3 Clear Skin Tips for Humid Weather

When you check the weather forecast and see there’s going to be high humidity, one thing becomes obvious: It’s no longer going to be a good day—at least not for your complexion. Humid weather can be an all-too-common contributing factor to oily skin and breakouts. When the temperature and humidity are at their highest, your skin is more likely to respond. We spoke with Dr. Rocio Rivera, head of scientific communications for L’Oréal Paris, who says, “When sweat, natural oils and dead cells on the top layer of your skin mix, pores can become clogged and cause breakouts.” While you can’t change the weather (although sometimes we wish you could) and there’s not much you can do to avoid humidity altogether, you can make a few tweaks to your regular skin care routine to encourage clear skin. Here’s a hint—it takes more than using any old facial cleanser you can find to keep skin in tip top shape, especially when it’s humid out. Dr. Rivera offers up three skin care tips to keep your complexion clear—despite the humidity—and we’re sharing all the details right here. 

Skin Care Tip #1: Use a Cleansing Tool

In a pinch, your hands are one of the best tools you have at your disposal. They can smooth on foundation, massage in moisturizer, and even apply face wash. But just as there are brushes and blenders you can also choose to apply makeup with, your hands aren’t your only option for getting clean. When it starts to get humid outside, you may want to pay particular attention to the alternatives and consider using a facial cleansing tool. Not only are cleansing tools often more hygienic, since you won’t risk any dirty fingers touching your face, but they can also provide a more efficient way to cleanse your skin’s surface. This is especially important since your skin can easily become congested with sweat, oil and dirt when the weather is humid.

Skin Care Tip #2: Choose a Facial Cleanser that Reduces the Look of Shine

The facial cleanser you adore when it’s oh-so-chilly out might not cut it on more humid days. While some days your skin might be better suited to a cleanser that hydrates and won’t strip your skin of natural oils, increased humidity means you’ll need to update your choice in cleanser. Rather than using a gentle cream facial cleanser or hydrating micellar water morning and night, reach for a mattifying clay facial cleanser once a day—you can still use your old favorite during your other cleansing session. It’s all about balance! Try the L’Oréal Paris Pure-Clay Purify & Mattify Cleanser, which goes beyond daily cleansing to deep clean and remove excess oil for skin that feels fresh. To use, squeeze some of the facial cleanser into your hands and add water to see it transform from clay to mousse. Gently massage onto your face in circular motions, then rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water and pat dry. Immediately, you’ll notice skin has a matte finish.

Skin Care Tip #3: Try a Peel Pad

Even after cleansing, your skin’s surface can still have build-up of residual dirt and oil. It’s nothing against your cleansing method, it just means you aren’t quite finished with that portion of your skin care routine. After cleansing, you can get rid of lingering buildup with a chemical exfoliating option. “Use a glycolic acid peel pad at night like the L'Oréal Paris RevitaLift Bright Reveal Brightening Peel Pads to produce brighter, clarified, and more radiant skin,” suggests Dr. Rivera. “Its multi-ply textured pads physically work to resurface dead skin cells to reveal more youthful-looking skin, that appears bright, luminous and lit-from-within.” This derm-inspired anti-wrinkle and brightening treatment is formulated with glycolic acid to gently yet effectively dissolve dead skin cells and reduce the visibility of wrinkles and fine lines with continued use over time. 

There may only be three humidity-fighting tips here, but remember, this isn’t your entire skin care routine! Don’t forget, you should always follow up cleansing or exfoliating with moisturizing. If you aren’t sure what to use, here’s Our Best Moisturizer for Ever Skin Type.