It all began on a Sunday morning when you were searching for that ‘one’ sweater in your wardrobe. Day quickly turned to night, and in no time it was Sunday evening! You had found the sweater and a whole new refreshed & organized closet. Once you get a taste of that rewarding ‘clean’ feeling, there’s no turning back (we’ve been there!). From the dust underneath your couch, (thanks to Heartcore’s yoga online classes for getting us in downward dog) to finally coordinating your socks perfectly, there is always something to do when working from home. With your laser eyes (that’s what my boyfriend calls them) nothing goes unnoticed by you! Your hoover has become your favorite tool, and if you identify with this then you are - The Neat Freak. Discover the pros and cons and how to treat your skin when decluttering your home from your socks to the cereal pantry!

• Clean flat, I mean any roommate or partner would dream to have someone like us, right?

• Dust-free home: Dust can be in many cases irritating for the skin. In fact, the skin takes more time to heal. Dust can worsen an already compromised barrier function. In addition, for some skin, it is considered to be an irritant or allergen. This can trigger certain skin conditions such as dermatitis.

• Sorry, we don’t want you to spill out your coffee, but did you know that dust is also composed of human skin, small creatures, and dead bugs? Yep! Do you want this on your skin? Nope.

• Cleaning=Working out! Apparently, it is possible to burn from 100-300 calories per hour of cleaning. Therefore, it can be considered as a form of exercise. Plus, it can enhance oxygenation in the skin and activate the lymphatic system that is slowed down due to our “WFH status”.

• Cleaning is also for many people therapeutic, it is a task that allows us to escape and also gives us a feeling of accomplishment once completed.

• Household Chemicals. Cleaning your house is certainly a good thing, but can also be damaging for your health and skin. In fact, depending on the products that you are using, they may be harmful and contribute to certain skin conditions such as dermatitis, eczema, and general skin sensitivity. Therefore, make sure to choose “clean” household products!

• Sweat. I don’t know about you, but when I am cleaning those windows, I’m sweating as if I was doing a Barry’s Bootcamp class. Therefore, treat your skin as if you were “working-out” make sure to not have make-up on before and give your skin a gentle cleanse post-cleaning to remove the sweat & other household chemicals.

• Obsession. Cleaning can become very quickly an obsession! Especially when working from home, as we have “more time” to spend on things that were not taking us that long before. Therefore, make sure to not fall deep into a cleaning frenzy & make sure you are taking some time for yourself to actually relax.

After cleaning, don’t forget to cleanse your skin!

For more skincare wisdom like this, check out our podcast The Skinterview. Each week, we interview a skincare expert on the topics that really matter, demystifying complex concepts, busting beauty myths and sharing honest reviews.