Most people have two groups of skincare products, one for summer, and the other for winter but what about the rainy season? As the climate changes so does your skin, and If you live in an area with a distinct rainy season you should know how to protect your skin during those times. Learn how to maintain fresh skin.

Maintain that glow, even while it rains

Maintaining your skin’s moisture levels is very important during the rainy season. Although there is an abundance of moisture in the air, evaporation will occur and suck the life out of your skin. Hydration is a key component to a youthful glow but there are a few other contributing factors.

Exfoliate regularly

No matter if you exfoliate witha scrub or a chemical, you should be sure it is occuring regularly. Exfoliation removes dead and dry skin cells, which allows new skin to rise to the surface. An excessive amount of dead skin cells can clog your pores and cause complications such as:

• Acne
• Blackheads
• Whiteheads
• Skin irritations
• Bacterial infections

Scrubbing away dead skin could elmininate so many other issues. In fact, it is necessary to maintain healthy skin for a lifetime and not only during the rainy season. Additional benefits of exfoliation include:

• Diminished fine lines and wrinkles
• Decreased hyperpigmentation
• Brighter, more even skin
• A smoother skin texture
• The ability to get a closer shave
• Improved cell turnover rate
• An increase in firmness and elasticity

You should ditch the heavy cream

Exfoliating also ensures only live skin cells are receivingmoisture so hydration is easier to maintain. As I stated earlier, thoroughly hydrating your skin is key to maintain healthy skin during the rainy season so it is important to know to get there.

First, you must understand thedifference between moisture and hydration. The amount of hydration in your skin in measured by how much water it contains, where you get the water is considered your “moisturizer”.

The type of moisturizer you should use depends on your skin type. The dryer your skin is, the more moisture it needs. This isn’t the green light to cover your skin in heavy cream, in fact that is the last thing you want to do. Most heavy creams can only provide topical moisture, and true hydration begins on the inside. Try using a hydrating serum, oil, or milk, since they are built with a smaller molecular structure they can penetrate the skin very easily. Think about trying to spread a heavy cream over the holes in a kicthen strainer, now imagine pouring in an oil; Since the oil is thinner it can pass right through the holes in the strainer.

If you like the feel of a cream but want to maintain proper hydration, be sure the first ingredient in your product is water. The first ingredient listed on a product makes up most of its formula. Avoid products with beeswax, mineral oil, and petroleum jelly, they are too thick to wear during the rainy season.

Rain creates a bacteria breeding house, you want to avoid skin infections during the rainy season

The first rainfall of the season may be refreshing, but it may also be the most dangerous time to expose your skin to the environment. No matter where you live, the air is full of pollutants. When it rains pollutants are being washed away so the rainwater is often full of contamination.

You should never skip cleansing

As you already know, when bacteria harbors in water they flourish, which is why you should make certain your skin is clean. Splashing your face with a little warm water won’t eliminate bacteria, so invest in a cleanser. Be sure your cleanser isn’t loaded with sulfates, sulfates can strip the skin of its natural oils and further contribute to dehydration. Oils and cleansing milks are great to help maintain your skin during the rainy season.

Toner helps maintain skin in rainy weather

Toner

Do you use toner? If not you aren’t the only one. Toner is one step that is often neglected in tons of beauty routines. Most people skip toning because they aren’t sure what it does. Your skin has pH level of 5.5 which makes it slightly acidic. In order to maintain healthy skin, you want to use products that will not shift your skin’s pH.

Depending on the ingredients used, all skincare products are either acidic or alkaline. Toner is used directly after cleanser because cleansers are highly acidic. Splashing a little toner on your face will help eliminate that excess acidity and skin will return to its normal pH.

Keep your skin dry

Since more bacteria is present during the rainy season, it is important to keep your skin dry. This doesn’t mean skipping moisturizer, it simply means not allowing water to sit on your skin. After you shower be sure to pat your face dry before applying products. Also, if you have to walk in the rain be sure to remove any rainwater that ends up on the skin.

I hope you’re still using sunscreen

Although the sun may not shine as bright as you’d like when it rains, it is still necessary to use sunscreen. The sun’s ultraviolet rays have the power to penetrate clouds, so even if you don’t see the sun, you could still feel the wrath of its rays. Wearing sunscreen during the rainy season will protect your skin from ageing. UVA rays are responsible for snagging the skin’s collagen and elastin and causing wrinkles to develop. Some sunscreens include antioxidant protection which is important because there are tons of free radicals floating through the air during the rainy season.

The rain affects you according to your skin type, here are a few specifics:

Oily skin- Those with oily skin should be sure their skin isn’t full of excess oil. Too much oil can clog the pores and sometimes cause acne, heads or whiteheads. Try cleansing more than once per day and use warm water to guarantee all oilis removed.

Dry skin- If you have dry skin your goal is to keep your skin hydrated. Drink more water and replace your products with ones that have moisturizing ingredients. Essential oils can be used for both cleansing and hydrating, so try adding one to your routine.

Acneic skin– Be sure to keep your skin clean or acne will only get worse. Rainy season brings about a plethora of bacteria, so be sure your skin isn’t contaminated!