Look Stress Free: 5 Skin Care Tips for Nurses
Mia stands in front of the mirror, sighing as she notes her dull complexion. She suddenly wishes that she had good skin like that of models and celebrities, but given that she’s a nurse and is oftentimes bombarded with work tasks, she doesn’t think that she exactly that much time to spare for her skin. If not roaming around and finishing nursing tasks in the clinical area, she would find herself being busy with the tasks she has to finish at home.
With a busy schedule like hers, would she still be able to achieve the stress-free, fresh looking face that she longs for? Or will she continue looking all stressed and tired?
Below are some skin care tips busy people like us nurses, would find convenient:
Remove your makeup before hitting the sack
Never sleep with your makeup on.
I know, I know. You feel so tired after a long day at work that you just want to hit the bed and sleep the moment you get home, but don’t. You may not be one of those who wear lots of makeup, but still that doesn’t exempt you from making sure your face is clean first before you go to dreamland.
All you have to do is to take some cotton, apply a good quality makeup remover to it and gently clean your skin without rubbing it harshly. See? It’s simple. Don’t endanger your skin just because you’re too sleepy to clean it. Always find time.
Exfoliation is a must
Scrub away the dullness of your skin, exfoliate! Exfoliation is one way to smooth your skin and make it look fresher as it sloughs away any dead skin on the surface that can gather, thus giving you a dull appearance.
What’s nice about this is that you don’t have to do it every day but only once or twice a week. Or you can even do it once a month if you don’t have enough time. You can either go for chemical or mechanical method, depending on your choice. For the mechanical method, you can make your own scrub by mixing together sugar with some olive oil and then gently rubbing it in circular movements over your skin while for the mechanical method, exfoliation is done with chemicals and by professionals who treat your skin with glycolic acid, citric acid, fruit enzymes, malic acid or salicylic acid.
Avoid sun exposure
With a lifestyle like ours where we travel daily, it is almost impossible to avoid the sun. However, there are a few precautions that we could take to protect us from the sun’s harmful rays. You can simply use sunscreen lotions before stepping out of the house or make use of an umbrella.
Moisturize
Use good quality moisturizers to gain radiance and suppleness. By moisturizing daily, your skin can look flawless. You should apply moisturizer to your skin when it’s damp after a shower to promote better absorption and continue applying it to your skin throughout the day.
Get rid of those dark circles
Yup, we usually are sleep deprived and are walking zombies, but do you really have to show it to the world? Get rid of those dark circles around your eyes. All you have to do is to place something cold onto your skin, such as a bag of peas or a spoon that you have placed in the freezer. The cold will help to constrict blood vessels in the area so that blood flows away from it. This move can also be used to reduce puffiness.
Yes, we have busy schedules. And yes, we rarely even have time for recreation, but those shouldn’t be excuses for us to neglect taking care of ourselves. As nurses, let us take in mind that we should not only care for our patients’ wellbeing but for ours, as well. We are humans, too, and just like our patients, our own selves also need their own dose of TLC.
Sources:
- http://minoritynurse.com/6-skin-care-tips-for-nurses/
- http://www.nursetogether.com/too-busy-your-skin-5-tips-nurses-look-stress-free
Liane Clores, RN MAN
Currently an Intensive Care Unit nurse, pursuing a degree in Master of Arts in Nursing Major in Nursing Service Administration. Has been a contributor of Student Nurses Quarterly, Vox Populi, The Hillside Echo and the Voice of Nightingale publications. Other experience include: Medical-Surgical, Pediatric, Obstetric, Emergency and Recovery Room Nursing.
