Do you remember the 90’s song “U Can’t Touch This” by MC Hammer? Who knew that 30 years later the theme would be “U Can’t Touch Your Face” by COVID-19?
The Coronavirus is affecting our lives in every direction and what is more personal than being able to touch our own faces? Face-touching rewards us by relieving momentary discomforts like itches, muscle tension, anxiety, embarrassment, and stress. When have we been more stressed than during this unprecedented time?
A study published in the U.S. National Library of Medicine https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25637115 states that adults touch their faces about 23 times an hour. I tried counting how many times I did and I lost count. I didn’t realize how many times I did this.
Health care officials and the CDC are telling us a virus can enter through a person’s nose, mouth, or a break in the skin, and then land in our respiratory system. They are also stressing the importance of controlling our automatic responses to touching or scratching our faces in order to help stop the spread of this virus.
I have to tell you I have tried to stop touching my face and I have failed: multiple times.
So, how do we stop touching our faces and protect ourselves and loved ones from contracting COVID-19?
Simply telling ourselves “just stop” isn’t going to be highly successful, so I’ve included 7 tips to help you to stop touching your face to get you closer to being touch-free. It isn’t as difficult as you might think!
Tip#1 Be aware… of the times you are touching your face. By just doing this, you will start to correct the behavior.
Tip#2 Keep your hands busy… with other things. A stress ball, elastic band, a ball of yarn can be some good examples. Try and make sure that whatever item you choose to keep your hands busy is also clean and sterilized.
Tip#3 Use a Kleenex…if you have an itch. Got a constant itch that you need to scratch? If you just can’t stop, pick up a Kleenex and use that to scratch with.
Tip#4 Wear a mask…throughout the day that keeps you from touching your face. There are numerous YouTube videos that teach us how to make our own masks that are easy enough to make!
Tip#5 Cover your nails…with band-aids. This is especially good for you if you are a nail biter. If this doesn’t help try putting vaseline on throughout the day. It is so important to keep your fingers out of your mouth, especially now! You got this!
Tip#6 Wear cotton lightweight gloves…to help protect your skin. Even though this doesn’t seem practical, you will find that it will be a good reminder to stop touching your face as often.
Tip#7 Skincare… used both morning and night are essential for good hygiene habits. I stress this to my clients and I can’t stress it enough now more than ever. A mild cleanser, toner, and moisturizer will ensure you are using good hygiene habits and the more we practice good hygiene habits, the more we are going to be aware of our faces in general. An added bonus is that you can create your very own spa day, and you are given permission to touch your face!
Mild peels for home use are extremely beneficial to ridding your skin of dry skin cells which lead to itchy skin. Our favorite is the Omega Peel from AmadiSkintek. It is colorless and odorless. It is gentle enough to use every day and the best part is that it doesn’t scratch. You just simply roll away the dry skin and your skin is glowing!
Serums that you can add to your skincare regimen can boost the anti-bacterial effect on your skin as well. One serum, A-Ro Balsam Serum from our Amadi-Skintek line contains Australian Tea Tree Oil, a natural anti-bacterial and anti-fungal healing agent. Because of the anti-microbial and antiseptic properties, it is ideal for treating and soothing skin.
Toners are being used more than ever before to help rid the skin of any unwanted bacteria. Like our serums, they too contain the Australian Tea Tree Oil, which is a natural anti-bacterial and anti-fungal healing agent. This comes in a spray form which I absolutely love. One less step! For free shipping click the image below.
We are doing the best we can with all of this. We will ever get it right? Practice makes perfect!
This I know is true, the coronavirus outbreak has all of us rethinking our hygiene habits. And as an esthetician who speaks to clients on how to improve their skincare habits for beautiful complexions, this is a good thing!
Madeline Kinnear Hebert, LE
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Thanks for caring Maddy!