Taking Care Of Your Skin In Hot And Humid Weather

High humidity combined with hot temperatures can make the environment unbearable. In tropical countries like Singapore, the temperature stays at 35 degrees Celsius with humidity hovering above 90 percent all the time. Simply speaking, constant exposure to such an environment can cause our bodies to overheat and exhaust easily.

Hot, humid weather can wreak havoc on your skin, especially if your skin is sensitive or oily. Oftentimes, we see people in tropical countries suffering from acne, skin redness, inflammation, and skin irritation. This is a sort of interview I did with Dr. Siew Tuck Wah of Radium Medical Aesthetics where he shares with some useful skincare tips you can adopt to help you deal with a hot and humid climate.

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Wash your face

First and foremost, the most fundamental advice to maintain a clear, healthy skin is to wash your face with a gentle cleanser twice a day. Wash your face with room temperature water because exposing your face to hot water is generally not good for your skin. A good facial cleanser should be able to effectively remove clogged impurities and excess sebum without stripping away all the essential oil on your face. Understand your skin type before deciding what facial cleanser is suitable.

For example, if your skin is sensitive and severely damaged, look out for ingredients such as aloe vera, lavender, and Vitamin B5 to soothe red, angry skin. People with oily, clogged skin should use cleansers that have gentle enzymes to dissolve the sebum and clogs and reduce excess oil on the skin that would otherwise lead to acne if left untreated.

Regular facials

In industrialized countries, our skin tends to become dirty very easily because of the heavy pollution in the air. Washing your face regularly may be enough to thoroughly cleanse your face. You can take care of this problem by going for a fortnightly skin spa that provides deep cleansing facial treatment.

Sun protection

Most men and even women dislike wearing sunscreen because it leaves a white residue on your skin. The white residue from sunscreen comes from the UV filters, typically titanium dioxide and zinc oxide ingredients that are usually found in physical sunscreens. Regardless of how you feel about using sunscreen, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of applying it daily before you leave the house. The UV rays from the sun can cause an inflammatory reaction and premature aging of the skin, leading to signs of sun damage such as wrinkles, leathery skin, pigmentation, sun spots, and liver spots.

As we tend to perspire a lot in tropical countries, remember to reapply sunscreen every few hours when you are outside.

Hydrate your skin

It probably sounds counterintuitive to hydrate your skin when we are in such hot, humid weather. Think of it this way – In a tropical country, we perspire more than the average person in a temperate climate. This means that we lose more water than the average person. This is why it’s important to make sure we are properly hydrated, not just our bodies but our skin as well.

Our skin thrives on moisture, causing our skin to plump up and become firmer. It also helps our cells to flush out the toxins in our skin. To properly hydrate your skin, you need to include a good moisturizer in your skincare regime. A good moisturizer draws water to the skin and keeps it hydrated. At the same time, it should leave a thin film on your skin to keep your skin from becoming flaky.

Preventative medical treatments

In such extreme heat with high humidity, it pays to go the extra mile and pamper your skin a little more. Undergoing preventative treatments with a doctor may help to give your skin an extra boost in sweltering heat.

Carbon Laser Peel is a simple, yet effective way to draw out impurities that are lodged deep in your pores. At the same time, it shrinks your pores to prevent dirt from making its way into them in the future. In addition, it helps to regulate the sebum production of your skin, making your skin less oily than before. It is important to know how to take preventive actions to avoid acne breakouts from flaring in humid weather conditions. One popular treatment is the use of copper bromide laser, also called Dual Yellow Laser to calm red, inflamed skin caused by over-sensitivity and acne. If your skin is deteriorating due to the humid weather condition despite the above skincare advice, seek a consultation with a doctor to get advice on how you can improve your overall skin health.