Ways Around the Haze – Beauty Products That Will Improve Your Skin’s Health

If you feel like you’ve been sneezing a lot recently, like your nose is raw from excessive tissue rubbing every day and your throat so itchy you feel like you swallowed a bunch of ashtray leftovers, that means you’ve been hit by it too! Yep, haze season is upon us and your body knows it all too well. Chances are that if your body is reacting so negatively to the haze, so is your skin which is why we’re coming through with skincare recommendations to help your skin during the hazy days!

When the haze is around, it usually means that your face is more vulnerable and exposed to micro-sized pollutants in the air ie particles like soot, dust, and more nasty stuff. Let us walk you through a new and revised regime pack with skincare that will help your skin fight the haze more effectively.

Face Wash

Stay away from any facial scrubs that have exfoliants like seeds or beads in them for the moment. This is because abrasive cleansing techniques may cause your already vulnerable skin to be weaker and hence, lower its regenerative properties. Your pores will also be bigger and enlarged if excess exfoliating occurs and with all the gunk floating around in the air, you definitely want to avoid exposed enlarged pores! We recommend the Pure Prodew Cleansing Foam from Skin Inc as it not only removes makeup, first and excess sebum, it also strengthens the skin’s barrier function, leaving it better prepared for the pollutants in the air.

On that note, avoid washing your face with hot water as that opens up your pores too, leaving it more susceptive to pollutants.

Additional Power-Ups

Chances are your eyes are going to be sore and dry, especially if you’ve indulged in the sinful act of rubbing them (this causes wrinkles!) These irritants will affect the brightness and shine of your eyes, making them appear redder, more swollen and tired. When this happens, reach for some eye cream. This one from Skin Inc brightens any tired and puffy under-eyes and smooths out lines with Apple Stem Cell extract, Vitamins E and B7 and other botanical extracts. The Chlorella extract in it has anti-inflammatory properties that reduce skin irritation too.

Serums

When your skin is so often exposed to these pollutants, the overall health of it decreases and it takes a lot more to get over the everyday issues like hyperpigmentation. Give your skin cells a little boost by adding some (serums) into your everyday routine! We recommend serums from The Ordinary like the Niacinamide and Zinc serum because it reduces the appearance of skin blemishes and clears any congestion.

For extra effect, use a jade roller to really calm down irritated skin.

Sunscreen

Don’t be fooled by the seemingly cloudy days ahead! While it may look like the haze is momentarily blocking the sun, the haze particles are in fact trapping UV rays in the atmosphere. The UV rays are the most damaging to your skin because they actually damage the DNA of your skin cells.

Moisturizer

Another thing these haze particles do is increase the heat and humidity of the atmosphere around you as the gathering and congestion of pollutants prevent the air particles to be dispersed efficiently. When your skin feels that sticky and uncomfortable, the last thing on your mind is slathering cream on it. Stay away from the heavily formulated ones and instead, reach for some gel or water-based moisturizers that keep all the good stuff on your skin, while leaving you feeling refreshed. We love any moisturizers from Laneige – they are, after all, well known for their refreshing water-based products!

Diet

Lastly, you know what people say – you are what you eat. During this period, make sure to take care of your skin by taking care of your body! Omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties and these will help reduce the negative effects your eyes and skin feel during the hazy periods. You can get healthy and natural doses of these in foods like salmon and spinach.

If you can’t be fussed to research and slowly add different components into your meals, consider taking vitamins. Wellaholic’s Collagen Peptides are a rich source of hydroxyproline and they help to improve skin elasticity and hydration.

With these tips, you can walk out of your house with peace of mind! Don’t forget your N95 mask too!