[By Collette Kang]
Just like how every other person living in a temperate climate with changing seasons love the warmer months of summer, growing up in the tropics make me crave for days with dipping temperature. There’s nothing quite like slurping down a steaming bowl of hot ramen in a side street of Sapporo in mid-January; or sashaying down the Left Bank in Paris wrapped in my Saint Laurent poncho paired with some Balenciaga over the knee killer boots. What better way to do so but to book myself a nice long cross- continental winter vacation? Bliss.
However, one of the greatest drawbacks to a winter vacay (next to sweating under skin-tight leather pants) got to be the havoc it can cause to my skin.“During the winter months, the cold, windy weather and central heating tend to dry up, making it dull, lackluster and blotchy.” Says Dr. Toby Hui, senior medical consultant with the SW1 Clinic (formerly from The Sloane Clinic). “To further worsen matters, the accumulation of dry, flaky skin cells can result in clogged pores that lead to “winter acne”, causing those with normally blemish-free skin to breakout as the temperature plunges.”
But all is not lost as winter skin can be easily treated and prevented by making some tweaks to your daily beauty regime. These little changes can make a huge difference to the skin and help you get through your holiday without suffering from embarrassing spots that threaten to cull your Instagram followers. Allow your skin to find its natural balance from ground zero to destination and back, remaining as flawless as freshly fallen snow from ‘hello’ to ‘au revoir’ on your winter vacay.
Keep yourself well hydrated
Keep yourself well hydratedThere’s a lot of walking to be done on a winter vacay and many of us find it hard to remember to drink enough water either because you are not sweating and thirsty or hate peeling off layers of winter garb to take a pee. However, keeping your system well hydrated is pertinent as the drop in outdoors humidity combine with the advent use of indoors heating system result in a much drier situation that tend to dehydrate your skin. Studies have shown that dehydration can trigger off changes in the oil glands, throwing sebum production off control and leading to acne flares or breakouts. When skin is hydrated, plump, and elastic, its protective barrier is not compromised and therefore one is less likely to experience skin irritation and blemishes. You can also opt for warm lemon water, honey or organic herbal tea infusions to soothe your system and help flush out toxins, making sure you maintain great, healthy skin to nail a selfie worthy of a thousand hashtags (and Likes).
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Switch to a cream cleanser
Switch to a cream cleanserA gel cleanser might work just fine for you in the tropics to keep shine and sebum production in check, but when the humidity dips, it’s time to switch that out to a creamy cleanser that doesn’t strip your face of essential oil, and this might just be all that is required to keep those pesky winter acne at bay.The SW1 WARM VANILLA Rose Vanilla Cleanser caresses your skin with a warm silky texture, a light foaming cleanser which gently lifts away dirt, makeup, and other impurities without striping the skin’s essential lipids needed to stay balanced and hydrated when the air is cold and dry. With a potent blend of French sea waters, botanical extracts, gentle seaweed and sugar based exfoliants, WARM VANILLA provides thorough cleansing both day and night while maintaining the integrity of the skin, perfect for all skin types including sensitive ones fighting to keep ‘em clean and flawless despite the drastic changes in environmental conditions during a winter vacay.
Mist away your wintry blues
Mist away your wintry bluesDuring your winter vacay, central heating and an arid climate with a lack of humidity in the air can contribute to the lack of moisture in your skin. One of the best ways to beat the dehydrating effects of artificial heat to help keep dry skin and winter blemishes at bay is with facial mists, offering a quick, refreshing burst of skin retreat with just a spritz or two. Standing out from the wide array of facial mists available is
CHAI RESET Rejuvenating Facial Mist, a multitasking tonic that instantly brightens, hydrates, and purifies the look of your skin while maximizing the efficacy of your moisturizers and serums. A doctor-inspired, medical grade product developed with the collaboration of plastic surgeons, RESET combines a skin-brightening booster, a potent anti-aging treatment essence and a skin-softening micellar water complex. Gentle microscopic oil molecules also known as micelles dissolve away surface impurities without stripping down skin, keeping your complexion clear and fresh notwithstanding the wintry blues. Not just your ordinary facial mist with a singular function, RESETdoubles up as a non-foaming facial cleanser to save on precious space on your travel kit, with micelles effectively lifting and dissolving away unwanted grime including residual makeup while keeping the protective good stuff on your skin intact…, like totally.
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Get your moisturizer right
Get your moisturizer rightYour skin definitely needs extra hydration in the colder climate of a winter vacay, so make sure you bring along a good moisturizer that gives your skin the much needed boost of nourishment and protection.
The SW1 SKIN DRINK Softening & Replenishing Serum is an all-rounder moisturizer that packs an exceptional oomph, a 100% natural, preservative-free serum harnessed from pure naturally-sourced olives that soothes and protects against harsh wintry elements. Olive oil can nourish, hydrate and rejuvenate, protecting skin with its abundant stores of vitamin E, vitamin A, polyphenols and phytosterols. Unlike most oils which can clog pores and lead to comedones formation or acne breakout, olive oil penetrates deeply into the skin without creating any blockages. SKIN DRINK not only saturates skin with intense hydration but also protects it from free radicals and repairs initial signs of ageing, working in overdrive while you relax on your winter break. Delivering vitamins and essential minerals to boost dullness to a healthy glow with its remarkable moisturizing properties and yet remains defiantly non-comedogenic and hypoallergenic, SKIN DRINK deftly balances skin’s pH as a must-have for instagrammable holiday snaps from beginning to end.
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A reason to scrub for every season
A reason to scrub for every seasonIf past experience sound off alarm that you’re prone to unsightly spots in winter, it is good to exfoliate once or twice weekly even when bikinis and sundresses are traded in for chunky knits and fur-lined parkas. Dead skin automatically clogs up you pores such that oil and dirt get stuck underneath the surface of skin, sowing the seeds of evil to a “winter acne wonderland”. By not letting up on exfoliating regularly, you are helping your pores stay clear, minimizing the chance of uninvited skin blemishes that’ll jeopardize your holiday mood.
Pave your way for immaculate holiday skin with CHAI CRYSTAL HEALING Oxygenating Facial Scrub, an exfoliator extraordinaire aimed to uncover your skin’s true inner brilliance, as dazzling as the midnight sun. A dual-phasic mask+scrub combo gets twice the work done at half the time required, CRYSTAL HEALING exfoliates and moisturizes concurrently to improve your skin texture in a jiffy. Harnessing the cell renewal power from champagne extracts which uses active polyphenols with protective and antioxidant properties together with trace elements extracted from grapes, it magically transforms into a fine crystal scrub for effective exfoliation. Micro-ionized pearls stimulate microcirculation at the same time, with a special oxygen-releasing formulation giving complexions a much needed O2 boost for enhanced radiance. Prepped skin to a fresher and silky smooth finish, leaving no chance for a winter vacation sabotaged.