote cell turnover. Win the cleansers containing mild exfoliating agents , serums based on antioxidant vitamins, associated with creams containing hyaluronic acid with SPF ».

6 GLICAZIONE DA SUGAR CRAVING
Those who consol themselves with sweets and alcohol will have noticed the skin change, for the worse. Russo explains: «when one exaggerates with the intake of sugar, the skin glycation process takes place, a biochemical reaction that triggers an inflammatory process of oxidative stress in the body, hence the onset of an inflammatory state. The truth is that there are no cosmetic active ingredients capable of counteracting the damage caused by the glycation process; what is needed is to correct the wrong lifestyle or you will find yourself with wrinkles, skin laxity and loss of tone and elasticity. Yes to healthy nutrition, minimizing the sugar content, yes to quality sleep, sun protection in every season and a thorough beauty routine, starting with cleansing and hydration ».

In our gallery, one selection of beauty products indicated to treat, prevent and solve pandemic blemishes. Hoping to be able to turn the page very soon.