Skin Concern: Dry Skin
Quarantine Cause: The air inside is dry and dirty. OK, I'm being dramatic, but it's true that the "it's stuffy in here" feeling has to do just as much with air quality as with your mental state. "Being indoors exposes us to uncirculated air that contains dust and other indoor pollutants that can negatively impact our skin," says Ryan Turner, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City.
Plus, as the weather gets cold, we naturally crank the heat, which also dries out the skin. Turner recommends investing in an air purifier, which can help reduce indoor air pollutants; we recommend this combination humidifier (to combat the dry, hot air) and purifier that earned a stamp of approval from the National Psoriasis Foundation.
Skin Concern: Breakouts
Quarantine Cause: It's time to do a wash. One of the first beauty tips I ever got out of a magazine was "make sure to change your pillowcases regularly." Turner has noticed his patients are spending more time than before working from bed — and leaning on a pillow — which leads to a buildup of oil, dead skin, and bacteria on your linens.
Excess oil on your sheets, plus extra time spent in them, can add up to acne. "I've been recommending more frequent changes of bed linens," Turner says.