Intense humidity in the atmosphere can make your skin oily and patchy, due to which cell turnover goes down and the face looks dull. Acne breakouts are also very common in such conditions due to obvious reasons.
Tips to look after your skin in humid weather:
It is very essential to exfoliate gently at least twice a week to get rid of dead skin layers. It is best to use enzyme-based scrubs rather than rough ones.
Cleanse your face at least twice a day and keep it dirt free. Use a soap free cleanser. For oily skin, use a cleanser with a light grade of alpha or beta hydroxy acids to gently exfoliate the skin and dissolve built-up oil in the pores.
Do not be aggressive with zits. Keep your hands away from the face. This is important in all climates, but especially important in very humid areas where you already have sweat and sebum sitting on the face. You don’t want to add bacteria to it.
Use gentle products and sunscreen regularly. Hydrate the skin. Use light water-based sunscreens which absorb into the skin quickly and leave behind little residue. These can help avoid the ‘oil slick’ look. A BB cream can also help.
During excessively humid times, skip applying moisturiser to the oily areas of your face, also known as the T-zone. This generally covers your nose and the forehead right above your eyebrows. For the rest of your skin, use an oil-free lotion that won’t clog your pores and create acne.
Along with skin, it is equally important to take care of hair. Humid air makes the hair drier and frizzy. It’s very important to keep hair simple with fewer styles and less usage of any chemicals and hair products.
Frizzy hair gets frizzier and flat hair looks flatter and styling does not seem to stay.
Tips to keep the hair looking great
Hair in humid weather gets porous. And if you ever comb it while it is wet, you’ll break it further. Use soft combs and don’t tug at hair. Use your fingers to comb through wet hair to remove knots, never a comb. When conditioning after shampoo, wash off the conditioner using cool water. Cold water causes the cuticles of the hair to contract, simultaneously adding shine and taming frizz.
Avoid over-combing your hair as it leads to puffy or frizzy hair. Use a wide-toothed comb or a paddle brush with ball-tipped ends. If possible keep your hair tied.
Cover your hair before going out to protect it from humidity. You can use a hair sunscreen in a sunny weather. Leave-in oil treatments using olive oil or baby oil might be able to help tame your mane.
Use a smoothening hair product. Hair serums coat the hair shaft and help reduce frizz much like conditioners do.
Watch your diet. Protein is the most important nutrient for healthy hair. Eat salmon, eggs, carrots, whole grains, dark green veggies, kidney beans, nuts, low-fat dairy products etc.
You can’t change the weather but you can certainly follow these simple tips and help your hair and skin.
— Dr Chytra V Anand
Cosmetic dermatologist