It really has been scorching. Cyprus is in the grip of a heatwave, combined with diabolical humidity. The past few weeks have been a terribly draining experience. It has been hot, feeling somewhere in the mid-thirties (Celsius), or hotter and the humidity has been hovering around 90% or higher. The kind of wet heat that means you get hot and sweat, but the sweat doesn’t evaporate, you don’t feel any cooler and you sweat some more.
The vast amount of my bodily fluids pouring from my pores has yielded some nice results. I have finally discovered the benefits of water. I’ve always known about the health and beauty benefits of water, I’m also well aware of the necessity to drink plenty in a hot climate, but I have never really embraced it.
I have a tea/coffee (let’s just say caffeine) dependency but I haven’t been able to make and drink it fast enough to keep up with the fluid loss. Now, every cuppa is accompanied with at least one glass of water, and I’m drinking between three and five litres a day. I am hydrating myself supremely well.
Another amazing benefit, of my increased water consumption, is the detox properties. My skin hasn’t been this clear since before I started puberty, and my putative crows-feet are significantly less noticeable.
Unfortunately, the salty perspiration is playing havoc with my moisturising routine. I’m showering three or four times a day and after each shower I moisturise, in response to that ‘I’ll crack if you smile’ feeling.
The last time my mother visited, she left behind the remains of her moisturiser. We both use Boots No7, I use Protect and Perfect and she uses Restore and Renew (for ladies over fifty), I really wish she has left more.
No one mentions that you need a stronger moisturiser when you move to a hot country, but I know now.