WRITTEN BY KATHRYN ABBOT
Taking care of ourselves whenever the seasons change can often be a tricky thing to do. After all, you have to adjust much of your daily routine depending on what the weather will be like for the day and/or a whole month. And of course, skincare is no exception.
Whether it’s the scorching hot sun or the freezing rain, the weather affects our skin more than we give it credit for. And the rapid changes in it often bring challenges to our skin’s health, with many sources already exploring the topic (from lifestyle magazines and dermatology clinics to peer-reviewed research and interviews with licensed professionals). So, let’s take a deeper look at what happens to your skin in fickle weather and what you can do to protect it and eventually your overall health.
What Happens to Our Skin Based on the Weather
Many studies found that warm & cold weather and the changes between them can affect our skin negatively, especially the harsher they get. So, let’s see what happens to our skin with the weather in both kinds of temperature.
In warm or hot periods, we commonly sweat more and have oilier skin, which can lead to acne breakouts and skin infections. Aside from a greater chance of being sunburned during this time, there is also increased humidity during this time, which may be good for your skin at the right levels but detrimental at higher ones.
This is unlike chillier ones though, we instead might have dry and tight skin that is itchy, rough, cracked, and prone to getting irritated. It also doesn’t help that, because the air lacks humidity during this time, it’s harder for your skin to retain moisture on its own and thus, it becomes vulnerable to injury, allergies, and infections as well.
Either way, when transitioning between hot and cold, your skin in fickle weather would be prone to the effects mentioned above. We need to note, however, that some of these effects can differ depending on your skin type and the kind of climate your place has.
Now, what happens to your skin when you live in a tropical country that bounces between scorching heat and freezing rain?
What Our Skin Goes Through in The Tropics
Here in the Philippines, we only have dry (sunny) and wet (rainy) seasons instead of the typical 4-season climate type many countries miles away above or below the equator do, as tropical regions usually have. So, what happens to your skin when going into the typhoon months remains somewhat like the effects previously mentioned above, except it doesn’t only get dry due to a lack of humidity, but because there’s too much of it.
The damper and more humid the environment your skin is exposed to, the more it is susceptible to drying up, breaking out into allergies, or even getting infections from fungi or bug bites. Combined with the weather usually switching between hot and cold, it is no wonder that many people tend to suffer from a lot of skin conditions whenever the seasons change, with plenty of them having to spend a lot on treatment, consultations, and/or more due to how some of those diseases could get.
So, faced with that information, what can you do about it? Why, prepare and do what you can to protect your skin, of course!
How We Can Protect Our Skin: Fickle Weather Edition
There are already many tips, tricks, and even things made to help you keep your skin protected and in great condition despite the harsh weather. It’s only a matter of finding the right methods and products that work for you.
In fact, the Gift of Skin Protection bundle from our October 2023 Holideals is already packed with featured items that can support you and your skincare routine in fickle weather. It also helps that, if you buy PHP 5,000 worth of bundles from October 1 to December 31, 2023, you can get a PHP 500 coupon on your next transaction.
So, with this fitting bundle and a ton of data from trusted sources, here are some tips that can help you keep your skin fresh and healthy whether rain or shine:
- Moisturize only as needed
Given that either not enough or too much humidity can dehydrate your skin, it’s probably best to moisturize it only when you need to so that it can retain its natural moisture. Pair this with products suited for your skin type and living space, and you have a great way to keep your skin soft, supple, and strong.
- Keep your skin clean and dry
Make sure to cleanse your skin well and wipe off any excess water from it, especially when you live in warm, damp and very humid environments. This is so that you can greatly lessen the chances of bacteria or fungi damaging and infecting your skin.
- Sunscreen is your friend (especially if it’s the one for you)
Despite the weather being able to change from sunny to cloudy in a day, that doesn’t mean you don’t wear sun protection whenever you go out. Try using sunscreen that suits your skin type as often as you need when going out. For example, if you have oily skin and need to go out a lot on a summer’s day, then the Artistry Skin Nutrition™ Multi-Defense UV Protect SPF50+ from the Gift of Skin Protection can help with its multi-purpose protect and hydrate formula.
- Wear appropriate clothing
Whether rain or shine, it’s better to wear the right clothes for the weather. But this also means wearing clothing that can help you protect your skin, such as covering up during typhoon days to avoid both your skin getting cold and being exposed to too much water and humidity.
- Choose skincare products that are right for the season
Use products that fit the weather your place has. For example, if it gets cold and the air is dry, try switching to a heavier moisturizer to help keep your skin hydrated. And when the summer comes, you can adjust your skincare to more lightweight creams that help adjust to your then oily skin.
- Try adding food/nutrients that support your skin’s health
Aside from putting on sunscreens, moisturizing creams, and other topical products, you can also try boosting your skin’s health by including food and nutrients that support it. This can range from kiwis, soy, and almond to oysters and yellowfin tuna. And if you still need more to meet you vitamin quota but can’t intake more food, the Gift of Skin Protection’s plant-based and traceable NUTRILITE™ Hair, Skin and Nails Complex Tablet and NUTRILITE™ Omega 3 Complex Softgel Capsule can help you fill that gap.
- Include antioxidants (or products with them) in your skincare
Last, but not least, in whatever product you use or food you eat, don’t forget to include antioxidants in your skincare. Since they help lessen the chances of your skin being damaged and aging early from oxidation, free radicals, and pollution, it’s best to add them to your routine. Luckily, you can do that with the extra free sample of the Artistry Skin Nutrition™ Vitamin C + HA3 Serum from the Gift of Skin Protection bundle.
If you want to dive deeper into this topic and the science behind it, you can check out the studies and articles made by the American Academy of Dermatology, DermNet (free dermatological source supported by the New Zealand Dermatological Society), World Health Organization, and the Journal of Cosmetics, Dermatological Sciences and Applications, where much of the information on this article come from.
Other sources like Medical News Today, Makati Medical Center, Hindustan Times, CNN Health, dermatologist Dr. Irene Gaile Robredo-Vitas's interview with Philippine Star and more like them can also help you in finding more ways to protect your skin in changing weather (especially when you live in a tropical climate).
