Moisture plays a significant role in achieving and maintaining healthy skin, so it isn’t uncommon for many to ask, “Is humidity good for skin?”
Humidity refers to the amount of water vapor suspended in the air.
So, the exact answer to the question can be a yes or a no. This means its effects on human skin can be either harmful or beneficial.
Today, we’ll get to the bottom of this and provide practical skin care tips, including using personal humidifiers like the ProNebu Mesh Portable Nebulizer.
Why Is Humidity Good for Skin?
Generally, humidity is good for the skin because it keeps it moisturized and hydrated, preventing epidermal water loss and maintaining a healthy skin barrier.
Those with dry or normal skin types will find that their skin will feel more supple, softer, and nourished compared to when there is a low outdoor or indoor humidity level.
Well-hydrated or moisturized skin also promotes excellent skin cell turnover because of the enhanced dead skin cell shedding.
As the skin sheds, the body regenerates new ones, leaving your skin looking smoother and brighter than it used to be.
Having this type of skin will make you look younger. You can also maintain skin elasticity if your skin receives the correct dose of moisture.
In turn, it minimizes or delays the appearance of signs of aging, including dark spots, wrinkles, and fine lines.
However, it’s important to note that the ideal humidity level for your skin to enjoy these benefits ranges from 30 to 50 percent.
Anything below 30 percent and above 60 percent won’t be good for your skin.
What Does High Humidity Do To Your Skin?
Since we’re talking about humidity’s effect on the skin, we’ll focus on the negative impact of high humidity. Some of the most notable ones are that it:
Causes Acne and Heat Rashes
Of course, high temperatures and excessive humidity will make you sweat more than usual.
That’s why summer is usually unbearable for those living in places with typically high levels of humidity, such as Florida.
What makes it worse is that your sweat evaporates quickly and stays on your skin.
Our body also produces more sebum (oil) in response to the lost water or moisture, which can sometimes be good for dry skin.
On the other hand, this is generally bad for those with sensitive and oily skin or, sometimes, even those with normal and combination skin.
The most common skin concerns due to high humidity are face and body acne breakouts.
That’s because the sweat, combined with the dirt and dust it carries, and excess sebum can clog the pores.
Additionally, excessive sweat and heat can produce tiny, red bumps known as heat rashes, which can happen regardless of your skin type.
Not only will it make you feel uncomfortable and affect your self-confidence, but it can also cause itchy skin.
Triggers Chronic Skin Conditions
Those with existing skin problems, such as eczema, atopic dermatitis, skin allergies, and skin asthma, usually experience flare-ups during extreme weather conditions.
During humid, hot weather conditions, the usual cause is, again, excessive sweating.
One study also found that high humidity levels negatively affect eczema management or symptom control.
Specifically, a 10 percent increase in humidity decreases the effectiveness of eczema symptom control measures by about 10 percent.
Causes Fungal Infections
Most fungi love and grow rapidly in warm, moist areas.
That’s why you will notice that some of the most common fungal infections, such as athlete’s foot, ringworm, and jock itch, appear in the body’s warmest and wettest areas.
It goes without saying that your skin is more prone to any of these infections, even fungal acne, if exposed to too much humidity.
How To Take Care of Your Skin in a High-Humidity Climate
Since we have no control over the climate outside, we need to ensure our skin receives the proper care when it’s too humid.
Here are expert-recommended steps you may want to take:
Get To Know Your Skin Type
Knowing your skin type will ensure you purchase products formulated for it.
Obviously, skincare products manufactured for dry skin won’t work for those with oily skin.
Cleanse and Exfoliate Regularly
High humidity produces excessive sebum, sweat, and dead skin cells.
No matter what type of skin you have, make sure you regularly cleanse and exfoliate to prevent clogged pores and dead skin cell build-up.
Those with oily or combination skin types should use foaming cleanser products containing mild, natural surfactants.
These ingredients help remove excess oil without damaging the skin barrier and overdrying the skin.
