Raechele Cochran Gathers, MD Stress and anxiety are at an all time high. As if things weren’t bad enough, coronavirus is also bringing various skin woes. If your skin has breakouts, and your acne is out of control, you might be able to blame that on the coronavirus too.
Our skin is our largest organ, and it’s a reflection of our environment and everything that’s going on inside of our bodies. If your world and your body are in flux right now, your skin just might be too! Coronavirus can lead to skin breakouts.
Coronavirus and Skin Breakouts
If your skin is going haywire, please know that you’re not alone. Even people with normally clear skin are having issues right now. If you’re finding that your skin is oilier, drier or more prone to acne and breakouts than usual, it might be yet another effect of this whole coronavirus pandemic.
How Coronavirus Causes Acne
1. Diet
Ok, I know I’m not the only one out there craving sweets and carbs right now! Stress, isolation, and a disrupted schedule has had a dramatic impact on many a diet. Even for people that normally make very careful dietary choices, the 24-hour bad-news-cycle and incessant lockdown can have a negative impact on your diet. But watch out: High glycemic foods (chips, nachos, cookies!) and some dairy products can worsen acne.
High glycemic foods can increase the production of skin and oil cells, and increase the levels of androgen hormone, which are thought to make your acne worse.
If your skin is breaking out, limiting white starchy foods and milk might help. Try to eat a low glycemic diet. Bump up your raw fruit and vegetable consumption and try to get more lean protein like fish and chicken. Check out this post on The Healthy Skin Diet.
2. Stress
Stress can make your skin breakout! So, during this exceedingly stressful and unprecedented time, stress levels are skyrocketing, and with it, breakouts and pimples! Stress increases your flight or fight hormone, cortisol. It also increases levels of the androgen hormone. Increased androgen can increase the amount of oil production in your skin and could lead to more inflammation and acne.
To combat stress, try to find outlets that you enjoy. Turn off the news. Journal, go for a walk, meditate, take a bath, do yoga. Making self-care a priority will help you manage your stress and stress related skin issues.
3. Masks
While masks are an important in keeping us and others safer from coronavirus, masks can sometimes worsen acne and skin issues. Under your mask, your skin is exposed to higher levels of heat and humidity. For people with acne or rosacea, this can sometimes trigger breakouts. Some people are also sensitive to the material that masks are made of and can develop skin inflammation from them. Additionally, the constant pressure, rubbing and friction on your skin from a mask can cause inflammation, and breakouts called acne mechanica.
A good oil free moisturizer to use to help soothe irritated skin is La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer. It contains moisture building ceramides and niacinamide to cut down on skin inflammation.
4. Sleep Deprivation
Stress and worry can cause trouble sleeping and insomnia. Lack of sleep can increase cortisol levels and increase inflammation and skin breakouts. Try turning off the news at night if it’s stressing you out. Try creating an evening ritual: prayer or meditation, followed by a book (the paper kind) and a cup of herbal tea.
5. Dehydration
With your daily schedule thrown off, you might not be as focused on consuming the water that you need to stay healthy and support clear skin. Also, heated indoor air is dry and lacks humidity, which can also dehydrate your skin.
Dehydrated skin can worsen acne, eczema and other skin problems. Make sure that you’re drinking an adequate amount of water every day. For many people, the right amount is between 6-8 eight oz. glasses of water a day. But that number really depends on your body and your activity level.
A good facial moisturizer to try is Cerave PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion. It contains hyaluronic acid, which helps your skin retain moisture, and niacinamide, which combats inflammation.
6. Lack of Sun
If you’re not getting enough sun, you might not be getting enough vitamin D. Vitamin D is an essential vitamin and is made by your body when the ultraviolet light of the sun reaches your skin. Vitamin D helps your cells to develop correctly and is essential for your nerve and heart health. Vitamin D is also important for reducing inflammation. Low vitamin D has been associated with hair loss and acne. If you’re not getting outdoors and getting some sunlight, your vitamin D levels might be decreased, which could impact your skin.
Try to get some time outdoors every day to help your body make Vitamin D. It’s still important to be sun safe though, so here are some tips on sunscreens. Also, you can try to bump up Vitamin D in your diet by eating foods with vitamin D like salmon, tuna, egg yolk, and sardines. Before starting any D vitamin supplements though, make sure to talk to your doctor.
