Daily advices
Tips on how to protect yourself alongside with health care authorities during COVID-19 crisis.
As NAOS dermatological department, BIODERMA is by your side to preserve the health of your skin, and is committed to support the Health Authorities by providing you the best-practice to protect yourself against the COVID-19 virus.
This health crisis we are going through lately incites us to wash our hands as often as possible. Health Authorities recommend to wash your hands frequently and thoroughly with both cleansing gels and hydroalcoholic gel.
"A soap or foaming gel are an effective alternative to hydroalcoholic gels". Dr Dréno, Professor of Demartology, CHU Nantes
However the skin can lose its natural defense over time. Washing your hands repeatedly indeed has an impact on your skin's ecosystem, removing lipids that naturally preserve and protect the skin. Frequent usage of hand sanitizers, due to their high content in alcohol, will also weaken the hydrolipidic film and therefore, dehydrates the skin.
The Professor Dominique Tennstedt from the U.C.L Dermatology Service at U.C.L asserts that irregardless, we better “keep washing your hands”. This is why we recommend to use dermatologically tested, soft cleansing gels or oils as much as possible.
To preserve the skin barrier lastingly and better protect yourself, hydration is also highly recommended.
Moisturizing your hands in the morning and evening with an emollient cream or even two to three times a day helps to protect and rebuild the lipidic film. For people wearing a mask, it is important to moisturize your face in the morning and evening.
Most importantly, wash your hands as often as necessary and apply a moisturizer after cleansing to protect your skin barrier. These essential routines will enable you to preserve your skin barrier so that it can play its natural defense function lastingly.
We know that many of you ask about the most suitable products to use.
Aurélie Guyoux, head of Research & Development at NAOS, answers to the questions you asked us on our social networks.
We know that the virus is sensitive to cleansing agents. That is why it is very important to wash your hands regularly, following the different steps recommended by the World Health Organization. Bioderma products contain specific cleansing agents which has high efficiency and respects the natural skin barrier. Bioderma's hygiene and skincare products have been tested under medical supervision and approved for their efficacy and tolerance, ensuring that our products are safe to use.
We have no proof that high efficacy products with anti-bacterial properties can defend you against the COVID-19 virus. Moreover, bacteria and virus are not similar. Thus, as recommended by health authorities, the most effective way to protect yourself, is to wash your hands frequently and thoroughly. Use a single-use towel, avoid touching your nose/eyes/mouth, maintain social distance of 1 meter and cough or sneeze in your elbow. Remember to protect your skin's natural barrier by moisturizing your hands frequently once they are clean.
As the COVID-19 has been recently discovered, there are unfortunately not a lot of scientific studies demonstrating the specific sensitivity of this virus. But as many viruses, and in particular coronavirus, it should be sensitive to classical cleansing products. This is why barrier gestures are so important to preserve your health. These gestures include repeated hygiene and social distancing. To respect the skin's natural barrier function, it is important to select good quality cleansing products and also use an emollient regularly to moisturize and restructure the skin.
Respecting the safety gestures remains as the most efficient way to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus, and to protect yourself and people's health. Committed to our health mission, we would like to refer to the World Health Organisation’s recommended behavior to stay healthy and prevent the spread of COVID-19.
From the evidence so far, the new COVID-19 virus can be transmitted in all areas, including areas with hot and humid weather.
There is no reason to believe that cold weather can kill the new coronavirus or other diseases. The normal human body temperature remains around 36.5°C to 37°C, regardless of the external temperature or weather.
Spraying alcohol or chlorine will not kill viruses that have already entered your body. Spraying those substances can be harmful to clothes or mucous membranes (ie eyes, mouth). Be aware that both alcohol and chlorine can be useful to disinfect surfaces, but they need to be used under appropriate recommendations.
No, these vaccines do not provide protection against the new coronavirus. The virus is new and different, and needs its own vaccine. Researchers are trying to develop a vaccine and WHO is supporting their efforts.
Antibiotics are effective only on bacteria. COVID-19 is a virus and not bacteria.
To date, there is no specific medicine recommended to prevent or treat the COVID-19. Some specific treatments are under investigation and will be tested through clinical trials. WHO is helping to accelerate research and development efforts with a range of partners.
Hot drinks can certainly bring you some comfort, as long as the temperature is not too high. However, it will have unfortunately no impact on your protection against COVID-19.
Having a hot bath may help you relax. However, it will not impede the coronavirus disease.
Hand dryers are not effective in killing the COVID-19. UV lamps should not be used to sterilize hands or other areas of skin as UV radiation can lead to skin irritation.
World Health Organization's website here: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/myth-busters
Because protecting yourself is taking care of yourself and the ones you love, Bioderma is wholeheartedly with you during this health crisis. We wish for you to stay as much as you can to be positive, healthy and safe.
Care first.
