The Hidden Culprit Behind Dry Skin + How To Beat Skin Dryness



Our house is starting to feel like a sauna now and it could only mean that summer is just around the corner. I could imagine people (including me) flocking to the malls to take advantage of free air-conditioning, looking for shelter from the sweltering heat and to protect their skin from drying out under the sun.

Have you ever tried feeling your skin after staying in an air-conditioned place for too long? How does it look and feel? It feels and looks dry, right?


Well, it is because air-conditioning is one of the hidden (and biggest) culprits behind dry skin-it’s not entirely Mr. Sun’s fault after all!

Air-Conditioning is heaven- sent for people who are living in the tropics, but like all things, it has its own disadvantages as well: Accelerated Aging, for instance, can be greatly caused by Aircon because the cold temperature causes moisture to evaporate, leaving your skin dehydrated-FYI, the drier your skin, the quicker you age. I also read on Cosmo.ph that too much Aircon can cause ‘Cold Stress’ to the skin. Now what is that?! Here’s an excerpt from Cosmo’s article:

Various studies have proven that constant exposure to airconditioning (much like that cold blowing monster in your office) can bring cold stress which reduces your skin's blood flow. This is your body's way of heating you up when your environment is super cold and therefore, dries up your skin at almost the same rate as the sun's summer heat.”

And here’s another surprise: Cosmo.ph recently did a poll on the biggest culprits of dry skin and results showed that:

“57% voted that the biggest contributor to dry skin is either the summer heat or the overwhelming pollution we battle on our way to and from work; About 43% figured that the element we're talking about is the ever present AC.”

It means that a lot of people don’t know that air-conditioning is quietly sabotaging their skin. Yikes!


So does this mean that we must shut down our ACs for good? Nope, even I can’t do that-not on my side of town where there are no skyscrapers to shield us from the sun and minimize the heat! Instead, I propose some ways to outwit the moisture vampire and maintain healthy, moisturized skin. Click READ MORE and check out my tips!



4. Cover up

- To prevent Cold Stress from happening, bring a cardigan, shawl, or jacket and cover yourself up when you’ve settled in an air-conditioned room and you are not feeling warm any longer. The piece of clothing will help your skin warm up and at the same time, prevent whatever heat or moisture that is left in your skin from evaporating, thus your body won’t feel the need to switch to survival mode.

3. Mist Up

- If you are required to stay in an air- conditioned room every single day and for long hours, keep a facial mist in hand. Your facial mist doesn’t have to be really fancy: just buy a travel- sized atomizer bottle and fill it up with water. To make an anti-aging facial mist, steep a bag of Green Tea in hot water for 3 minutes, allow it to cool, and transfer it to an atomizer bottle. If you can afford to splurge, look for Rosewater Hydrosol, a naturally- derived ingredient that is very known for keeping skin moisturized and inhibiting moisture from evaporating from the skin.

2. Water Up

- Maintaining a well-moisturized skin is a two-way street: First is to take care of it on the outside and second is to take care of it on the inside. Drink lots of water to replenish your moisture reserves within.

1. Shower with a super moisturizing body wash

- Start right and only the right things will follow-yes, I believe in this principle and it applies to everything even in beauty. Healthy, well-moisturized skin should start in the shower: Instead of using regular bar soaps that contain drying agents such as SLS, opt for a creamy body wash. Also, if you dislike wearing body lotion, a creamy body wash may be a good substitute. There’s a new body wash line in town called Olay Body Wash Moisture Outlast Collection-it’s formulated to penetrate skin layer by layer, infusing skin with moisture that lasts for up to 24 hours (whoa!). These creamy babies smell soooo good too!

So far, I’m enjoying this range. I will review it soon!

In the meantime, I’d like to invite all of you to Olay’s big swap event: On March 28, 2015 from 10 A.M. to 6 P.M. at Robinson’s Place Ermita, Midtown Atrium, you can swap your non-P&G body bars for a FREE Olay Body Wash and experience #MoistureThatLasts. Just CLICK HERE for more details about the swap!

