Instead of a cooped-up quarantine, think of this as a self-care staycation. What better time to commit to a skincare overhaul?
We asked Lady Gaga’s skin expert , along with celebrity aestheticians (who works her magic on Kyra Sedgwick) and (skin savior to Gigi and Bella Hadid), to weigh in with their best skincare advice, routines and brands.
If you follow their expert tips, you may actually emerge from this anxiety-ridden🍸 time looking refreshed. (Or at least distract yourself in the meantime.)
Oil check
London-based Ooi — whose Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) techniques are beloved by Mother Monster, Kate Middleton, Ellie Goulding and Rooney Mara (to name a few of her famous clients) — recommends massaging your face with oil while you’re #stayinghome.
It may seem counterintuitive, but she says the strategy will balance stressed skin and prevent pesky pimples and blackheads.
“A lot of my customers with acne don’t realize that the excessive sebum or blocked pores are actually created by their skin layers being too dry and sending a wrong signal to the brain that the skin needs more oil,” she explains. “Oil attracts oil, oil melts oil, and a good face oil with small oil molecules doesn’t clog pores.”
Our pick? This reparative product by Skyn Iceland, composed of 99.9% camelina oil, which is rich in fatty acids, antioxidants and anti-inflammatories.
Skyn Iceland “Arctic” face oil, $42 at
Quench your skin
Ooi also suggests moisturizing your skin with a pro-level serum. A pea-size drop of Alpha Glow Flash Facial — a three-in-one serum, primer and mask from her cult-favorite — works like a spa visit in a bottle.
Its nine powerhouse ingredients, including hyaluronic acids, phospholipids, aloe vera and rose extracts, perk up dull and dry skin and aid in optimal water retention.
“It also contains a low dose of salicylic acid and retinyl palmitate for breaking down stubborn sebum and providing gentle exfoliation,” Ooi tells The Post.
Alpha-Glow Flash Facial, $144 (50 ml) at
Wear sunscreen (yes, even indoors)
One essential to add to your sunlit WFH office space? SPF.
“While glass used in cars and home windows are usually designed to block most UVB rays — long-length UV that directly damages DNA and skin cells — it does not offer protection from all UVA rays — shorter-length UV that can contribute to skin-cell aging, leading to wrinkles and sunspots,” explains Ooi. “If you’re indoors sitting close to a window you still run the risk of exposure to UVA rays and possible skin damage.”
Our sunscreen loyalty lies with Supergoop! Zincscreen, a lightweight, pink-hued and non-nano zinc oxide formula composed of winter cherry, coconut and blueberry extracts.
Luxury lovers should opt for Mila Moursi’s broad spectrum sunscreen SPF 30, an antioxidant-packed gel with a splurge-worthy silky matte finish that doubles as a makeup primer.
Supergoop! “Zincscreen” SPF 40, $42 at
Broad spectrum sunscreen SPF 30, $148 at
Let there be light
If you’ve tried every over-the-counter or derm-approved medication for troublesome cystic breakouts and still can’t find relief, Ooi suggests trying LED light therapy. This powerful, noninvasive treatment triggers your body’s natural cell processes to accelerate skin rejuvenation, destroy acne-causing bacteria and eliminate scars.
“I recommend starting with a blue light, which targets overactive oil glands and kills acne-causing bacteria beneath the skin, followed with a red light,” she says. “Once the epidermis absorbs the red light, it stimulates collagen protein growth to help scars heal, reduce inflammation and improve circulation — leading to more oxygen and nutrients to speed up recovery.”
Achieve similar results with Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare’s #stayhome version. The Darth Vader-like contraption calms inflammation, reduces wrinkles and eliminates sun spots, all while you lounge on the couch.
Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare SpectraLite FaceWare Pro, $435 at
Tool time
Jade rollers are so 2019. This year’s millennial must-have is a gua sha gadget (based on a 2,000-year-old Chinese technique) which promises to improve nearly every skin affliction, from rosacea to adult acne.
“It’s one of the easiest ways to boost micro-circulation,” says Ooi. “More blood circulating to the skin means more oxygen delivery, which rids toxins and excessive fluids that might be creating unnecessary weight in combination with gravity.”
Snag this therapeutic massage tool with your next Sephora order to reduce fine lines (including marionette and nasolabial “laugh” lines) for a better-than-Botox effect.
Mount Lai gua sha tool, $34 at
Wash, rinse, repeat
Your routine must begin (and end) with a clean canvas, so choose a daily cleanser that will remove dirt, leftover makeup, sweat and dead skin cells — without drying you out.
New York-based expert Morav, whose Upper East Side spa draws celebs such as Sedgwick, Kevin Bacon and Kelly Rutherford, agrees: “Cleansing is one of the most important starters during the skincare regimen,” she tells The Post. “My favorites are Forlle’d creamy foam for deep cleansing but not stripping, MBR enzyme booster for a mild to deep exfoliation, and Valmont ‘White Falls’ for a creamy and gentle experience for sensitive skin.”
Forlle’d Hyalogy creamy wash, $86 (148 ml) at
MBR Medical Beauty Research enzyme cleansing booster, $227 (83 ml) at
Valmont “White Falls” cleanser, $75 (124 ml) at
Give your lips some love
If you already have an eye cream in your beauty arsenal, enlist it for double duty to perk up your pout. “We can treat lips [the same way] we treat the areas around the eyes,” says Morav. “The skin has no oil glands, so it really depends on everything we put around it and on it.”
Dab your go-to eye potion around your mouth and lips twice a day to hydrate and smooth fine lines.
Our hero product is Sisley-Paris’ eye contour mask: Work it into your lips to improvise a Kylie Jenner-inspired pucker before your next virtual date.
For extra kiss-worthy lips, add another layer of regenerating balm. Morav’s pick is Perfect LipID from MBR.
Sisley-Paris eye contour mask, $149 at
MBR Medical Beauty Research “Perfect LipID” balm, $102 at
Go for the gold
Yes, you can emerge from quarantine with a supermodel glow. This Irina Shayk-approved gold-leaf mask by Luzon (facialist to the Hadid sisters and many a Victoria’s Secret Angel) leaves skin radiating for more than a week.
“Our 24-k gold mask is very popular among A-list celebs as it gives an instant glow to the skin that is visible in the eye for at least 10 days,” Luzon tells The Post. “This means that it is a real treatment, not just a beauty treatment.”
24-k pure gold treatment, $149 (for one treatment), at
24-k pure gold treatment, $349 (for four treatments) at
For more quarantine skincare tips, check out , who’s spent years perfecting the complexions of Zendaya, Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland and La La Anthony.