Working From Home Series: #2 – Beauty is in the skin!

OSIM uGalaxy Eye Massager 2

In Part 1 of Working From Home Series, we provided tips on Looking Great During Video Calls! Whilst basic makeup may help to enhance your facial features, no amount of makeup can hide a bad skin. A good skincare routine helps maintain skin elasticity so you can age gracefully.

The recent announcement on extension of COVID-19 “circuit breaker” period means most of will be spending time at home for a longer period of time. The feedback we heard from those who clock in a 9-to-6 job is that people seems to be working longer hours than before. When you work at home, your schedule can get overwhelmed. Especially if you are a mother and you have to juggle with preparing meals, buying groceries, guiding the children on using the school e-learning platform and doing household chores. By the end of the day, you will just be too tired to care about your own well-being.

As we progress into the third week of circuit breaker period, some of us might feel like we have lost our identity. For those who are always concern about their appearance and love luxury treatments, this can be a stressful period. We had to skip our regular facial, manicure, body massage and hair salon visits. Thanks to online shopping sites, even if you are stuck at home, you can keep calm and have a spa day. In this article, we provide you with recommendations on how you can still take care of your skin at home without spending too much time.

Remember, it is important to spend a little time a day (at least) to pamper and take good care of our body and face. We like this saying by Fatima Mernissi “Beauty is in the skin! Take care of it, oil it, clean it, scrub it, perfume it, and put on your best clothes, even if there is no special occasion, and you’ll feel like a queen.”

Facial Care

Facial is part and parcel of most people’s skin care routine. There are 5 main steps, cleansing, exfoliation, extraction, facial massage and mask application. Here we share how you can DIY this at home.

Cleansing

This should be the basic part of your day to day skin care process. Before you begin your home facial routine, remove your makeup thoroughly using makeup remover and cleanse your face well with your usual facial cleanser.

Exfoliation

This is an important process in facial care as skin care products and essence cannot be effectively absorbed into your skin if your dead skin is not removed and exfoliated properly. There are various products in the market to remove dead skin. Many people use facial scrub which contains exfoliating beads to remove dead skin. This is great as it will give you a glowy look. However, it may be difficult to choose a suitable one for your own use. If you are not careful, you may scrub your face too hard, damaging your outermost skin barrier. This may cause irritation to your skin.

What we recommend for DIY facial is something soother and more gentle. One of our favourite is Cure Natural Aqua Gel. It is a gentle, non-abrasive water-based exfoliating gel that is suitable for all skin types. It is effective and easy for first time users.

Cure Natural Aqua Gel

Cure Natural Aqua Gel. Image credit: Watsons

Extraction

Extraction is a process that may be the most challenging part of a facial routine. We suggest you leave this to the hands of the experts. Incorrect way of extractions may cause inflammation of the skin which leads to breakout. If you really need to, we recommend doing a light form of extraction by using peel off strips such as Biore Pore Pack Black to remove your black heads. This brand of peel off strips has been very effective to remove black heads and keep your skin clearer.

Biore Pore Pack Black

Biore Pore Pack Black. Image credit: Biore Singapore

Facial & Eye Massage

If you are spending too much time on your computer, you should try massaging your eyes. For this, we highly recommend OSIM uGalaxy Eye Massager. We have tried a few other eye massagers but this is really the best. It comes with mood light and soothing music. You will feel totally relax as the gadget massages your eye area. Once the massage is over, your eyes will feel totally refreshed. We also noticed everything looks brighter when the massage is over. You can set the timer to 5, 10 or 15 minutes. We also like that there are 3 massage modes – morning, daytime and evening. At SGD199 (U.P. SGD299), it is really worth the money.

OSIM uGalaxy Eye Massager 2

uGalaxy Eye Massager. Image credit: OSIM

If you prefer a DIY eye massage, check out the video below on how to get rid of puffy and tired eyes.

Facial massage is recommended to prepare your skin so that it absorbs facial products better. Makeup also will also look better if you practice regular face massage. Massaging face helps to relax your facial muscles and regulate blood circulation on your face. However, this should be avoided if you have inflamed skin or have acne prone skin. Check out OSIM uGem 2 Beauty Massager retailing at SGD119 (U.P. SGD149). Apart from the fact that we really like the sleek design and colour of this tool, the OSIM uGem 2’s Beauty Vibration massage helps rejuvenates your skin, stimulates circulation and tones facial muscles to restore vibrancy and youthfulness of your skin. It is battery-operated so it is easy to use while you are your desk attending an online meeting (remember to turn off speaker and camera). The massager is a perfect anti-ageing tool especially if you have the following concerns (which many of us have):

  • Sagging face with wrinkles and fine lines
  • Water retention and facial puffiness
  • Droopy eyes and dark eye circles
  • Dull skin complexion

Osim_uGem2 Massager

OSIM uGem 2 Beauty Massager. Image credit: OSIM

Mask application

The last part of the facial routine is mask application. It is important to choose a mask suitable for your skin type. If you have no clue on choosing a mask, get a hydrating mask as this works great for all skin types.

Unless it is a sleeping mask, do not leave the mask on your face for too long. It is advisable to keep your mask on for 20 to 30 minutes. Leaving your face mask sheet on for too long will cause reverse osmosis of your skin and make you more prone to breakouts. You should also relax and lie down comfortably when you are applying mask. Being in a relax position will allow for the product to be better absorbed by the skin. It will also ensure that the mask adheres to your face properly.NMF Aquaring Ampoule Mask

Mediheal N.M.F Aquaring Ampoule Mask. Image credit: Watsons

If you are using sheet mask, be sure not to throw away the excess essence in the packaging. These are great skin care products and you can use it to apply to the rest of your body.

To end off your DIY facial session, apply your toner and moisturiser and tadaa, you have a brighter and healthier looking skin!

Body care 

Body care is also an area that you have to continuously look after. The key steps to body care are cleansing, exfoliating and moisturising.

Cleansing and exfoliating 

Cleanse your body thoroughly using your body foam or soap. After cleansing, use a body scrub. For the body scrub to work effectively and to avoid damaging the surface of your skin, do make sure that your body is thoroughly wet. Using your hands or bath gloves, work through your body using the body scrub by gently massaging it on your skin in circular motions. Start from your neck and work all the way down to your feet. Remember to scrub between your fingers and toes too. Areas that require more exfoliating are typically your elbows, knees, heel and sole of your feet. Do spend more time exfoliating these areas.

It is also important to choose a body scrub with your desired scent. Scent are great to help your body relax, so do take time to choose one that you like. Some of our favourites are lemongrass and lavender scented scrubs.

Lemongrass House Moisturising Jojoba Bead Body Scrub

Lemongrass Jojoba Bead Body Scrub. Image credit: Lemongrass House

Moisturising

Moisturising in the body care routine is essential especially when we are spending a lot time at home in air-conditioned rooms. The dry air in an air-conditioned room can cause our skin to be dry and flaky. This makes our skin more prone to scratches and cuts. Our skin has to be kept moisturised to prevent this from happening.

Most people only apply moisturiser on their hands by using hand cream. We would like to emphasise that moisturiser should be applied from the neck all the way to your feet. Here are some of our picks – non-greasy and very affordable!

Vaaseline and Nivea Moisturiser

[L-R] Vaseline Lotion Aloe Fresh; Nivea Express Hydration Body Lotion. Image credit: Watsons

 

Do let us know what you think about the above article. Feel free to ask us for more product recommendations by commenting below.

Remember to take sometime off your busy schedule to pamper your skin at home.

Once again, stay home, stay safe. It’s time to treat yourself!


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