Humidity and Your Skin - Heat Induced "Acne"

Humidity: The frizz-er of hair, the cause of sticky-ness, the creator of acne?!

Here in my lovely portion of Southern New Brunswick, we've had a snap for a little over three weeks, just shy of a month, I'd say, where the humidity has been Off. The. Chain. Picture Monica Gellar when she went to Barbados. That humid. I mean, normally the thought of going to work on a sunny, summer day kind of makes me start to die inside, however, lately I've just been jumping at the chance to go sit in an air conditioned office in a city near the Bay of Fundy for 8 hours of the day, and miss the hottest points from, my rural, 10 degrees hotter, home.

My hair has grown to gargantuan proportions, however, luckily for me I actually like big hair, and there are tons of heatless options to help keep it relatively in check. Not that my hair has fallen much victim to the stereotypical frizz, it's more or less big and wavy because I can't even bear the thought to put any sort of hot tool near my head, thus allowing it to be wild and free in a more natural, scrunched, wavy state. Add extra heat from a curling iron? Um, no thanks. I'll dig out my scrunch gel and let it air dry, thank you.

Aside from sticky skin, constant lethargy, and big hair, the humidity has given me one more, super obnoxious problem to deal with.

Acne!

I was super lucky, and super blessed with my skin genes, and I never really had any acne to deal with growing up. God "blessed" me with growing boobs in 3rd grade, and getting my period in 4th, so I guess He kind of took mercy on my sorry butt and decided to, at the very least, give me good skin. I thank Him for that. I always had a few trouble spots here and there though, as any normal person does, and honestly, looking back, most of my problems arose from being young and not knowing how to totally care for my skin properly, and of course, hormone trouble. However, despite being young and skin-irresponsible, I was never pockmarked with horrible cysts or had to visit a dermatologist for prescriptions. But now, during this heat wave, I've had more skin problems than I've ever had as a teenager! Why?!

I have had big breakouts around my chin and jawline, which are your classic, painful, ew pimple. My most horrible breakouts, however, have been my forehead. Suddenly my whole forehead is covered in these awful little bumps, that never seem to come to a head, but if you poke at them, they just seem to be full of fluid. Gross right?

The Ins and Outs of Heat and Humidity Induced Acne

What is the number one thing you do when it's hot out? Sweat, of course! All of that fluid pumping through your pores, then just sitting on your skin, can be a recipe for disaster. Mix that stagnant, sticky combination with oil, and you have the perfect conditions for bacteria to grow, which breeds breakouts. Humid weather stimulates the production of oil, which makes any skin trouble you're having much worse. The "shine" you get after glistening in the humid heat is a mixture of oil and sweat, and that sticky mixture attracts dirt, as well as breeds bacteria, the perfect conditions for a pimple. The clear bumps on my forehead are undoubtedly produced by clogged pores from the over-production of oil and sweat. As for along my jaw? I'm a serial face toucher. I rest my chin on my hand at work, and wipe at my mouth to make sure it's clean... all that touching is adding dirt and bacteria from my hands, which mixes with the already too much oil on my face. The result? Classic pimples!

Survival Tips:

Listed below are various coping skills to banish the dirt and oil, and keep your skin clean, happy, and blemish free during the worst of any heatwave.

Keep It Clean

During the stickiest of weather, you're going to have to keep your skin as clean as possible. The once-a-day face scrub and wash you're used to in cooler weather is probably going to have to go to the wayside. During this heat I've taken to washing my face a total of three times a day, when I wake up, when I get home from work, and before I go to bed. It's a big effort, but you do what you have to do to keep skin happy. I've also switched up my face wash to a more acne-targeted wash, to help combat the excess bacteria.

Fight Off Oil

A good toner is always your friend, but during the heat, and generally just the summer months, try reaching for one with benzoyl peroxide, or salicylic acid, two key acne-fighting ingredients. If a toner isn't in your grasp, try to find a face wash with one of these ingredients in it. They target oil production, and help to calm the glands into producing less oil during these sweltering days. 

Also, throughout the day be sure to blot your face with oil blotting wipes, or even tissue. These products wick away oil by absorbing it, and leave your face refreshed in times where a quick wash isn't possible. Oil blotting wipes can be bought at any drugstore or makeup store, however, the commonly used one ply tissue paper found in most public restrooms also work quite well in a pinch! If you forgo makeup, try keeping face cleansing towlettes in your purse to give yourself a refresh when you feel yourself getting sticky. Natural baby wipes work as well if you skin isn't sensitive, and they often come in bulk for a lot cheaper!

Dial Back on Makeup

Its common to take a break from full faced makeup during the summer, but during high humidity, its best to try to cut out anything unnecessary. During the heat, I wear little to no foundation, and barely any concealer, except on truly troublesome spots. I figure, my skin is already working so hard, and covered in sweat and oil already, I really don't want to mix anything else in the mixture, at least until you get everything under control. If you absolutely have to wear more than just minimum makeup, and are trying to avoid a meltdown, follow these tips:

• Reach for a good mattefying primer, the key to fighting off oil is to provide a good base. Matte primers help to fight off the oil, smooth over pores and bumps, and gives your foundation something to really stick to. Also, during the heat, it helps prevent the creasing and melting that can sometimes happen with foundation alone.
• Try to find foundations that are water based. Water based foundations do not add excess oil to the skin, and also helps quench skin's thirst during the heat. Anything with matte coverage is your friend.
• Powder foundations are also a good option during a heatwave. They provide some coverage while helping to absorb any moisture and give a matte effect.

Hands Off!

Try to be mindful about not touching your face, especially if you feel sweaty and oily. The dirt and bacteria from your hands will mix with what is already sitting on your skin, and provide even more of a mixture for breakouts.

All of these tips should help keep your skin clear during the sticky months. As always, during any heatwave, its important to try to keep cool and of course keep hydrated! It's important to nourish skin from the inside out, and during any amount of heat, keeping yourself hydrated is a step you never want to forget.

Want to try some of my tips for clear skin during the humidity? Click the links below to find summer-lovin products I can't live without!

Bioré Blemish Fighting Astringent

Bioré Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser

Elf Makeup Setting Spray

Elf HD Setting Powder

xoxo - Court