Erratic weather is back to wreak havoc on our skin, so I took action early and protected mine with this clean skincare from Korea

In case you haven’t noticed, the weather has been nothing short of erratic in the last few months. Some weeks, you get little to no rain on most days. Then, there are days when you get hot sunny mornings followed by torrential rain in the evening.

It doesn’t help that hotspots in neighbouring countries have been spotted and a small degree of smoke and debris is starting to make its way to our city. Coupled with existing air pollution on our island, it only spells nothing but trouble for our skin.

While most of us are aware of the lifestyle dos and don’ts when faced with erratic weather and haze, the side effects on the skin might not be as apparent since your skin may not cry out in discomfort immediately.

What kind of havoc exactly, you ask? Here are four ways weather changes and air pollution can be damaging to our skin.

1. Temperature fluctuation causes water deficit in your skin

When it comes to environmental factors, the sun can definitely draw water out of the skin, leaving it itchy, flaky, and irritated. It also doesn’t help that we are constantly going in and out between the sunny outdoors and air-conditioned indoors, which can leave our skin more dehydrated than it already is.

Staying out of the sun and covering up would be the best way to protect yourself from damaging sun rays as well as shielding your skin from the dehydrating weather element.

2. Air pollutants can cause inflammatory skin conditions and trigger premature skin ageing

Long-term exposure to air pollutants has been linked to various health diseases and even hair loss, but it’s also plaguing us with major skin ailments such as rashes, itchiness, redness, and breakouts.

This is especially true for us urbanites living in a city, where there is a high level of air pollutants such as soot, dust particles, carbon dioxide as well as other toxic gases present in the atmosphere, which can adversely affect our skin.

While the skin discomfort we mentioned above may be short-term and can be resolved using the right skincare, there are long-term implications for our skin too.

The abundance of air pollutants can actually cause free radical damage, a major contributor to premature skin ageing. What these pollutants do is that they obstruct oxygen supply to the skin, leading to loss of elasticity and the formation of wrinkles.

Those who have mature skin may even be more susceptible to the damaging effects of haze pollutants as the skin doesn’t possess a good ability to combat free radicals anymore.

3. UV rays are just as strong on cloudy days

Think the blanket of thick grey clouds has blocked out some of the sun’s UV rays? Think again. Just like a clear sunny day, the UV rays are just as strong on cloudy days – you just don’t see it with the naked eye.

So, it’s crucial not to skimp on your sunscreen regardless of the weather if you want to minimise sun damage on your skin.

4. Air pollution may reduce your immunity

The skin is the largest organ of the body and its health is closely related to your general well-being. Just like how a healthy diet can help to keep your heart and other parts of your body healthy, your skin also requires certain nutrients to keep it healthy.

On hazy days, you not only breathe in air pollutants through the nose but your skin also absorbs the toxic gases and minute particles. It also goes without saying that the air pollutants and toxic gases found in the haze can easily get to kids, the elderly, and people in poor health.

To keep your general health and skin immunity in check, maintaining a balanced diet rich in vitamins, minerals, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants is the best way to go.

How I protected my skin early from unpredictable weather conditions with a clean Korean beauty brand

Upon observing the erratic weather these days, I decided to take action early to prevent my skin from suffering the side effects that the temperature fluctuation and haze can bring by staying indoors as much as I can and keeping the doors and windows closed while having the air purifier switched on for most of the day. I also started using an alcohol-free makeup remover before cleansing with my face wash to get rid of surface grime.

When a new clean Korean beauty brand called Rovectin sent over its Aqua Enriched system for me to review, I saw it as an opportunity to further step up my skincare routine and see if it could help keep air pollutants from affecting my skin.

Designed to impart maximum hydration, the Rovectin Aqua Enriched series – which consists of Conditioning Cleanser, Activating Treatment Lotion, Aqua Activating Serum, and Dr. Mask Aqua – contains not one but seven different types of hyaluronic acid to hydrate and soothe dry, damaged skin from the surface to the innermost layer while acting as a moisture barrier.

By providing instant hydrating and soothing benefits, the skincare range is able to keep skin moisturised all day long while reducing dryness, flakiness, and fine lines on the skin.

Apart from being a cruelty-free and vegan-friendly collection, the Aqua Enriched series is also gentle enough for sensitive skin as it’s completely free from parabens, artificial colourants and fragrance, mineral oils, and steroids.

Read on to find out what I think of the range after trialling it for two weeks.

Rovectin Aqua Enriched skincare review: First impressions

After swapping my entire skincare routine out for the Rovectin Aqua Enriched series, I’d cleanse my face every night with the Conditioning Cleanser after removing surface dirt and grime with an alcohol-free makeup remover.

The Conditioning Cleanser does not contain artificial fragrance, but I noticed a light, pleasant coconut scent which I later found out came from a natural coconut oil derivative. The gel cleanser is slightly runnier than what I’m used to, but to my surprise, it lathered up really well and fast upon contact with water.

