I wanted to explore the differences and challenges when it comes to climates. The two that I'll be focusing on will be dry and humid climates and how they affect the skin.

We've all had that experience when we go to a foreign, tropical place and come back to our cooler homes with a massive breakout. It can even happen in the reverse conditions but we've all been through it.

I decided to down on how our skin reacts and what we can do about it. 

Humid

Air

The air is moist and heavy. It feels super muggy and a deep breath of air just feels gross.

Effects on Skin:

In high humidity the skin is enveloped by moisture all the time. You feel a slight tackiness or stickiness whenever you head out. Since the skin is surrounded my moisture, there is more chance of dirt sticking to the skin. Those who suffer from common skin conditions like psoriasis or eczema will find they don't flare up as much (in my case anyway). For you oily skin gals, you'll have a lot of 'glow' and for you dry skin gals: you'll have a slight glow. 

Skin Care: 

Keep it light with everything. - gel like moisturisers, watery serums, and don’t' forget the SPF. In highly humid envrionments, clouds tend to form more often. That can delude us into thinking we don't need sunscreen. Hate to break it to ya but the UV rays still penetrate through the clouds.

With cleansers, make sure you are diligent with exfoliating - this is to help clear the pores of unwanted dirt that may have been trapped with all the sweat and oils during the day (ew.)

Dry

Air:

The air is much fresher, you could say it feels crisp. It's cleaner (in some environments) and it feels nice and light.

Effects on Skin:

Because the air is much dryer the atmosphere tends to draw moisture from your skin more than in humid climates. It accelerates the trans-epidermal water loss in our skin. The skin can feel tight and dehydrated. IF you suffer from the skin conditions I mentioned, they will flare up like mad! Or your skin will start to produce a lot of oil to compensate for the dry skin. You'll notice a lot more lines in the skin and the appearance is duller. 

Skin Care:

Serums are a great way of filling up the dehydrated layers in the skin. Popping a thicker moisturiser will also help to seal in the serum's nutrients and maintain the moisture for longer. You could even opt for hydrating toners if you are a bit more oilier (I like Mario Badescu's Seaweed Cleansing Lotion or Eve Lom's White Lotion). I prefer layering light serums (just like k-beauty routines) as they help to retain the moisture for longer. If you're not into 7-step routines, opt for a slow release veg fat aka shea butter combined hydrating SPF. I prefer the X-step routines though - they are much more fun.Also stick to creamy/milky cleansers - they don’t strip the skin and still cleanse really well. My fave is an oil based cleanser because it can benefit the skin in both climates.

Judgement

What I'm really getting at is if you care for your skin, noticing changes in how it can interact with the environment will be super helpful. The climate is merely one aspect of how our skin can change depending on the environment. I find it extremeley important, especially if you've just moved states. Try is out and let me know what you think.