How to Keep Your Skin Hydrated in an Air-Conditioned Office

Published Jul 25, 2018

Raise your hand if you’ve ever felt personally victimized by your office’s air conditioning. While an endless stream of artificially chilled air is generally welcome during the hottest days of summer, keeping the A/C on blast can lower a room’s humidity to desert-like levels. Just a few hours in an air-conditioned office can leave you with tight, uncomfortable skin, cakey foundation, and dehydration lines you didn’t even know you had. Here, a few tips for combatting A/C-induced dry skin without leaving your desk.

Invest in a Face Mist

Keep a facial mist in your desk drawer for a quick hit of moisture at the first sign of dryness. A basic spring water spray like Evian or Eau Thermale Avene will do the trick, but there are many face mists out there that pack a major skincare punch. Caudalie Beauty Elixir is basically ubiquitous on set and backstage, thanks to its therapeutic scent and skin-enhancing ingredients. We’re also big fans of Omorovicza Magic Moisture Mist, which through some type of sorcery manages to combine a face oil with a mist for extra-dewy hydration.

Layer Up

Another way to keep dry air from sucking the life out of your skin is to be strategic with your skincare layers. In the morning, make sure you apply a lightweight serum or toner with a humectant—an ingredient that draws moisture from the air to the skin, such as glycerin or hyaluronic acid. Then, seal everything in with a moisturizer or primer with occlusive ingredients. Occlusives, like dimethicone, triglycerides, jojoba oil, and shea butter, prevent water from evaporating from the skin to maintain a healthy moisture balance throughout the day.

Get a Personal Humidifier

Humidifiers release water vapor into the air, bumping up the humidity levels of the space around you—and because this is 2018, they’re now available as adorable, USB-powered desk accessories. Do some research and look for one that runs quietly, cleans easily, and won’t take up too much precious real estate on your desk. (Bonus points if it looks like a tiny cactus.)