How Has This Last Year Changed Your Skincare Routine?

It has been a full year since we were issued our stay-at-home order here in Los Angeles, and because I have spent this entire time working remotely I thought that it would offer me the unprecedented opportunity to really pamper my skin (since I was home all of the time), but instead interesting new patterns have emerged.

I found that given the sheer amount of time that I am forced to Zoom each week that I am consistently left with very tired eyes. Therefore, I used far more eye masks than I ever would have imagined. This has definitely been helpful, but it feels more about treating puffiness, dark circles, and overall eye fatigue, and less about actual pampering. While enjoyable, it is perhaps more like placing Cortisone on a rash.

I also noted that I had a few more breakouts, and not just maskne, and I attribute that to the general stress of this time, and also working very, very long hours every day. Therefore, stress, wearing a mask and probably unconsciously touching my face while working have all contributed to the need to spot treat these eruptions as they occur.

I also noted that during the colder months, and after Milo's untimely death, that I took lots of hot baths to relax and to try to help ease my mourning, but that stopped when the weather started to get a little bit warmer, and when the acute nature of my grief gave way to sadness and acceptance that my beloved kitty actually died.

Once of the most interesting things that emerged for me during this time has been a nostalgic return to using some Erno Laszlo products. As I have said before, I began using Laszlo when I was 17, and my mom, sister and I all used this skincare brand religiously, and exclusively, for many years. What was most interesting, and I was very consciously aware of this, is that I gravitated back to Laszlo not because I needed more skincare products (which I certainly do not), but because the memories associated with its use came from a time unfettered by a global pandemic, and the ability to see my family regularly. I told my mom and sister that I had purchased a few things from the brand, and they were both amused. The three of us relived those amazing times that we shared, and where we bonded over our Laszlo products and the lovely days we spent replenishing our supplies, having lunch in the City and then returning home to play with our new products. We relished these experiences with utter abandon and joy. Of course it was less about the products, and more about our time together, but Laszlo served as a visceral and luxurious backdrop for those amazing memories during a much more simple time.

I thought that I would have spent this year pampering my skin in a much more thorough way, and on a daily basis, but it seemed to be more about spot treatments than engaging in any sort of organized routine. I also thought that working from home would somehow grant me extra time to take care of myself since I wasn't commuting and spending excessive amounts of time away from home. Instead, like many people working from home, I have observed that the spaces between "home" and "work" have essentially dissolved, and that while my slipper-clad feet commute only down the hall that I actually work much longer hours than I did before. Don't get me wrong, I am tremendously grateful to have a job, a roof over my head and food on my table, but this stressful time has certainly been fraught with its own daily complications beyond what is happening outside the walls of my house.

Have you been taking better care of yourself during this time? Have you been pampering yourself and engaging in self-care as a means of coping with this difficult era? I would love to hear your experiences!