Beat the heat
| Beat the heat | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| With skin savers, frizz-free hair and melt-proof make-up, you can enjoy the sun without the burn | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
But let's face it, we live in the tropics. Short of turning ourselves into hermits, there is just no way of escaping the sun. Summer in Singapore is all year round, and it gets hotter in the middle of the year. But you can take it all in your stride. We've summed up the golden rules for every tropical babe to live by: - For skin, moisturise, moisturise, moisturise. - For complexion, load up on protection when you go outdoors. - For hair, work with your natural texture, don't fight it. - For make-up, pare down to basics - less gunk to clean up and less to touch up. Urban brings you the beauty essentials and cheat tricks from the experts to conquer the hot weather.
SUN DAYS Unless you're set on being cooped up indoors until night falls, there's no escaping the sun.Dr David Orientreich, American skincare brand Clinique's guiding dermatologist, says: 'The sun accounts for approximately 90 per cent of our aged appearance, and only 10 per cent is due to the actual number of years we've lived.' So minimising your daily dose of incidental sun exposure would help you reduce the largest cause of ageing. Dr J.J. Chua, a plastic surgeon in private practice from Mount Elizabeth Hospital, says he sees an increase of at least 10 per cent more patients each year with premature ageing due to harmful UV rays. While it's true that you need vitamin D for healthy bones, he says you need only a little sun exposure to get your daily dose. He says: 'Just sitting by the window for a few minutes is enough. Vitamin D can also be found in many dairy products and eggs. This fat-soluble vitamin can be accumulated so there's no need for a daily dose too, unlike vitamin C.' The only safe way to tan, he stresses, is a fake one - produced with bronzing make-up, self- tanners or tanning mists. How real it looks, says freelance make-up artist Lynette Leong, depends on the formula. She recommends using powder bronzers on the face as it tends to look less blotchy than cream ones. Another tip: Go for golden brown shades as these flatter Asian skin more with their yellow pigments.
- Schedule outdoor sports before 9am and after 5pm. UV rays are at work even on a cloudy day. - Wear hats and sunglasses and use umbrellas, which offer more protection than sun blocks. Look for sunglasses with UV coating, not just dark lenses. - Reapply sun block every four hours. If you’re beach- or pool-side, do it every two hours or every time you come out of the water. - Use sunscreens of at least SPF30 (indicative of UVB protection) and PA+++ (indicative of UVA buffer).
REHYDRATE, REBALANCE The sun is out and so are the zits. Heat and humidity guarantee that oil glands on your face shift into high gear - the perfect environment for bacterial growth, clogged pores and unsightly pimples.One mistake people make is to wash their faces more often, says freelance facialist Cheryl Oh. 'They think by washing frequently, they're getting rid of the grease. But more often than not, it dries up the skin,' she says. She recommends cleansing the face no more than twice a day, and using blotting paper and oil-control products to keep faces grease-free in between. If you really must wash often, switch to a gentle moisturing cleanser formulated for sensitive skin as they are milder. Oil-control products are also a must-have. These usually have mattifying powders or mild astringents to squelch the grease. It's important not to let grease levels get out of hand as it could cause pores to swell up, making skin look coarser and prone to blackheads. She recommends using a gentle scrub to get rid of dead skin cells and dirt, so pores stay clean and small. Dr J.J. Chua, a plastic surgeon in private practice, also recommends the use of products with fruit acids, vitamin A derivatives and vitamin C to help keep pore sizes healthy and refined. Damage control Plastic surgeon J.J. Chua from Mount Elizabeth Hospital gives tips for sunburnt skin: - Take aspirin or a painkiller immediately - this will bring down the inflammation. - Use only soothing moisturisers. Forget intensive treatment products such as whitening masks or products with alpha hydroxy. 'It's like applying lemon to an open wound - it will smart,' he says.
KEYS TO TAMED LOCKS For great hair that beats the heat and humidity, work with your hair texture, not against it, says Dennis Seah, a freelance hairstylist from Mosche Grand at Grand Hyatt hotel.That means if you have straight hair, slick on a little leave-in conditioner and wear it loose and down. If you have curly hair, use a curl-enhancing product to give your locks more definition. Think Brooke Shields in Blue Lagoon or Daryl Hannah's cascading balmy waves in Splash. Eugene Ong, creative director of Urban Hair by Ginrich at The Heeren, says the fastest five-minute hair is to wear it up in a ponytail or loose chignon, or if it's short, just slick it back with styling lotion or gel. 'It's out of your face and off your shoulders, which will help you keep cool in the heat,' he says. Heat and humidity can wreak havoc on hair, says Seah. It's worse if you have naturally dry hair or if it's coloured. 'Your locks are in a more porous state and even more likely to kink,' he adds. So, just as you would moisturise dry skin, condition your dry hair too. Ong says that on top of your regular conditioner, use a leave-in conditioning product, especially on hair tips where drying-out is most obvious. 'You'll find that you spend less time trying to fix your hair, which gives you more play time in the sun,' he says. Running colour The sun, sea and chlorine water don't just dry out your hair, they also make your dye job fade faster. Chlorine turns brown or red tresses brassy, and leaves a green cast on dyed blonde or ash tones. Eugene Ong, director of Urban Hair by Ginrich, explains that sunlight oxidises the pigments in colour-treated hair, 'bleaching' its intensity. - Use shampoos and conditioners that are formulated for coloured hair. You can also look for hair products boosted with UV filters to fade-proof your dye job. - If you're taking a dip in the sea or pool, wet your hair first with fresh water. This is to soak the cuticle so it absorbs less salt or chlorine water. Next, coat your hair with a 50-cent-size amount of conditioner before diving in. - The minute you get out, rinse hair well to get rid of salt or chlorine. Gently squeeze all the water out, and apply more conditioner.
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