The rainy season is over, and August is now in full swing, with summer in full swing. We hope and support the athletes from all over the world who have gathered in Japan for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and that they will perform well. Meanwhile, the spread of COVID-19 continues, and the situation is unpredictable, but we can only hope that each person will take precautions to prevent infection and that we will be able to escape the COVID-19 pandemic as vaccinations progress. In this article, we will help you understand the skin problems that can occur in the height of summer, which can also be described as summer fatigue, and provide some skin care tips to soothe your summer skin.
Weather conditions in August
First, let's take a look at the weather conditions that will affect your skin in August.
According to weather data for Tokyo in 2020, August saw the highest maximum temperature, minimum temperature, and hours of sunshine for the year.
What is noteworthy is the small amount of precipitation in August. The small amount of precipitation also affects the humidity, and we can see that August in Tokyo last year was not very humid and was rather dry. It was a full-on summer climate, with scorching sunlight and heat.
Skin troubles in summer
Let's understand the five causes of skin problems during the height of summer.
1. Sweating <br data-mce-fragment="1">Sweating plays an important role in expelling waste products and regulating body temperature (lowering body temperature).
On the other hand, moderate sweating is fine, but in the heat of summer, opportunities to sweat a lot tend to increase, causing moisture to flow out of the body and leaving the skin dry. Wiping away sweat also becomes a burden, leading to dry, stiff skin. In addition to sweating, as the temperature rises, the amount of sebum secreted also increases, which adds to the sebum dirt, and when cleansing or washing the face, you tend to unconsciously scrub too hard, putting a strain on the skin. In addition to frequent hydration, be conscious of "gentle" cleansing and washing the face.
2. Dryness typical of summer <br data-mce-fragment="1">August is a month with relatively little precipitation, and the weather conditions for your skin tend to be dry.
In addition, air conditioning can make your skin dry. Because of the heat, you may be inclined to choose light skin care products to avoid stickiness, but you should be aware of the dry environment that is unique to summer and focus on moisturizing your skin with lotions and creams that contain oils.
3. Chills <br data-mce-fragment="1">Air conditioning not only dries out the body, but also makes it "chillish." In addition to the "chill," there is also the stress of the temperature difference between outdoors and an air-conditioned room or car, which can lead to poor circulation, autonomic nervous system disorders, and poor metabolism, leading to poor physical condition and disruptions to the skin's metabolism (turnover), which can lead to skin problems. Be aware of the "chill" that is unique to summer, and take measures to protect your body from the "chill."
4. UV rays <br data-mce-fragment="1">As the days get longer in the height of summer, your body will be exposed to UV rays for longer periods of time. This increases the risk of skin aging due to the effects of near-infrared rays, in addition to spots and dullness caused by UV rays. Be mindful to always carry a parasol with UV protection and a long-sleeved cardigan that you can quickly put on when outdoors, and be mindful of protecting your body from the sun.
5. Diet <br data-mce-fragment="1">Avoid cooling your body further with cold foods and drinks. This will cool your stomach, intestines and internal organs, causing them to function less well. Of course, an ice-cold beer or drink can be a refreshing way to refresh yourself on a hot day, so rather than saying it's a no-no, make a conscious effort to eat warm foods and drinks to protect your body from the cold. Also, a lack of salt and minerals in the body, which is excreted through sweating, can also contribute to summer fatigue. It is also important to replenish salt and eat foods rich in minerals.
In addition to taking measures against the sun when summer hits, be sure to take care of your skin with measures against cold and dryness.
Do UV rays cause dry skin?
We will provide an overview of a research report titled "The mechanism by which ultraviolet rays induce dry skin" by a research team led by Professor Masaki Hitoshi of the Department of Applied Biology at Tokyo University of Technology, who elucidated that an increase in denatured proteins (carbonyl proteins) due to ultraviolet rays causes dry skin.
Professor Masaki's research has experimentally demonstrated that in skin exposed to ultraviolet rays, reactive oxygen generated by ultraviolet rays increases denatured proteins called carbonyl proteins, and that an increase in carbonyl proteins induces dry skin. According to Professor Masaki's team, an increase in carbonyl proteins has also been observed in dry skin in winter.
Pig skin (stratum corneum) was irradiated with ultraviolet light to confirm an increase in carbonyl proteins, and the skin surface moisture content and transepidermal water loss were measured according to the degree of increase (degree of carbonylation). All experimental results proved that an increase in carbonyl proteins causes dry skin.
It has been scientifically proven that in addition to sunburn, spots, dullness, and photoaging, dryness is also induced by ultraviolet rays. Dryness is the enemy of beautiful skin and is the cause of various skin problems, so it is good to understand that skin care using sunscreen is also effective in preventing dryness.
We brought you skin care tips that focus on the causes of skin problems that are unique to the summer.
Next time, I would like to give you some tips on early autumn skin care.
