10 skincare must-haves for hot and humid climates like Singapore’s

Biggest misconception: you don’t need to put on sun protection when it’s rainy? Nope! Up to 80 per cent of sun’s UV rays can still pass through all that gloomy weather to hit your skin. Hot and humid weather is an everyday fact for Singaporeans, and we’ve mostly learnt to live with it, but how do you amp up your skincare routine so that you can deal with this climate in more comfort?

Read on to see some of these products that will help you fend off all that heat and humidity better, and keep your skin and body feeling fresh and soothed!

1. This Works Perfect Legs Skin Protector SPF 30

You know how to apply sun protection on your face and your arms, but how often do you care for your legs? This Works Perfect Legs Skin Protector is a multitasking serum that not only provides SPF 30 to provide your legs from sun damage, it is also tinted to reduce appearances of scars and blemishes on your legs.

It contains Hyaluronic acid for moisture, Vitamins E and C for skin regeneration, and caramel and mica to conceal imperfections; the formula will help, heal, and hide all at once. It’s suitable for sensitive skin too!

This Works Perfect Legs Skin Protector retails for USD 130.48 (100ml) on Net-a-porter.

2. Orbis Deodorant Body Shower

What’s a deodorant body shower?! We were just as bewildered as you are when we first heard about this product, but stay with us and read on to find out how it works.

It contains eight times more water as regular deodorant sprays, and incorporates Orbis’s special Watery Shower Formula with chamomile, rosemary, sage leaf extracts and menthol to hydrate and refresh your skin while eliminating body odour at the same time.

With all that goodness, the Orbis Deodorant Body Shower is meant to feel like you’ve just taken a cooling shower on a hot day, or like you’ve ran a cold towel over heated skin. We don’t know about you, but that sounds amazing to us.

Orbis Deodorant Body Shower retails for SGD 18 (100g) at Orbis online and at Orbis stores (except Robinsons The Heeren).

3. Pink by Pure Beauty So Smooth Pudding Cream

If you’re new to skincare and are feeling completely lost in the sea of choices, we completely get it, and so does Asian beauty brand Pure Beauty. They have recently launched a skincare line that’s specially targeted at younger women starting to get into skincare for the first time.

The new range, Pink by Pure Beauty, is formulated with Gigawhite, Actiwhite whitening booster, Alps Rose, and Pink Flower Complex to hydrate and brighten your skin, giving you a healthy, revitalised glow.

The So Smooth Pudding Cream uses PhytoCellTec Alp Rose to protect your skin with its antioxidant effects, and its texture is lightweight and gel-like because nobody has time for that annoying greasy after-feel in our humidity. This is perfect for Singapore weather!

Pink by Pure Beauty So Smooth Pudding Cream retails for SGD 18.90 (50ml) at Watsons.

4. Hada Labo Blemish & Oil Control Hydrating Series

In recent years, we’ve found out that drying out your skin isn’t the best idea to treat acne-prone skin and zits. To keep the oily, sweaty situation we face everyday in check, we actually need to be re-hydrating our skin rather than otherwise.

Cleanse your skin first with the Hada Labo Blemish & Oil Control Hydrating Foaming Wash which provides acne-prone skin with a deep cleanse that doesn’t leave your skin feeling dry and tight. It even contains Squalene for its antioxidant and pore-refining effects.

Continue with the Hada Labo Blemish & Oil Control Hydrating Lotion that will moisturise the deep layers of skin to reduce oil production, while also featuring a non-greasy texture that won’t leave your skin feeling sticky.

It contains anti-inflammatory Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, of plant origins, and Tranexamic Acid to moisturise and lighten appearances of blemishes.

The Hada Labo Blemish & Oil Control Hydrating series contains Hatomugi, Houttuynia Cortada, Chamomile Flower and even Squalene, to reduce blemishes and reinforce your skin’s moisture balance.

