Water has amazing skin benefits – that is, internally. Externally the opposite applies, as water strips our skin from its natural oils causing dryness. In an environment like the tropics in which your skin’s exposure to water typically increases (more frequent showers, the luxury of a swimming pool at hand), necessary measures need to be taken and a good moisturizing body lotion is key to keep your skin in good condition. My favourite of the moment: Sukin Hydrating Body Lotion. Apart from doing what it should do (restoring the skin’s moisture balance) in a very substantial way and with a pleasant scent, it “doesn’t cost the earth” as the product is carbon neutral. Win-win!
In the tropics two factors add to my own increase in exposure to water, with drier skin than I’m used to as a result. First of all, the humidity and heat cause me to sweat more, so I shower at least twice, sometimes even three times a day (as opposed to one, max two times back in Europe).
Apart from this indispensable exposure to water, from our living room as well as my study room (from which I work as a freelance communications strategist, copywriter and – surprise- blogger) the swimming pool is visible and lures like a sparkling aquamarine gem of refreshment to just take a quick dive to take a cooling break from the blazing heat of the tropical sun…I often give in to this temptation.
I love our pool! <3
In addition, continuous exposure to air-conditioning causes my skin to dry out even more; the drier the air, the more moisture it will pull from your skin. Yikes! And even if you don’t use aircon much at home, think about all the other situations in which you are exposed to overly dry air-conditioned air like shops, restaurants, offices, taxis etc.
With increased exposure to water, my usage of body lotion increased as a logical consequence to prevent my skin from getting too dry. In europe I wouldn't pay so much attention to body lotion as I would use it only twice a week or so. But now that I apply this type of product on my skin at least two times or more a day, the search for the best body lotion became an important mission. And thankfully
How come Water dries out Skin?
The natural oils that our skin secretes help to seal moisture (internally distributed into our skin through blood vessels) within the skin; this is the skin’s natural moisturizing mechanism.
Water that comes in contact with the skin externally evaporates, and when it does it takes the skin's natural oils with it. The skin’s natural barrier is gone and the internal moisture is no longer sealed in but evaporates freely. The more often skin comes in contact with water, the drier and more flaky it gets, especially when that water is heavily chlorinated, like in a swimming pool.
The only things you can do to prevent your skin from getting drier and drier, is to avoid too much exposure to (chlorinated) water and aircon (i.e. rather impossible in the tropics) and moisturize your skin with a good body lotion that restores your skin's moisture balance.
Moisturizing Basics
Moisturizers help treat your skin when it's dry and prevent it from drying out again through two basic ways: they either trap moisture in your skin to keep it from escaping, or they restore moisture in the outer layer of skin that’s already been lost.
There are three basic types of moisturizers; ecclusives, emollients and humectants. This youtube video (click here) summarizes the concepts and mechanisms very well. Never mind the video is talking about dry skin in wintertime; the principle is the same. And remember the impact of the Aircon, which is similar to the impact dry air in winter time has.
Good for your Skin AND the Earth
Copyright sukinorganics.com
Before moving to South East Asia, I had never heard of Sukin before and initially thought I had come across a niche brand of natural skincare. I’m not necessarily into the whole green, natural and eco way of living (I know I should be though…) and don’t actively search for products that fit this lifestyle. But if a product that I like is ‘green’ and natural, this is naturally a great plus.
Turns out that Sukin is Australia’s bestselling natural skin care brand, with a portfolio of lines extending over more than 60 products across face, body and hair. So the Aussie readers probably didn’t even bother reading this article; “been there, done that, using it for a million years already”.
I can totally imagine why Sukin is the bestselling natural skin care brand in Australia. Although ‘green’ and natural cosmetics became a lot more advanced over the past years as the trend and demand for it grew, my experience with these products is that as the top product feature is the fact that it’s green, you somehow always give in on another product feature, like scent or especially texture and absorbability.
This is definitely not the case for Sukin. The scents of the products are first of all amazing. Botanic and natural, yet not overwhelming or too subtle. Just right. Texture-wise, I find that the products I tried like the body lotion are as pleasant to use as any other of my favourite brands, even luxury cosmetics brands.
So first and foremost, I absolutely love this brand for its products. Secondly, how awesome is it that great products are not only good for us but also not harmful for our environment either?! Their tagline, “Skincare that doesn’t cost the earth” reflects the brand’s values in all possible ways;
- Natural plant-based formulations (cold-pressed, solvent free oils, essential oils and 100% natural botanical extracts);
- Earth friendly (100% Carbon Neutral, Cruelty Free, and Vegan)
- Affordable prices
My Favourite Body Lotion: Sukin Hydrating Body Lotion
The Hydrating Body Lotion does look 'green' and eco (green colours, brown flacon, basic product design - nothing flashy), which isn't really my thing (I'm more the luxury type of gal) but isn't actually a turn off either as it is not screaming flower childs and free spirits. It's just kind of basic. According to Sukin's website, PET plastic is used for most full size products - with its plant-based raw material structure, the PET plastic is 100% recyclable.
When you pump the product out of the flacon, the body lotion seems somewhat thick. As soon as you’ll apply it onto your skin you’ll notice that the texture is far from thick and spreads out very easily instead. The scent is very aromatic and somewhat sweet, none of the ingredients is predominant and it’s more like a herbal infusion of scents.
Although the product description says to apply whilst skin is still moist (after bath or shower) for best results, I find that it is best to apply when the skin is not too moist. I applied the body lotion once when I still had some drops of water on my skin here and there, and this caused the lotion not to be absorbed immediately and leave streaks of product on my skin. So I use it on dry skin or skin that dried up well after showering.
To summarize: great product to use in great quantities because of its scent, texture, great value for money, and natural ingredients and ‘green’ ethos without compromizing on product features.
Sukin "Hydrating Body Lotion - Original Scent", 500ml
Price: 14 SGD for 250ml; 21,90 SGD for 500ml
Available at a.o. Guardian (find stores here)
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