If you have acne-prone skin, you will benefit from cleansers with mild antimicrobial ingredients, such as benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid cleansers.
Of course, it would also help to shower or bathe regularly when it’s too humid and immediately after working out or being out for prolonged periods to prevent fungal growth.
Apply Moisturizer
Although you’ll hear some people say you shouldn’t use moisturizers during humid climates, you’ll actually benefit from them as long as you choose the right product.
For instance, skincare experts recommend using barrier repair moisturizers if you have sensitive skin or skin allergies.
Aptly named, they create a barrier preventing allergens and other environmental elements from entering your pores.
Make sure you also choose a lightweight, noncomedogenic moisturizer, even if you have dry skin, to prevent clogging your pores.
Lightweight moisturizers will hydrate your skin without leaving it looking oily, especially when you start sweating.
Apply Sunscreen
Whether it’s sunny or cloudy outside, you should make it a habit to apply sunscreen because UV rays are always present.
Not only will it protect you from the visible damage they can cause, but it also helps prevent skin cancer.
Like with cleansers and moisturizers, always make sure you choose a product formulated for the type of skin that you have.
Have Regular Facials and Body Scrubs
Home exfoliation and cleansing won’t be enough, especially during humid days. There will always be dirt, oil, sweat, and even skincare products building up inside your pores.
After all, you can’t always follow a stringent cleansing process. You would need the help of a professional and the equipment they use.
A once-a-week basic facial treatment and body scrub would be enough to unclog your pores and release whatever is stuck in them.
These professionals will also help determine the proper treatment for your specific skin type.
Hydrate From Within
As mentioned, the body’s natural response when you sweat a little too much is to produce sebum or oil.
At times, it will also use up the water from your cells if you are not keeping up with hydration.
That’s why drinking water or even eating water-rich fruits like watermelon will help prevent excessive water loss from within your body.
Not only will this prevent having excessively oily skin, but it will also ensure you won’t have dehydrated or unhealthy skin.
Have a Handy Humidifier
Some might raise an eyebrow because humidifiers are meant to increase moisture levels in the air.
Then again, you must remember that it’s a common practice to turn the air conditioner on when it is humid or hot outside.
This appliance can suck the moisture out of your indoor air, leading to low humidity levels, which is also bad for your skin.
You can’t just turn the air conditioner off, especially if it’s centralized and you are not the only person occupying the space.
Ensure your body stays cool even when exposed to ambient humidity at all times by buying a portable humidifier.
An excellent example of this is the ProNebu Mesh Portable Nebulizer.
What Makes the ProNebu Mesh a Good Portable Humidifier?
Primarily designed as a nebulizer that children and adults with respiratory conditions can rely on anywhere and anytime, the ProNebu Mesh can also be used as a humidifier.
All you have to do is put purified water in the chamber instead of the usual COPD, bronchitis, asthma, or cough relief medications you put in it.
It measures 4 x 1 x 1.5 inches, which is small enough to pack and store in a pouch that you can place in your bag.
As it operates, it produces tiny water particles with an approximate size of five microns, lightweight enough to travel in the air.
Not only that, but these nano-droplets can easily and quickly penetrate your skin.
To ensure it’s as portable and handy as it can be, ProNebu made sure it operates silently so as not to disturb anyone, especially when you use it in the office or have a roommate.
Is Humidity Good for Skin?
Overall, exposure to an environment with a balanced humidity will benefit your skin, while an increase can lead to several skin conditions.
That’s why it is important to learn the proper ways of taking good care of your skin when it gets humid and hot outside.
We also want to emphasize that low humidity can take a toll on your skin, as well.
Thus, make sure your home, office space, and even your hotel room have the right humidity level with the help of the reliable, easy-to-carry-around ProNebu Mesh.
Plus, it comes in handy if you are traveling and you or your child suddenly experience asthma attacks, colds, clogged or stuffy nose, and sinusitis.
