To Protect and Smooth

In May, The New York Times reported that staying at home has caused people to ditch their makeup routines but up their skin care game—so much so that sales of skin care products recently exceeded makeup sales for the first time ever. That makes sense to Sarah Page ’96, whose San Francisco–based business, Earth Love Cosmetics, which makes natural skin care products, has seen sales spike since the coronavirus outbreak began. “I used to wear full makeup to work,” Page says. “Since I’m working from home, I don’t wear makeup and I definitely spend more thought on my skin care routine.” Her tips for skin care in quarantine:

USE A GENTLE BALM to soothe and moisturize hands dried out from too-frequent washing. If your hands feel rough, exfoliate them with a scrub to remove dead skin cells before applying the balm so that it better penetrates the skin.

MASSAGE BODY OIL ONTO YOUR SKIN right after you get out of the bath or shower, when your skin is still a bit damp, and the oil will lock in the water on your skin for optimal hydration.

WEAR SUNSCREEN even if you’re indoors all day and especially if you work near a window.

USE A CLEANSING FACIAL OIL at night to remove any makeup without drying out your skin, then rinse your face with just water in the morning.

APPLY YOUR FAVORITE FACE MASK to cleansed skin and relax for 15 to 20 minutes while the treatment works its magic. If you don’t have face mask products on hand, search the internet for DIY mask ideas using common pantry items like bananas, honey or avocados.

This story appears as part of the Smithies Create column in the Summer 2020 issue of the Smith Alumnae Quarterly.