I'm A Beauty Editor: This Is How I'm Taking Care Of My Skin Right Now

One of the more destabilizing parts of life in New York during COVID-19, I've found, is the loss of control. Almost overnight, any semblance of structure in my day or the world writ large was washed away—and replaced with an overwhelming feeling of uncertainty and fear. 

On a broad scale, I fear for the first responders, risking their lives for us. I worry for those who cannot work from home, those who have lost their jobs, the immunocompromised, the elderly, and those experiencing homelessness. I know how lucky I am to be in my position of relative safety, and I do not take my privilege lightly. And yet personally, I ache for my friends and family and wonder when the next time I'll see them again might be. I long for the outdoors yet do not know when I'll be able to leave my home comfortably. And all of it is out of my control.

But here's one thing I can control: Every morning I wake up, get out of bed, wash my face, and complete my skin care routine. 

Perhaps you, too, have some small thing in your day that means a little bit more now: a running path, brewing your favorite brand of coffee, a yoga flow, or a dinnertime routine. It's a sliver-thin moment of comfort, a cracked door opening into a past life. Caring for my skin is that for me. Even as a teen, I never skipped washing my face. It was a moment of effortless clarity—a 1-2-3-step regimen—during the messy period of young adulthood. And at every moment of emotional strain thereafter, or even just on the mundane bad days, there is a nighttime skin care routine to put it all to bed.

But skin care during times of stress is a practical choice too. Skin is extremely sensitive to internal triggers. Stress wreaks havoc on the skin (learn more about how and why stress and skin are connected here), triggering breakouts and inflammation. Not to mention the sleepless nights can turn a complexion sallow. And while no one is really seeing these stress-induced skin changes, it still matters to me. No matter what I'm wearing or how long it's been since I washed my hair, I still want to feel good in my skin. 

Right now, self-care probably seems like a challenge, as we're removed from all the things that used to make it easy: There are no gyms, yoga studios, or workout classes to attend; even running outside provides its own risks. When we need comfort from those we love the most, we can only do it at a distance. The restaurants and coffee shops we used to turn to for nourishment, both socially and nutritionally, are no longer available to us. We can't travel, visit museums, and attend shows to fill our souls and curiosities. 

So instead, we look to what we can do. And even on the days when I can't bring myself to do much of anything, I can still bring myself back to the sink, back to the cabinets of skin care products, and find comfort in the routines that have sustained me—and my skin—all these years.