Alas, the scorching hours of our tropical island have arrived. Across the globe, travel plans include travelling into East Asia for the lilting atmosphere of spring blossoms and pink skies. But for the Muslims in our community, the time of the year also beckons in a crucial month ahead: Ramadan. To the uninitiated, Ramadan is a month-long spiritual affair where Muslims—who are able and well enough to—are required to fast from dawn to dusk. Whilst the more pressing concerns might be ensuring that your internal system is fed with enough nutrients and minerals, it’s important to note that one’s skin will also be prone to suffering from dehydration during this period of time.
By abstaining from food and water over an extended duration, it might not take you very long before you begin to notice your countenance turning dull and dry—as a result of the lack of H2O running through your body. Interrupted sleep due to daily Sahurs (the time in the morning when Muslims wake from their sleep to eat before the sun begins to rise) also leads to a drastic change in one’s rest and recovery cycles, hence potentially compromising the skin barrier’s ability to repair itself. And as a result of leaving your mouth dry for close to 12 hours of the day, it’s also a common sight to find that one’s lips are chapped or parched.
Should you be entering Ramadan yourself, perhaps some of these concerns might be no stranger to you. And whilst you may be dousing your body with enough food and nutrients come buka—the stipulated time when one can break their fast—it’s imperative that you give your skin just as much, if not even more attention, during this month. As the beauty guardians we call ourselves, it’s come to our attention that we’re well-placed to give you some tips on how to keep your skin hydrated during Ramadan—to maintain a radiant, healthy glow that you’ll be proud to flaunt come the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations. Glean them all, below.
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Keep a lip balm on hand
It’s hardly a surprise that your lips are going to begin showing signs of dryness during the month of Ramadan. Cracking and flakiness is to be expected—both of which are common issues one also faces when travelling to the colder parts of the world. As you would for your winter travels, it doesn’t hurt to bring around a lip balm and coat your lips with a layer or two throughout the day, all to ensure that your lips are protected from drying out. Trust Fresh’s Sugar Mango Hydrating Lip Balm or Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balm to do the trick If you’re willing to put in the extra effort, you can also opt for a lip scrub that will exfoliate away all your flaky, dead skin, leaving you with a moist, youthful-looking pout.
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Mist away
If you can’t feed your skin internally, it would be best to opt for ways in which you can feed it with moisture directly. One easy way—that will also help you keep you feel cool in the sweltering heat of our climes—would be to constantly drench your skin in a facial mist for a sensorial experience akin to a light shower. Not only does it provide your skin with the boost of hydration it needs, certain options such as Tatcha’s Luminous Dewy Skin Mist or Supergoop’s (Re)setting Refreshing Mist SPF 40 will do wonders in doubling up as additional skincare as well.
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Incorporate superfoods into your meals
When you’re limited to eating only during a few hours of the day, eating right is as important as any skincare trick in the book. The aim is to get as much important nutrients as you would need during your morning sahur—so that you’ll be energised throughout the day. Adding superfoods to your meals would help in this area, as you would be packing your meals with sufficient proteins, anti-oxidants, fibres and minerals to your diet. Whilst whole ingredients such as salmon, eggs, olives and avocados will do the trick, whipping up some easy jams or post-buka snacks using chia seeds might also help to ensure you’ve got enough energy throughout the day.
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Mask up
The same logic of hydration applies here. If you can’t give your skin the moisture it needs via your internal systems, then you’ll have to utilise additional resources to make sure your skin is kept hydrated and healthy. An extra mask pack or two will go a long way in retaining your skin’s moisture—and increasing the frequency of your weekly night masks will do wonders. For those of you early risers (or if you’re opting not to return to your slumber after the morning sahur) try applying a mask in the morning too, before you get ready for the day.
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Drink enough water (when you can)
Whilst this should go without saying, the best way of keeping your skin hydrated is to drink enough water—when you can. Whilst hydration packs such as masks and toner mists might help to provide the extra moisture, making sure to hydrate yourself with enough water after you break fast is essential in the long run, but be careful not to chug it all down and space your water intake out through the night.
