Home Sweet Humidity

You don't know what you've got until it's gone. I never would have thought that I would be saying that about Hawaii's humid climate, but I found myself wishing for it all the while I was in Vegas this past week.

Having been born and raised here in Hawaii, my skin is acclimated to the humid weather and the islands' soft water. Whenever I go to the mainland, my skin completely freaks out: dry, itchy and painful skin is the result. After a week of the dry climate and the hard water, my skin got progressively worse and now I'm trying to nurse it back to its former health while trying my best not to scratch it all off.

Does anyone have a remedy for this to prevent it -- or to treat it? I'm wondering if I'm the only one with this problem...

Comments

No, Donna, you're not. On my annual vacation to California I always end up having extremely dry skin for the first week or so of being there. At least my hair becomes tame-able in the drier environment. All I usually do is put Keri Lotion on my skin and wait it out until I get back to the islands.

Vivi, my hair was beautiful in Vegas, too! :) It was straight and manageable, like you said. No frizzies!

Mainland weather + water = good for hair, but bad for skin.

You mean I can't have my cake and eat it, too!?

I've been using Vaseline Intensive Care lotion and Lanacane which seems to be helping slightly. I need instant relief, it's not working fast enough! Maybe Keri is more effective? We'll see...

After I came back from spending two semesters in New York City, I developed intertrigo, or skin rashes in body folds.

Something happened while I was living on the Mainland that my skin couldn't handle when I returned to Hawai´i. If it were something in the New York City air, I'm sure rashes would have been the least of it! Triamcinolone is my best friend.

Diety only knows what will happen to me if I move back to Hawai´i after spending five years here on the Mainland.

Your body does become acclimated to the weather on the mainland after living here a couple of years. However you still need to use some kind of lotion. My choice is Lubriderm.

I have to second the the motion that hair is awesome on the mainland. I know that when I go home to visit, I have to most awful hair. I guess that's the part of me that is Okinawan.

And if you can, use a salt or sugar Body Scrub (Origins, Bath & Body Shop, Fresh)to exfoliate the layer of dried skin off. In Hawaii, our skin flakes off less noticeably because of the humidy, but it's actually something which needs to be done regardless.

So while in dry climates, it's better to help slough it off, not take too hot of a shower (the hot water dries out your skin), and immediately lube up when you exit your bath.

I know there's a slew of lotion products out there, but find one that moisturizes AND has a protective barrier.

For lips? Prada's lip balm...ALL THE WAY!!!

My skin also tends to freak out when I'm traveling, too, but in my case I think it's also because of the places I go to - the Philippines, for one, is much more humid and suffers from way much more pollution than Hawaii, which is why I get rashes and breakouts when I'm there. In contrast, when my folks took me along to Israel two years ago, I was rash free yet still dry-skinned - but my hair behaved well and even got some highlights from being bleached in the harsh desert sun.

Totally second the body scrub, especially with this crazy (humid/rainy) weather we keep having lately. ;) I've used Origins for a while (Ginger Salt Scrub for the body, Never A Dull Moment - with papaya and mango - for the face) and I have yet to be disappointed - I even use it on my feet so they won't look too cracked! If your skin's a little more sensitive you may want to try a less harsh scrub, or even an exfoliating lotion.

And, yes, post-shower moisturization does work: I've been alternating between Body Shop Nut Butter (rich, creamy, yummy) and Jergens Skin Smoothing Body Lotion (lighter, faster acting, with alpha and beta hydroxy acids - cheap but so worth it), both with soft, desirable results. Keri and Vaseline also have alpha-hydroxy formulas, and Neutrogena has one for especially dry and itchy skin.

I've noticed that I've gotten addicted to lip balm ever since I started living here - one of my first purchases from Neiman Marcus was not one, but TWO tubes and a pot of Kiehl's #1 Balm, which really does a good job of keeping lips soft. I have yet to try the Prada balm, but I've heard that it's faster acting and less greasy than my beloved Kiehl's... which now means I'll have to have it, heh heh! ;)

Stella, I became so addicted to my Prada lip balm that I purchased the tinted version too! So worth the $$, and it comes in 30 cute little tubes so you can carry them everywhere; One in your pocket, one in your purse, one in the car, one in hubby's pocket...You get the idea. I also have the kiehls and it's quite messy on my smacker.

In addition, I use the Fresh Sugar Body scrub, but more so, the Fresh Sugar FACE SCRUB. They are sooo yummy that I HAD to taste it (not recommended). :)

One wonders why my sister isn't a makeup distributor... ;)

Oy, all that stuff from Fresh is dangerously addictive. (Last count of Fresh stuff in my possession: Cranberry lip balm, Lemon Bath lotion, two lipsticks and a Milk Chocolate soap.) I saw a picture of that Brown Sugar Face Polish and Rice Bran Face Scrub in Allure and it looked plenty yummy (though none too edible). As soon as I run out of my Origins stuff I'll give it a try.

(Aiiieeee! And I thought I'd cured my makeup addiction already...)

Aiiieee is right! Just when I think I'm maxed out and could possibly not find another thing to buy, I discover some new line that has yet to be chartered. Crap!

I am sooo overly protected with my Fresh soaps that hubby has his own generic bar in the shower and knows he's not allowed to touch mine. I think this is learned behavior from my mother. After all, why should we forgo our luxuries for the sake of men!?

Post a Comment