little white truths

I've seen a lot of posts about keeping dry skin at bay in the height of winter, but haven't seen any on keeping dry skin hydrated in the heat. 

While my skin does tend towards dryness in the cooler months, it can get just as dry when I go from a mild climate to a hot one. This may be due in part to the shock of the change in weather, but I think it's also to do with the effect of heat on dry skin: so while we're in Bali and my skin has indeed thrown a tantrum, I wanted to give a few tips on keeping dry skin at bay when the sun is at its strongest.

Stay hydrated

This is an obvious one but it's worth noting nonetheless. If you don't drink enough water when the weather's hot, this will show on your skin. So keep up the fluids! I would also note diet under this heading: when we're travelling, we often eat badly and drink more alcohol than we normally would. This will show up on your face too, so try not to go crazy on the bad stuff while you're away ; )

It's all about the sunscreen

We've had this one drummed into our heads since we were kids, and your mum was right: wear sunscreen or you'll regret it later. 

On that, a lot of people don't realise that sunscreen needs to be reapplied every one to two hours. You may see products calling themselves 'water resistant for four hours', and while some of the sun protection in the product may last that long, not all of it will. Just because you're not seeing any physical burning, doesn't mean that damage isn't being done. So apply and keep applying throughout the day to help combat dryness now and prevent premature ageing in the future.

Go easy on the air-con

My husband likes things really cold so he always has the air-con belting when we're away. But I've found that my skin doesn't like it when I consistently go from one extreme of temperature to another throughout the day: I think the shock of it can really dry out my skin and I don't think it's that good for you anyway.

Plus I don't like things super cold so we've had to compromise on just how cold we keep the room when we're travelling in hot climates. If the room's mild but the fan is hitting him directly, we're both happy.

Swim, shower, swim, shower: too much water

Spending heaps of time in the water can also play havoc with your skin, so it's worth thinking about how often you want to shower after you've been in the water. Too much washing can strip your skin (and hair), so I reckon it's better to limit yourself to one shower a day if you can. Sure, you may feel salty for half the day but I would rather that than having dry, uncomfortable skin that I'm aware of 24/7.

Use your products

Moisturisers and face sprays are god-sends in hot weather, so use them and keep using them! I find myself applying twice as much moisturiser when we're away (and twice as often), and my facial mist is never far from reach.

You'll know your own skin better than anyone so keep layering on product if you need to. It might start getting a little annoying (!), but again, I would rather throw stuff on my face for half the day than deal with uncomfortably tight skin.

How much makeup do you really need?

I find that hot weather is a good excuse to go lighter on the makeup, which can often be drying and doesn't tend to wear as well in the heat anyway. Powders in particular can soak moisture from your skin and leave you looking lined, so it's better to reach for creams, liquids and gels whenever you can.

I usually bring a reasonable amount of makeup when we travel but end up using very little of it: a bit of tinted moisturiser and maybe a cream blush and some mascara is more than enough and it stops my skin from feeling (and looking) drier than it already does.

In sum

That's it! I'm sure plenty of other tips are out there but this is my list for now. I'd love to hear if you have anything to add to the list: dry skin can be hard to manage in any season so I'm always up for hearing how others look after their skin : )