Haze & Your Skin: 6 Simple Ways to Help Stressed Skin

By Dr Isabelle Yeoh

You may notice more dryness, sensitivity, itching, redness, congestion or pimples. Skin may also look more dull and tired than usual.

Research suggests that particulate air pollution can increase oxidative stress and inflammation in the skin and affect normal skin-barrier function.

Add Singapore’s heat and humidity, sweat, sunscreen, makeup and long hours in air-conditioning, and skin can start to feel rather stressed.

The solution isn’t necessarily to cleanse, scrub or exfoliate more. When skin is stressed, gentler care is usually better.

Here are six simple things you can do.

1. Cleanse Well — But Don’t Over-Cleanse

At the end of the day, gently remove sunscreen, makeup, sweat, excess oil and environmental buildup.

If you have spent prolonged periods outdoors during the haze, it is also a good idea to shower and change out of exposed clothing when you get home. Gently cleanse your face rather than trying to scrub the pollution away.

If you wear makeup or heavier sunscreen, a gentle double cleanse may be useful.

What we don’t recommend is repeatedly washing your face, using harsh scrubs or trying to get your skin “squeaky clean”. Over-cleansing can strip away some of the lipids that help maintain the skin barrier.

If your face feels tight and dry immediately after cleansing, your cleanser or cleansing routine may be too strong.

2. Give Your Skin More Hydration

When the skin barrier is compromised, it may lose moisture more easily.

Look for gentle hydrating products and a moisturiser appropriate for your skin type. Oily or acne-prone skin may prefer a lighter texture, while dry or mature skin may need something more nourishing.

If you spend most of the day in air-conditioning, you may find that your skin needs a little more moisturiser than usual during hazy periods.

If your skin is feeling very dry or uncomfortable, applying moisturiser while the skin is still slightly damp can also help retain moisture.

You don’t necessarily need more products. Sometimes you simply need the right ones.

3. Lighten Up on Exfoliation

If your skin is red, itchy, peeling, burning or unusually sensitive, this is not the time for an intensive scrub or peel.

You may need to temporarily stop strong acids, exfoliating pads, high-strength retinoids and other potentially irritating actives.

Once your skin settles, they can gradually introduced again according to your skin’s tolerance.

4. Don’t Forget Sunscreen

Even though the sky may look grey, ultraviolet radiation is still present.

There is also growing evidence that UV radiation and air pollution may interact in contributing to oxidative stress, pigmentation and skin ageing.

Continue using sunscreen every morning, especially if you are prone to melasma, post-acne marks or pigmentation after inflammation.

Reapply when appropriate if you are spending prolonged periods outdoors, perspiring heavily or frequently wiping your face.

For a complete haze skincare routine: See our Forest MD guide to cleansing, hydrating, strengthening and protecting your skin during hazy periods.

5. Choose Your Facial According to How Your Skin Feels

If your usual skincare routine isn’t enough, a facial can be a useful extra step.

If your skin is looking dull, tired, dehydrated or congested, we usually choose gentler treatments that hydrate and refresh the skin rather than aggressive exfoliation.

Why Oxygen?

Oxygen has been part of our facials for many years and remains one of our go-to treatments for hydration and brightening.

There’s nothing like a good dose of oxygen to hydrate dry, tired skin and leave it looking fresh, peppy and radiant.

Depending on what your skin needs, we use it in three different ways:

• Oxygen Intraceutical Facial — 60 mins
  Our original and simplest oxygen facial, focusing on oxygen infusion with hydrating serums. A good choice when the main priority is hydration and refreshing dry, tired or dull-looking skin.

• Ultimate OxyGlow Facial — 90 mins
  We created this by combining oxygen with our Vitamin Booster nutrient infusion after noticing how healthy and radiant skin looked when the two were used together. A good option when skin needs additional nourishment as well as hydration.

• Signature Glow Facial — 90 mins
  Created when our clients asked us to incorporate facial massage into our treatments. It combines oxygen with ultrasonic cleansing, acupressure massage and LED for hydration, circulation, radiance — and a little pampering too.

The facials may be adjusted according to how your skin is behaving on the day. If it is oily and congested, we may place more emphasis on gentle cleansing and careful extraction. If it is dry or sensitive, the focus shifts towards soothing hydration and barrier support.

And if your skin is actively inflamed, sometimes it is best to leave it alone rather than do more.

6. Give Your Skin Time to Recover

Skin doesn’t need to look perfect every day.

A few days of environmental stress, poor sleep, air-conditioning and haze can leave it looking less fresh than usual. This doesn’t necessarily mean you need to add more treatments or products.

Go back to basics: cleanse, hydrate, moisturise, protect and rest.

Good sleep, adequate hydration and a balanced diet support your general wellbeing too.

Give your skin a few days to recover. Sometimes, doing less is better.

When Should You See a Doctor?

If you develop persistent or worsening redness, swelling, severe itching, burning, crusting or weeping skin, or an eczema or rosacea flare that is not settling, it is better to have your skin assessed rather than simply adding more skincare or treatments.

And if haze exposure causes significant breathlessness, wheezing, chest pain or worsening asthma or other respiratory symptoms, seek medical attention promptly.

Check the Haze Before Heading Out

Before planning prolonged or strenuous outdoor activities, check Singapore’s latest 1-hour PM2.5 readings and 24-hour PSI forecast.

The 1-hour PM2.5 reading gives a more immediate indication of current air quality, while the 24-hour PSI and forecast can help you plan ahead.

For current readings and health advice, visit the National Environment Agency (NEA) and HealthHub Singapore.

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