5. Garnier Men TurboLight Oil Control Matcha Deep Clean Foaming Gel

Matcha has long been a thing in the culinary world, but recently, it’s also been taking the beauty world by storm. Known for its purifying and antioxidant properties, the latest iteration of matcha beauty products come in the form of Garnier Men’s TurboLight Oil Control Matcha Deep Clean Foaming Gel.

Garnier Men TurboLight Oil Control Matcha Deep Clean Foaming Gel retails for SGD 9.50 at Guardian, Watsons, NTUC Fairprice, Cold Storage, Giant, and leading supermarkets and department stores.

6. Clinique Turnaround Accelerated Renewal Serum

So you know that your skin cells renew themselves every 28 days or so, and new skin cells are constantly being generated to replace older ones. However, your older skin cells near the surface may not shed as fast as you’d like it to, obscuring the younger, softer skin cells below.

With the new high powered Turnaround Accelerated Renewal Serum, Clinique is going to rev up that skin renewal process and reveal younger, healthier, and more radiant skin. It also refines pores too, so that’s always a plus!

Clinique Turnaround Accelerated Renewal Serum retails for SGD 80 (30ml) and SGD 100 (50ml) at all Clinique counters.

7. Heliocare Oral

This has got to be one of the most interesting ways of keeping yourself protected from the harmful effects of UV rays: Heliocare Oral has been approved by the Health Sciences Authority of Singapore for sale as a health supplement.

The main active ingredient of this is Fernblock®, a component that is 100% herbal with no chemicals added. It’s an oral sun protectant that is said to help reduce collagen damage from UVA-rays by 55%!

Of course, to make sure your sun protection is at a maximum, don’t skip on the topical sunscreen too!

Heliocare Oral retails for SGD 57.75 (60 caps) at selected Metro, Robinsons, Guardian, Watsons, Unity and hospital pharmacies. It is also available online.

8. Sunplay Skin Aqua UV Mild Gel SPF 30 PA+++

Sun protection is super important, but nobody likes that gross, greasy feeling that some sunscreens can leave on your skin, especially if you want to use it on your face.

Sunplay’s latest sunscreen offering is not only in gel form, but it also multitasks by also protecting your skin against fine PM2.5 pollutant particles too!

Sunplay Skin Aqua UV Mild Gel SPF 30 PA+++ retails for SGD 18.90 (110g) at Watsons and Guardian.

9. The Body Shop Japanese Matcha Tea Pollution Clearing Mask

Urbanisation has become increasingly more common in the world we live in today. 60% of the world’s population will be living in urban areas by 2030, and that means more pollution will be generated.

Air pollutants can cause cellular damage on your skin layers, causing dryness, inflammation, pigmentation, and even premature skin ageing. It’s likely that future regimes will begin to focus more on eliminating the damage from pollution.

The Body Shop is staying ahead of the curve by introduce their Japanese Matcha Tea Pollution Clearing Mask, utilising the antioxidant and detoxifying properties of green tea.

The Body Shop Japanese Matcha Tea Pollution Clearing Mask retails for SGD 32.90 at all The Body Shop stores.

10. Eucerin DermoPURIFYER Acne & Make-up Cleansing Water

Makeup is great, but makeup removers are even greater if you want to keep your skin free from acne and blemishes. Double cleansing is a ritual that some cannot live without, and for good reason! Improper removal of makeup may cause bacteria to accumulate underneath the skin, and erupt in an inflamed acne spot.

Eucerin DermoPurifyer Acne & Makeup Cleansing Water is not only a micellar water type of makeup remover, it also contains Alkylpolyglucoside Complex to remove dirt and dust, and Gluco-Glycerol and Hyaluronic acid to hydrate the skin after cleansing. This makeup cleanser is suitable for sensitive skin too!

Eucerin DermoPurifyer Acne & Makeup Cleansing Water retails for SGD 27.90 (200ml) and SGD 39.90 (400ml) at all leading pharmacies, Guardian, Watsons, Unity, hospital retail pharmacies and National Skin Centre.