Just visit OLAY PHILIPPINES on Facebook to know more about this product.

Disclaimer: This post is brought to you by Olay Philippines and The Beauty Junkee.

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10 Comments

  1. My classroom is always airconditioned! Though I get oily because it's summer, I an still feel dry especially on my arms and legs which is why I always bring a hand cream with me. I use it on my legs too :P

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  2. Oh? I didn't know AC could add up dryness on skin. Lately, I find dry spots especially after I washed my face. I don't think that it has something to do with my cleanser because I'm using it for almost four months, not sure though.I often commute too. I'm on a hunt right now. Hehe.

    It is nice that body washes are now widely available in the market. I will try this Olay after I finished my current one.

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  3. I have eczema which started 2 or 3 weeks ago and my derma said most likely it's because of too much heat which causes the over dryness of my skin, it's hard to believe because I never thought I have dry skin. I use moisturizing lotion everyday as far as I could remember. That's one staple my bedroom and my bag must have.
    So my left arm started itching especially in the middle of the night, I had to cut my nails so it won't worsen my skin due to scratching, and really I just couldn't help it. So I started taking antihistamine too which doesn't help very much, so now I'm just applying calmoseptine. Apparently, the cause is just too much sun exposure and pollution (feel na feel ko kasi magpaka morena this year hay naku. Haha)
    So yes I agree, our warm weather can contribute a lot of dryness to our skin, it's a must to replenish our body with lots of water, and moisturization is the key. Sometimes I use soap, because feeling ko mas nakakalinis sya but then it's better to use body wash. I been using the Olay violet variant body wash ang bango bango nya. I haven't tried the facial mist up kasi I wear contact lense baka naman mabasa mata ko hehe but I wana try that too syempre I have to close my eyes duh 😄 Georgina Wilson also said that's how she make sure that her face looks glowing she spray a bit of that to her face. I never thought it's ideal until I read your blog or post about this 😊
    And when people ask Gretchen Barretto on her IG account of her beauty secret, I know this is so old school but she always emphasize that it's very important to keep yourself hydrated so yes lots of water for good skin! 👍 this is such a timely blog post 😘

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  4. I will remember to bring my Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs, and Rosewater to work! Thanks for the tips, Ms. M! :)

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  5. now i know bakit kahit panay ang pagaapply ko ng lotion e super dry pa rin ang skin ko.. dahil pala sa aircon =(

    and i learn new beauty recipe from this post! i will make my very own facial mist! thanks for this ms m!

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  6. I could actually notice the AC's effect on my skin. Being an office girl, more often than not, I'm in an AC room at most 9 hours a day. And, lamigin pa ko, so I really feel cold most of the time. Yung skin ko, nagddry ng sobra, to the point of flaking. I always put moisturizer naman and drink lots of water. So what I do na lang is reapply lotion whenever my skin flakes. Or to make my skin warm. It actually helps, well for me. :)

    Will buy the new Olay bar! :D It looks better than ever

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  7. staying in an airconditioned room for too long really dries out my skin... and gives me the sniffles too... it's super hot and humid in the morning and afternoon these days... thankfully, it's a bit chilly during nighttime where i am... i love the new olay body washes too... body washes somehow forces me to use a bath sponge when i shower so i exfoliate every time i shower, which also gets rid of the dead skin cells that makes our skin appear dry... :)

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  8. It's no surprise that body lotion is my most-used skincare product. A few years ago, I could still go without. Pansin ko ngayon na mas mabilis mag dry-out yung skin ko, even though I only miss a few days of applying lotion. At least a moisturizing body wash would help keep some of that moisture in.

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  9. Hi Girls, thanks for sharing your experiences and glad that this post made everyone realize that Mr. AC's been damaging our skin all this time! Now we know better! :)

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  10. I'm amazed, I have to admit. Rarely do I come across a blog that's both educative and
    interesting, and without a doubt, you've hit the nail
    on the head. The issue is something which not enough people are speaking intelligently about.
    Now i'm very happy that I found this in my search for something regarding this.

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Let me know what you think of this post! :)