Give flushed skin a refreshing wake-up call with these cooling skincare goodies – they’ll help calm breakouts and reduce inflammation in the long run too.
Give flushed skin a refreshing wake-up call with these cooling skincare goodies – they’ll help calm breakouts and reduce inflammation in the long run too.
Hot weather doesn’t bode well for the skin. According to Dr Lim Kar Seng, medical director at The Dermatology Practice, it increases your body temperature and blood flow, which can lead to heat rash and hives, or worsen conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. This can also cause inflammation (blotchiness) and other skin woes such as breakouts and hyperpigmentation. To the rescue: skincare products that refresh and cool the skin, making it less prone to inflammation. Active ingredients in these products include cucumber, aloe, green tea and mint extracts. Point to note: products with menthol or peppermint can potentially irritate sensitive skin, so do a patch test first. Here, the ones we’re loving...
Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber Gel Mask, $81.
Cucumber, camomile, bilberry and aloe extracts make this a cooling treat that’s perfect for waking you up in the mornings or soothing sunburnt skin. I apply a generous layer after walking my dogs on a hot day, and any redness disappears within minutes. Tip: Keep it in the fridge to maximise its benefits.
Lancome Energie De Vie Nuit The Overnight Recovery Sleeping Mask, $95.
Try this overnight mask, which supposedly reduces the skin’s surface temperature by about 1.8 deg C and has a gel-cream texture that melts into the skin like butter on a hot pan. Plus, it makes dull complexions look plump and glowy in the morning. Better still, it doesn’t leave a tacky finish – great for side sleepers.
Allies of Skin Molecular Saviour Toner Mist, $69.
This rose-scented mist has an antievaporation formula (read: heavier water molecules) and feels more like a light spray-on serum than a toner. Apart from soothing rose water, aloe leaf juice and cucumber extract, this mist has colloidal silver, known for its antibacterial properties. Great for calming inflamed, acne-prone skin, a spritz or two immediately soothes sun-flushed cheeks. The glass bottle adds weight to your bag, but trust me, it’s worth it.
Origins Hit Refresh, $68.
Besides rehydrating the skin postshower, this cooling cream-gel body moisturiser has an invigorating blend of essential oils – wild mint, spearmint and eucalyptus – to help improve blood circulation, relieve muscle aches and increase alertness. I apply it on my calves as I tend to get stiff and achy legs from sitting at my desk all day.
Laneige Water Bank Gel Cream, $52.
The scorching Albanian desert heat has nothing on South Korean actress Song Hye Kyo’s flawless visage in popular K-drama Descendants of the Sun, and we hear it’s because the reformulated Water Bank Gel Cream is part of her daily routine. I love how it feels super cooling on the skin, and keeps my visage supple and hydrated.
Suu Balm, $19.90.
Made in Singapore, this steroid-free mentholated salve relieves itching caused by heat rash or skin conditions such as eczema. Menthol also supposedly helps other moisturising ingredients, such as ceramides, penetrate deeper into the skin, improving its barrier function and hydration. A light layer was enough to stop me from scratching a particularly stubborn patch of heat rash.
Moonshot Multi Protection UV Bouncer SPF50+/ PA+++, $53.
This sunscreen is made with spring water from Harrogate, England, and Korea's Jeju island, as well as soothing extracts of cucumber, rosemary leaf, green tea and aloe leaf. Bonus: the milky emulsion absorbs quickly into skin.
