Tips & Tricks: How to Bring Your Skin Back to Life, After You’ve Been Sick!

There’s nothing worse than being terribly sick during for a few days… and we know that there’s no time or energy for a full skincare routine (or any routine) in times like these. Life gets tough! But there are also other reasons why your skin is dry, dehydrated and irritated after a few days of being ill. When you’re sick and and you spend a lot of time in bed, and so it’s easy to become over-heated (especially when you have a temperature!). This means that you are prone to trans-epidermal water loss, with the moisture in your skin evaporating much quicker than usual. Dry skin can easily then become irritated as your hydro-lipid barrier rubs off or becomes seriously damaged. The less products you use in a situation like this – the better. But what can you do to soothe the skin, with as little effort as possible and as few products as possible? In comes a fab tip I learnt not to long ago! Your saviour in this situation will be thermal spring water in a can and gauze patches (these are cotton squares which allow air to pass through them, usually utilised for medical dressings).  Thermal spring water has become quite popular recently, but it won’t help to much, if you just spray it over your skin. The water droplets will eventually dry and evaporate off your skin, leaving it dry once again (if not drier) – fail.

Instead, take a few gauze squares and spray your thermal spring water over them, until they are quite damp. Layer your patches over you face like a mask and leave them on for 10 minutes. During this time, you skin will soften. The moisture will have time to soften all the dry flaky patches you might be experiencing. The minerals in the thermal spring water will also have time to soothe your skin, lessen redness and itchiness. Lab Muffin actually wrote a post on which thermal spring water contains the most minerals (the verdict was Uriage), however, if your skin is very sensitive or irritated, sometimes using a thermal spring water with smaller doses of minerals actually works better as it will be more gentle, if you will. You can treat your skin to this type of ‘mask’ twice a day for a few consecutive days, while you are sick. After removing the gauze patches, make sure you moisturise your skin asap, using a cream which contains emollients, is gentle, hydrating and scent-free. My go to pick for situations like these is is Kiehl’s Skin Rescuer but selecting a moisturiser from Avene’s line is also a good option because they formulate moisturisers with no scent, no preservatives and with minimal ingredients (the Skin Recovery Cream is a great option, as is the XeraCalm A. D. Cream). It’s always a good idea to have a basic, anti-irritation and rich hydrating cream in your bathroom for all the family to use. Be mindful to stay away from anti-ageing creams, acids, exfoliants and serums when sick. As your skin’s irritation levels are probably high and you are dealing with dry skin – there’s no point layering active serums on top of flaky dry skin. At the same time, give your skin a break from exfoliants – you do not want to disrupt your compromised lipid barrier any further. Giving your skin a ‘break’ from your usual skincare products, will do it some good and give it time to heal.

Above: You can find fancy gauze packs at any chemist since they are a medical supply. My pack cost me maybe $3.50? 😛

Now for some makeup tips! If you must go out and face the world when sick or when recovering, simplicity is key. Use textures which are hydrating and creamy – seeing as you are probably suffering from dry skin. A little bit of foundation (nothing matte) and a creamy concealer will do wonders. A drop of oil into your foundation will give you some extra help, if you think you need it. This concealer from Dior is fabulous – it doesn’t attach to dry skin at all and enhance flakiness! A little bit of mascara and a nude coloured liner on your waterline can also help, although, if your eyes are very red, skip the eyeliner on the waterline. Why? Because your waterline will stand out more than it should and will look unnatural. Also – if they are red, they to are probably irritated and angry 🙁  A mid toned blush is all that is needed at the end to liven up your complexion! Don’t pick anything to pale, as this will wash you out. A rosy lip balm and you should be good to go! I would skip bronzing and contouring, as darker pigments are harder to blend out on dry skin. Plus, no one wants to spend to much effort on makeup when they aren’t feeling the best…

Above: My dependable make-up picks for days when I’m feeling under the weather… YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat, Dior Diorskin Nude Skin Perfecting Concealer, Dior Diorshow Mascara, Josie Maran 100% Argan Oil, Fresh Sugar Rose Lip Balm, Charlotte Tilbury Healthy, Happy Lip & Cheek Glow.

I hope these tips have been helpful – do let me know what your tips are when you are feeling unwell! It’s become soooo cold in Sydney recently, so I think this calls for some hot tea!

Catch ya next time beauties!

Beauty Bee~

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