Beauty Tips For Body Care
If you're too lazy to read it all, tl;dr my skin got spotty after moving to tropical climate, did research, research indicates that increased humidity + over-hydration does cause acne, it's alright to not moisturise if you're in a humid climate, summarised research on Reddit.My BackgroundWhen I lived in Western Australia (dry climate, temp range 8ºC-30ºC/45ºF-86ºF) I had healthy, normal skin and got 1-2 pimples only when I was stressed. Three months in after moving to South-East Asia (humid climate, ~35ºC/95ºF year-round) I got acne like I never did before.The ResearchSo I went to do some research and discovered that over-hydration/hypohydration/overmoisturisation is a very real phenomenon that can cause acne, which is sometimes referred to as Acne Tropicalis or Tropical Acne [4, 6]. This is a summary of my readings and I'll break it down in three parts:What causes acne in the first place?How does overhydration relate to these causes of acne?What can be done to prevent acne caused by overhydration?1) Processes involved in development of acneThese are the pathological processes involved in the development of acne (i.e. the processes that cause acne to occur) [5]:Increased sebum production;Hyperproliferation and differentiation of follicular keratinocytes (English: your normally live skin cells turn dead hell quick and stay on the surface);Microbial colonization by Propionbacterium Acnes (English: bad bacteria that cause acne start breeding on your skin); andInflammation (English: increased blood flow - your body's natural reaction to wounds and infections - go to your acne and causes it to swell up and turn red).2) Relationship between overhydration and these processesBullet point summary of key points from the studies:Sebum excretion increased significantly after hyperhydration + the ducts that produce sebum can plug up [3, 7]. This is bad news for acne-prone skin as it can accelerate the development of acne [7].Similar point to above: increased humidity → increased sebum production → hyperhydration of skin → increased sebum duct plug-ups → deterioration of acne [5, 7].Increased sweating can also lead to the duct plug-ups [7].A rise of 1ºC increases sebum excretion rate by 10% [2]; excessive heat over-stimulates the sebaceous glands, leading to a deterioration of acne [4, 6].Sunlight can also cause an increase in dead skin cells (see point 1.2) leading to the plugging up of the sebaceous ducts, which can be intensified by humidity. The heat of the environment would still stimulate the excess production of sebum even when the ducts are plugged up [4, 6].Nodules, cysts, and scars were much more uniformly present and were more severe than would have been expected in a similar random group of cases of Acne Vulgaris [6].Rapid improvement in acne usually occurred when the patients reached a cool, dry climate [6].Another study was conducted on swimmers: it's observed that swimmers experience an increase in oiliness - usually referred to as "swimmer's shine" - which represents a rebound phenomenon (i.e. the skin is overcompensating for dryness by producing more sebum). [1]3) What do? ಠ_ಠHarsh soaps, cleansers, or astringents that further dissolve sebum should be avoided in favor of milder nondetergent lotion cleansers. [3]Milder antibiotic acne creams (benzoyl peroxide, clindamycin, erythromycin, lymecycline, etc.) or lotions (salicylic acid, sulfur, etc.) may be tried initially. If response is inadequate, low concentration retinoids (adapalene or tretinoin) may be gradually introduced into the treatment regimen. [3]Don't be afraid to not moisturise if you find your face to be an oil slick when you're living in a humid climate, even when you're accustomed to moisturising [conclusion I pulled from 2, 3, 5, 7]. You need to help your skin reduce sebum blockage.References[1] Basler, R. S., Basler, G. C., Palmer, A. H., & Garcia, M. A. (2000). Special skin symptoms seen in swimmers. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 43(2), 299-305. doi:10.1067/mjd.2000.107495[2] Cunliffe, W., Burton, J., & Shuster, S. (1970). The effect of local temperature variations on the sebum excretion rate. British Journal of Dermatology, 83(6), 650-654.[3] Cunliffe, W. J., Perera, W. D., Thackray, P., Williams, M., Forster, R. A., & Williams, S. M. (1976). Pilo-sebaceous duct physiology II. British Journal of Dermatology, 95(2), 153-156. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2133.1976.tb00818.x[4] Novy, F. G. (1946). Tropical Acne. California Medicine, 65(6), 274.[5] Smith, R., & Mann, N. (2011). Glycemic Load and Acne. In A. Pappas (Ed.), Nutrition and skin: lessons for anti-aging, beauty, and healthy skin (pp. 145-157). New York: Springer.[6] Sulzberger, M. B., Addenbrooke, E. F., Joyce, S. J., Greenberg, S., & Mack, A. G. (1946). Tropical acne. Naval Medical Bulletin, 46(8), 1178-84.[7] Williams, M., Cunliffe, W., & Gould, D. (1974). Pilo-sebaceous duct physiology I: Effect of hydration on pilo-sebaceous duct orifice. British Journal of Dermatology, 90(6), 631-635. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2133.1974.tb06691.xtl;dr Skin got spotty after moving to tropical climate, did research, increased humidity + over-hydration does cause acne, it's alright to not moisturise if you're in a humid climate, summarised research on Reddit.
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