Skincare for People Who Work Inside All Day

Besides the other health risks of working in a constant sedentary state, such as back pain, stress, sitting for long periods of time, skipping meals or eating too make take out, working in an office can cause permanent damage to your skin if you don’t take care of yourself. Luckily, we are here to help with a few tips to assist in keeping your skin looking great despite spending long hours in the office. Caring for your skin can prevent skin cancer, premature aging, sun spots, and a build-up of dead skin cells.

Steps to Protect Your Skin in Dry Office Conditions

Offices often use air conditioners to regulate the temperature problems caused by machines running all day and unfortunately, this can remove almost all of the moisture from the air, resulting in dry skin, sinus issues, and your lungs being clogged with dirty, recycled air. There are, however, a few steps to can take to protect yourself.

Moisturize. The recycled air that is often pumped into an office can wreak absolute mayhem on your skin. It can cause dryness, flakiness, itching, and irritation. Especially for sensitive skin. A great way to fix this problem is to keep a small humidifier on your desk every day. You can find some adorable ones online. Drinking lots of water can also help keep you hydrated and it can flush toxins out of your system.

Incorporate SPF into your skincare routine. In order to prevent skin damage when you do go outside, it is essential that you incorporate skin protection into your daily routine. SPF infused foundations and lotions can protect you even when you have to wear makeup, so invest in a high SPF tinted moisturizer or foundation, then layer with a face friendly sunscreen so keep you protected in all conditions.
Keep your workspace clean. Phones can build up bacteria very quickly, which you then constantly press up against your face. Keyboards can also be a host to various bacterias from spilling your drinks, old crisp crumbs, and oily stains for your takeout lunch. Keep anti-bacterial wipes on hand at all times so you can keep your area clean.
Stay in the light. The awful fluorescent lighting in an office can lead to fine lines and wrinkles because a poorly lit work area where you spend your day staring at a screen can force you to squint without even noticing. To combat this, ask your supervisor if you can bring in a small desk lamp to keep your space well-lit. Once you’ve dealt with all the issues that an office environment can cause, you will still need to put some effort into keeping up your general skin health with a daily skincare routine. Treating your skin gently is a very important step that people forget about. Here a few tips to follow to keep treating your skin well.
Limiting bath and shower time can go leaps and bounds towards keeping your skin healthy. Hot showers and baths can destroy protective oils that your skin needs to function properly. Try to stick to lukewarm water and don’t hang around in the water longer than you need to.
Avoid strong soaps and cleansers as much as possible. Using a mild, unscented body wash can help your skin to retain its natural moisture. Try to buy soaps that are specially formulated for your skin type, for example, dry skin, oily skin, or sensitive skin.
Shave carefully by using shaving gel or lotion and always use a clean, sharp razor. Always make sure to moisturize your skin well after shaving to protect your newly shaved, sensitive skin from the elements.
Always pat your skin dry instead of rubbing furiously to get dry faster. Rubbing your skin with a towel can irritate skin cells and cause itchiness and irritation. Take your time if you can and pat down every part of your body so that you are completely dry. Putting clothes over damp skin can also cause irritations such as rashes.
Moisturize every single day. Use a moisturizer that matches your skin type, such as hypoallergenic lotions for sensitive skin or thicker body butter for extremely dry skin. Try to use a daily moisturizer that contains SPF to protect from harmful UV rays at all time.
Surprisingly, some dermatologists suggest coffee, after a recent study came out that said more coffee can lower the risk of developing malignant melanomas. However, we have to remind you that moderation is key. Don’t overdo it on the java. Even though it can lower the risk of skin cancer, you still don’t want to over-caffeinate your body.

Many people work eight hour days indoors at their corporate jobs. This may make you think that the chance of getting skin cancer is minimized because you are always indoors. However, melanoma can often occur when you are exposed to sudden bursts of sun. So when you go out into the sun on weekends, you need to be extremely careful and remember to care for skin especially well. This means wearing sunscreen with a high SPF, wearing a hat, and covering your neck and shoulders as much as possible. Sunburn can cause major problems so always be aware of how much time you spend in direct sunlight.

Skincare is crucial to keep yourself looking great no matter where you work. Any indoor job can deprive you of Vitamin D which you absorb from the sunlight touching your bare skin. However, as we mentioned, when you spend too much time inside, sunburn can occur much easier so it is vital that you take Vitamin D supplements to ensure that you have enough vitamins without the chance of forming melanomas. Vitamin D helps you to absorb calcium and it aids in regulating your immune system and neuromuscular system. This vitamin also plays a role in how long the life cycle of human cells can be. Taking care of your skin may sound like a full-time job, but you will never regret putting in a little extra care.