I especially love how it gently cleanses without leaving my skin feeling taut or too ‘squeaky clean’ – that’s how I know my skin’s natural oils are still intact, and I won’t have to worry about it feeling dehydrated after cleansing.

DV tip: You may also want to consider putting your facial exfoliators on hold, especially the abrasive formulas that contain microbeads. That’s because over-scrubbing skin’s surface can potentially further enlarge your pores and disrupt the skin’s ability to heal.

After cleansing, I followed up with the Activating Treatment Lotion, which is a hydrating essence toner that comes in a slightly thicker texture compared to conventional skin toners. I used it by soaking a cotton pad with the formula before swiping it all across my face. Keep reading to find out what I think about this bestselling product!

Next, I applied the Aqua Activating Serum, a hypoallergenic formula that’s chock full of hyaluronic acid and vitamin E to offer intense long-lasting hydration while minimising the appearance of fine lines and improving uneven skin tone.

While it’s packed with nutrients that my skin desperately needs, the moisturising serum didn’t feel heavy on the skin at all. In fact, it’s super lightweight, glides onto the skin really well, and gets absorbed easily by my parched skin, so I encountered no issues using it before my moisturiser and sunscreen during the day. My skin also didn’t feel suffocated during the day when I have to wear a mask in public.

On top of that, a well-blended antioxidant-rich serum like the Aqua Activating Serum can also help reinforce the skin’s barrier while forming a protective layer on your skin to help block out air pollutants and defend against environmental stress.

Twice a week, I let my skin soak up all the moisturising goodness from the Dr. Mask Aqua. The sheet mask is designed with an Asian fit, so it covered my face nicely without any extra bits hanging over my chin, jaw or on the sides of my face. There was slight stickiness on my face when I removed the mask after 20 minutes, but the stickiness quickly disappeared after I patted in the remaining essence left by the mask.

As I’d joined a beach cleanup the day before, I, unfortunately, came back with minor sunburn on my arms. On a whim, I patted the leftover mask essence on my charred arms in hopes that it’ll soothe the area and reduce the itchiness. To my surprise, it did what I’d hoped it would do, including calming down the redness.

What I think about Rovectin’s hero bestseller, the Activating Treatment Lotion

Having been told that the Activating Treatment Lotion is the hero product of Rovectin’s Aqua Enriched line, I naturally had my hopes up for it. The essence toner is powered by Rovectin’s exclusive Barrier Repair Complex, along with the seven types of hyaluronic acid, to provide deep hydration, fortify the skin’s protective layer, and prevent transepidermal water loss (TEWL).

Additionally, it can also help support skin’s elasticity and provide firming effects while instantly reducing puffiness with caffeine. With a stronger moisture barrier and a better ability to retain moisture, Rovectin posits that the skin will not feel irritated or sensitive from dryness.

Using the essence toner together with the cleanser and serum for just the first time, I’d already seen results in terms of skin hydration. Just take a look at how well the trio helped quench my skin’s thirst while rebalancing my sebum levels.

Best of all, the products were not overly rich and adequately hydrated my skin without causing any breakouts. My only gripe with the Activating Treatment Lotion is that it has an opening that is too small for the liquid to be poured out easily, so it takes a fair bit of time to dispense the product out each time.

When using the Aqua Enriched system at night, I even realised that my skin stayed quenched and didn’t feel dry at all the next morning. My skin also felt more hydrated and plumped after using the entire Aqua Enriched system for 14 days.

About Rovectin: Prices and where to buy

Derived from the Latin word ‘reverti’, which means “to go back to where it was,” Rovectin’s story began with its Anti-irritant Barrier Repair Ultra Cream, which is a hydrating and soothing cream that was developed for cancer patients who experience skin dryness and compromised skin barrier during their treatments.

Armed with its exclusive Barrier Repair Complex, the brand steadily rose up the ranks to become one of the most trusted skincare brands amongst patients, dermatologists, and medical professionals across Korea.

In fact, all of Rovectin’s formulas feature restorative yet safe ingredients that go deep beyond the surface to gently repair damage and calm even the most sensitive skin.

The Rovectin Aqua Enriched series currently retails at the following prices:

• Rovectin Aqua Enriched Conditioning Cleanser: S$29.90
• Rovectin Aqua Enriched Activating Treatment Lotion: S$49.90
• Rovectin Aqua Enriched Aqua Activating Serum: S$79.90
• Rovectin Aqua Enriched Dr. Mask Aqua: S$24.90 (for a box of five pieces)

Apart from the Aqua Enriched range, there are also two other collections available in Singapore: Clean Line and Cica Care.

You can find the Rovectin Aqua Enriched series at selected Watsons outlets: Bugis Junction, JEM, Jurong Point, Causeway Point, Parkway Parade, and ION Orchard. It’s also available online at Shopee, Lazada as well as the official Rovectin Singapore website.

This article is brought to you by Rovectin.