Essential beauty & wellbeing tips for Lockdown 3.0
Lockdown 3 feels a bit like Groundhog Day, doesn’t it? And we’re going to have pretty much the same dilemmas beautywise as the first time round (without the sunshine to cheer us up …) - starting at the top with hair. It’s a strange thing, by the way, that pooch grooming parlours are still allowed to operate but not people pamperers… We love our four-footed friends but we can’t quite wrap our roots and split ends round that one!
In this feature, we’re updating the advice we gave first time round, which we’ll be following too. Lets start with keeping our mops as glorious as we can. We’ve lost count of the number of (mostly) women we know who are in a major tizz about the state of their tresses. This is not just vanity (although there’s nothing wrong with a bit of that). For most women, how our hair looks is a barometer of how we feel and that has a real impact on how we cope in these strange and scary times.
It goes back to evolution, explains neuroscientist and psychiatrist Dr. Tara Swart. ‘Glossy, abundant hair, which doesn't show signs of age like grey pigment, is the most obvious marker of youthfulness in post-menopausal women (and, for younger women, fertility). Losing control of how our hair looks can trigger a primal fear response.’
Caring for our hair, face and body is real double duty pampering, as the charity Look Good Feel Better knows well (lookgoodfeelbetter.org). Founded by the beauty industry to help women (and also men) undergoing cancer treatment, now’s the time we can all take a leaf from their book. (See our update on their new Virtual Workshops here.)
Not only does clean, shiny, bouncy hair framing clear, glowing skin look pretty, but the morale-boosting effects help support our immune systems. And – importantly – the actual process of touching and stroking our bodies helps soothe and calm our minds. Oh and we’d add in soft hands with tended nails - even if it’s just you looking at them as they hover over the keyboard…
At a time when hugs and cuddles from others are in short supply due to social distancing, pampering yourself with beauty treatments that involve touch helps trigger the release of oxytocin, the so-called ‘love hormone’, which helps calm anxiety and promote wellbeing, according to Dr. Swart, who is author of The Source /£30, a wonderful book about natural ways to optimise your brain.
Do keep up your morning and evening skincare routine – as well as putting on make up like tinted moisturiser or light foundation if you usually wear that. “It’s a form of self care and ritual that gives structure in uncertainty; keeping our skin looking good signals to our brain that this too shall pass,” says Dr Swart.
With no chance of trying foundation on the flesh, we’re recommending our own favourite Erborian CC Crème SPF25/£38 in two shades, Clair and Doré, which magically adapts to your natural skin tone and works for all ages and skin types. CC stands for ‘Complexion Corrector’ and, no idea how, but it balances skin tone, so your skin looks even, smooth and glowing. You might want a wee bit of concealer on significant blemishes and perhaps a sweep of blush and/or bronzer.
Awarding yourself a solo ‘girl’s night in’ can be a tonic. Create a calming atmosphere with gentle music and a scented candle or burner – even spraying the air with your favourite scent or an aromatherapy pillow mist.
Start by thoroughly washing your hands (you know the mantra now) and applying intensive hand cream, such as Lano Rose Hand Cream Everyday/£9.99 for 50ml. Or, treat both your face and hands to a softening nourishing mask; if you don’t have one to hand, facial oil works a treat and is great for nails.
HAIR’S THE THING
The standard 3 C’s are still key: cut, colour and condition. At the moment, Condition is the most important because you are in control of that. ‘Start by stimulating the oxygen supply to your scalp, increasing the blood flow, loosening any tension and giving roots a lift,’ suggests make up artist Nadira Persaud, author of Press Here! Face Workouts for Beginners/£9.16.
Two ideas: firstly, sit comfortably, bend your head forward and use both hands to gently pull clumps of hair. Start at the nape, work up to the crown then hairline. Go down your hairline to your ears, round those and back down to your nape.
Secondly, massage your scalp: working from nape to nape again, press your fingertips into your head and rotate them. Feel your breathing slow and your shoulders drop. If you have longer hair, try tipping your head right down and brushing all over with long strokes.
Always use a good shampoo and conditioner (do leave conditioner on for several minutes for the best effect) and treat your hair to a mask at least once a week. There’s a range of tried and tested products for different hair types and needs, which our Beauty Bible testers rated highly on our website here.
For her dry, long, thick, coloured mane, Sarah loves the Grow Gorgeous Balance range, which launched in the UK last year. The most recent introduction, Repair Rescue Shampoo/£14 for 250ml, and Conditioner /£16 for 250ml, and matching Strengthening Hair and Scalp Mask/£25 for 200ml, are brilliant for these demanding times. Not cheap but value both in quality and quantity.
