And how to make it work for you.

I have the good fortune of being born with oily-combination skin (Ha!). And to add to my luck, I live near the Equator with year-round humid climate. (It’s like the weather gods are making fun of me!)

For years, I’ve cursed the humidity for making my skin look like a greasy frying pan. Until one trip to Korea. In the office, all the women had mini humidifiers, and were ‘steaming’ their faces all day long! What the heck was going on?!

The answer: To keep skin hydrated and moist. Dry air = dry skin = wrinkles. Duh!

That’s when it occurred to me. I’m on the other side (the bad one) of my 30’s. And I don’t have a single fine line. THANK YOU HUMIDITY!!!!

All this time, I hated that wet, sweaty feeling on my face. I hated how quickly my pores got clogged. I hated the breakouts. And I still do. But instead of cursing my luck, I’ve learnt to use the humid weather to my advantage. Here’s how:

1. Use a cleansing tool in the morning.

I have a cute hot pink Foreo Luna Play. I just apply a smidge of my cleanser on it and massage it using tiny circles all over my face for 1 minute. It gives me a deep clean, and brushes away the dead skin cells that have collected on my skin over the course of the night. So less chances of my pores clogging up during the day.

2. Don’t try to ‘mattify’ your skin.

All my life, I’ve tried to make my skin look matte. But that’s the exact opposite of Korean skin – which is dewy and moist looking. And we all know that Koreans have the best skin in the world.

So while we are inspired by their skin, Koreans try to mimick a baby’s skin. That’s their ideal. Soft, unblemished, clear, glowing skin. Come to think about it, have you ever seen a baby with matte skin?

Matte skin is not really attractive. It’s kinda unnatural. So throw away the blotting papers, powders and oil-absorbing products. Why fight the inevitable? Instead, just show off that radiant, ‘damp’ finish, you naturally have.

3. Use a gel moisturizer to reduce the shine.

The last thing you want to do in humid weather is slather on moisturizer. But you must. Because if you don’t, your skin will get even more oily. That’s the cruel irony. So apply a pea-sized amount of a light, oil-free gel moisturizer every morning and night. And you’re good.

Stuff I ♥: Forest Essentials Light Hydrating Facial Gel Pure Rosewater is a lifesaver during humid weather. It cools and refreshes my skin (perfect for that sultry, balmy weather), gets absorbed immediately and is super light – you won’t even know it’s there. 

4. Double cleanse every night.

When it’s humid, your skin gets all greasy and grimy. So you need to clean thoroughly to make sure every single trace of oil, dirt, sweat has come off properly. Otherwise you are asking for trouble (aka breakouts)!

Double cleansing is amazing as it leaves skin super clean – but without the dryness. Never ever let your skin get squeaky clean and tight. It just signals to your oil glands to produce even more oil.

Remember that double cleansing should be gentle. This is how I do it.

First, I sweep a cotton pad soaked in micellar water all over my face – to remove all the sweat, dirt, sunscreen and makeup. Then, I use a gentle foaming cleanser to make sure there’s nothing left behind. My skin looks and feels amazing afterwards.

Stuff I ♥: Shu Uemura makes some of the best oil cleansers. They are light and do a fab job removing every trace of sunscreen and makeup (including the stubborn waterproof kind). Chanel Mousse Confort is my all time favourite face wash. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not that expensive and it lasts forever! Worth every penny I say. 

5. Try glycolic or salicylic acid to prevent breakouts.

Don’t get scared by the ‘acid’ word. These are super gentle. In fact, glycolic acid is derived from sugarcane, while salicylic acid comes from the bark of the willow tree. Not so bad after all, huh?

These gentle acids remove dead skin cells, loosen blackheads and unclog pores, so that breakouts don’t happen.

Stuff I ♥: Clinique Anti Blemish Solutions Clearing Gel has saved my skin on more occasions than I can count. I use it all over my face at night to prevent blemishes from occurring.