Never go to sleep without washing your face.
I know this may seem obvious to most people, but never have I believed in this rule more since moving to a tropical island in the Pacific Ocean. Let me give you the low down:
- I’m here for medical school. That means that I am stressed, spend a lot of nights awake and don’t necessarily eat three square meals a day. Problems.
- There are only two seasons here: Hot/Wet and Hot/Dry.
- The humidity here is unreal. It feels like it literally slaps you in the face. On a GOOD day, it’s 90% humidity. On a regular day, it’s 96% humidity. That, coupled with the actual temperature, means it’s hot and constantly feels like you’re in the triple-degrees Fahrenheit range.
- I spend a lot of time outside. I walk to school, I use public transportation – everything here is open air and that means the dust and smoke are real. You don’t want those bad boys in your pores.
- Heat means oil and sweat are magnified times 100.
NOT washing your face means that you break out – without fail – the next day. It’s instantaneous. And so, I’ve discovered that a few tweaks to my previous skincare regimen have helped a lot! Here’s my newest take on the nighttime routine:
- Pull my hair up into a small ponytail and out of my face with a wide elastic headband.
- CeraVe hydrating cleanser with some cool water (because warm sink water is not a thing in my apartment, sadly)
- Pat dry with a towel, and allow to air dry further.
- Apply acne treatment (AcZone gel is my current medication of choice)
- SLEEP as much as possible!
The only thing stopping me from bright, beautiful skin is…well, me! Happy adventuring, friends!
Love, PB