You can also improve condition by minimising the use of hot styling tools. Try air-drying for longer then, if necessary, give it a whoosh of warm air before styling. We’re big fans of a heated round brush (Babyliss Flawless Volume Hair Styler/£25), then popping in a few large rollers.
And so to COLOUR. Every colourist we know pleads with clients to keep away from box colour on the score that it’s so hard to get right (for most people, that is - some obviously do) and, once things return to normal, mistakes can take ages to correct. The simplest way to camouflage dark and/or grey regrowth is to use a root touch-up, which will blur the problem instantly. You can also use lighter shades to refresh highlights. We recommend Color Wow Root Cover Up/£28.50, a mirrored palette of mineral powder, with a nifty double-ended brush and now in eight shades from Platinum to Black.
Do also consider Schwartzkopf Root Retoucher, currently £7 on Amazon with free delivery. In three shades, Dark Blonde, Brown and Dark Brown, it was popular with Beauty Bible testers.
Lastly, CUTTING your hair! In short, say the experts, please don’t unless it’s absolutely necessary or you are a seasoned scissorhands. If you feel you must, then invest in a good pair of hairdresser scissors (lots online) and also a long narrow-gauge comb, advises leading hairdresser George Northwood. Have some clips and ties to hand. Wash and condition your hair, dry using a heat protecting spray and sit down in front of the mirror. (Yes, your stylist cuts damp but this way you know what it will look like when it’s dry.) You want to follow the line your hairdresser has created so have a good look. Next, section the hair into four sections. Cut in to the hair, not straight across it, and snip off as little as possible, particularly with a fringe. (There are lots of good videos on YOUtube – do watch them to prep before you snip.)
And there’s a fourth C – CAMOUFLAGE! One rather glam but practical friend adopts a wartime style, leopard-print, chiffon scarf, folded in a triangle corner to corner, wrapped round upwards from the nape and knotted - on top, lowdown or a little higher depending on what’s most flattering. Accessorise with hoop or other eye-catching earrings and scarlet lipstick to divert attention from the hairline.
Sarah is umbilically attached to her navy wool tam o’ shanter with pompom (vital). Jo, meanwhile, has delved into a collection of 80s silk scarves which she’s almost got rid of with every seasonal wardrobe switch-over for the past two decades, and is SO glad she didn’t.
Bandanas, arranged in 20s flapper style, suit others, or gorgeous chunky Alice bands. As the sun gets warmer (it will, promise!), brimmed hats give protection from damaging UV rays as well as providing camouflage. And remember, colour fades fastest when it’s exposed to the elements so swop your parting and Abracadabra!
Finally, on the hair front, defuzzing. If you’re wedded to a daily skim with a razor, nothing changes. If you want to try this now, consider the Gillette Venus range formulated for women’s skin, which Beauty Bible colleagues swear by. If you prefer waxed strips, which work well for sparse hairs we’ve found, NADS, a natural wax brand, has a range of options for sensitive skin.
TREATS FOR HANDS & FEET
With incessant (and necessary) hand washing, hands and nails are taking a bashing. So lashings of hand cream and cuticle/nails treatments are vital. See our Beauty Bible Award winners here.
Pressing on reflexology points as you massage in the product can help calm anxiety. Reflexology and holistic therapist Gillian Hamer suggests doing hands and feet for a few minutes each day, perhaps sitting in front of TV in the evenings. Find the adrenal point on your hand by following a line from your middle finger down the palm to the point where it nudges your life line, which runs from just above your thumb in a wide downward curve. Press and rotate it gently with your other thumb. NB it may be sensitive but it should be calming. You can also massage your fingertips, circling both ways.
Massaging clean, warm feet is a wonderful way of relaxing. If possible, soak feet first in a bowl of warm water with magnesium salts. Dry thoroughly, apply nourishing cream and work in deeply. The corresponding adrenal point on your feet is at the base of your middle toe, in a slight hollow below the ball of the feet.
Gazing down at pretty painted toenails can really lift your spirits. Buff your feet first all over to remove hard skin, either with an old-fashioned foot file or an electronic hard skin remover such as Micro Pedi Rapid Hard Skin Remover/£15.95 – which does just what it says.
Don't forget to include your feet when you exfoliate your body. If you don't have any product around, make a lovely sludge of sea salt and oil, any sort – no need for your best extra virgin olive.
Product-wise, you can’t beat Margaret Dabb Fabulous Feet range, which includes award-winning Intensive Hydrating Foot Lotion, £14 for 75ml, as well as her own Professional Foot File/£24 (which has won a Beauty Bible Award).
When it comes to fingernails, coloured polish will have such a short life with the current amount of hand washing that it’s probably not worth it, so a clear strengthening treatment is best, such as Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Strengthener/£5.99 on Amazon.
