I grew up in a very hot country. I was a sun worshipper from an early age, lying out in the sun every day with nothing to protect me except cooking oil, baby oil, or Brylcreem.
It is regularly in the 40s during summer. Dry scorching heat that sizzles on your skin when you are in the sun and burns your throat and lungs when you breath. Heatstroke and sunstroke are common if you don’t take in enough liquids. When you suddenly stop sweating because there is no liquid left in your body, then you know it’s not good….
Now I live in a country of extremes. It can be -26°C in Stockholm during winter and 35°C in summer.
I find the cold is much harder on my skin than the heat. The cold outside chaps and my lips, nose and cheeks and dries my skin out, and I get windburn all over my face. When you go inside it is warm but central heating dries you out like a raisin, even when you humidify.
Heat has another effect on my skin though. Normally my skin is pretty well behaved. A regular combination skin – normal to slightly dry on my cheeks to slightly oily in my T-zone. The summer heat and humidity in Stockholm makes my skin oily, shiny and using my regular skincare products gives me spots.
What I do is
- Use lighter versions of all my products
- Change cream cleansers and moisturisers for gels
- Use facial wash rather than wipe-off cleanser in the evenings
- Change my regular moisturising toner for Clinique Clarifying Lotion 4. This stuff is da bomb when my skin is misbehaving. It’s the only thing that works
- Use Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturing Lotion of Gel as a moisturiser (usually it is too light for me)
- Carry mild perfume-free baby wipes/facial cleansing wipes or a tiny bottle of Micellar water, and a sample-sized moisturiser in my bag to remove oil and grime during the day. I then re-moisturise afterwards. If you have sensitive skin and don’t want to strip it or irritate it by cleansing during the day, Micellar water is very gentle.
- Keep my toner in the fridge
- Use a facial spray like Caudalie Eau de Beauté
- If my skin gets too oily I skip moisturiser at night