If you have been watching Korean or Japanese drama series (a lot!), you must be green with envy of those actresses’ clear, radiant skin. Yet when we look into the mirror; it seems that our very own facial skin is fraught with skin problems, such as acne marks and scars, uneven skin tone or even wrinkles!
So, why are Singaporeans more prone to skin pigmentation compared to the Koreans / Japanese?
Weather
Korea and Japan are both countries with four seasons. They experience extreme weathers that call for changes to their skin care products to deal with various concerns. The harsh wind and cold climate in winter and autumn cause their skin to become dry while the hot and dry summer causes them to perspire a lot and their skin to become prone to oiliness.
However, Singapore sits along the equator, and has a tropical rainforest climate with no distinctive seasons, and it has a high density of UVA. Thanks to our climate, many of us battle over-active sebum glands; our facial skin gets oily easily, leading to easy development of acne, pimples and even skin pigmentation.
Skin care habits
Japanese and Koreans have always felt that being fair-skinned is beautiful. Thus they have always been very careful with their skin care regimen. Besides that, they start young, perhaps as young as when they are still middle school-ers!
On the other hand, some younger Singaporeans feel that being tanned is being healthy, and might have neglected the use of sun protection along the way. In fact, many of us do not really bother about skin care until we reach early 20s or when acne, skin pigmentation or other problems start to get serious.
Eating habits
Singapore is well-known for its diversity of cuisine and most Singaporeans tend to enjoy heavy-tasting and oily food. In the long run, these unhealthy eating habits may hasten our skin aging system, reduce cell renewal rates and skin tone turns dull with darkening skin pigmentation.
Though Japanese and Korean cuisine varies, they do share a common point. That is, a balanced diet can be easily obtained from their meals. They have accompanying dishes, usually vegetables that provide the body with a wider variety of vitamins and minerals. These nutrients are, of course, good for the skin!
As the saying goes, ‘you reap what you sow’. So start changing some of your skin care/eating/lifestyle bad habits today and be on your way to a clearer skin!
