Pre-pandemic we used to spend an average of 10 hours in our bedrooms daily, a number which obviously went up over the last two years. While our bedroom area is our safe space where we go to relax and have some much needed R&R, it’s important for us to know the different ways in which our bedroom could be causing us harm. Seemingly innocent aspects of your room could be causing you acne, skin congestion and irritation.
Shocker: Your Bedroom Could Be Causing You To Break Out
Bedding
Bedding hygiene can make or break your skin. There are two main things to consider here. First, use 100% cotton, hemp or silk sheets. Second, ensure you wash your sheets every fortnight if you sleep alone and every week if you don’t.
Pillowcase
Whether or not you have sensitive skin, it might be ideal for you to change your pillowcase more often. The pillowcase acts as the humble home for everything. Be it the bacteria from your hair, or residue from your skincare, saliva, sweat, dandruff, dead skin cells and anything else imaginable. Avoid zits and skin infections on your cheeks and forehead, simply by keeping your pillow and pillowcase clean.
Air Quality
The lack of an air purifier in your room, especially if you live in the polluted cities of India, can have detrimental impacts not just on your skin but your overall health as well. Over 90% of the dust inside our homes is dead skin cells, so the higher the dead skin cell count, the higher the number of active dust mites, which irritates our eyes, nose and skin. An air purifier reduces the dust particles floating in the air, causing them to drop to tabletops or the floor, from where they can be cleaned or vacuumed.
Electronics
Including your tv remote, laptop, phone, AirPods, and charging cable are all storerooms of bacteria. We touch these things over and over through the course of the day, and tend to touch our faces many times in a day. Be it putting on our mask, falling asleep in the support of our hands or rubbing our eyes while at work etc etc. It is essential for us to clean these with an antibacterial wipe at least twice a week.
Yoga Mat
If you work out at home or take your own yoga mat to a gym class, it is more than likely that there’s a good chance there’s a ton of bacteria, oil, and sweat floating around in it, all leading contenders in causing acne. Make it a point to clean your mat with a cleansing wipe before and after each use. To be on the safer side, put a clean towel as a barrier between your face and the mat when stretching.
The Temperature Of Your Room
This is a tricky one because both a warm room and the air-conditioner have harmful effects on the skin. The former leads to the contracting and expanding of pores, once the sweat enters, it causes your pores to become clogged. This often leads to blackheads and breakouts, even making them super visible in the AM. The latter however leads to skin dehydration which people with dry, oily and combination skin are all susceptible to. Moisturisers are your best friend if you sleep with the AC on.
There is so much you can do to ensure that your bedroom is a safe haven for you, not just for your peace of mind, but also for your physical health. Take care of your room, take care of yourself!
Featured Image: Pexels
