It has been a cruel, cruel summer. Here in Arizona, the monsoon season comes as a huge relief after the scorching and sometimes unbearable heat! As these storms bring life back to the desert, they can also create a lot of skin issues. As the humidity levels rise, you might find your skin looking dull, and missing its glow. With a couple tweaks and the right products, we’ll keep your skin optimized.
Look for the rainbows!
Just because the weather is humid, it does not mean that you do not need a heavy moisturizer during monsoon season. Skin that is well hydrated does not produce excess oil to maintain hydration on your skin.
Look for a non-greasy and lightweight moisturizer infused with hyaluronic acid and desert aloe vera for maximum efficacy. We suggest Cactus Crush or Serene Marine natural body creams with botanical hyaluronic acid and organic desert aloe vera!
What is monsoon season?
If you’ve never lived in or visited the U.S. Southwest, you might picture it as a desert that is always hot and dry. But this region experiences a monsoon in the late summer that produces thunderstorms and severe weather. It is super important to the region because it replenishes local water supplies throughout Arizona, which is in the midst of a long-term drought.
Intense heat rolls in during May and June. The monsoon in Arizona officially begins June 15 and ends Sept. 30, with most rainfall usually occurring in July and August. The monsoon has been vital to southwestern ecosystems for thousands of years.
Many species have evolved and adapted to take advantage of the monsoon rains. The first storms signal milkweed plants to bloom, attracting butterflies to lay their eggs. Cactus fruits, like Prickly Pear Cactus, and insects provide food for hummingbirds, white-winged doves and many other birds and animals.
Monsoon Magic
When you live in the Sonoran desert, the word “rain” has a completely different meaning than in other parts of the world. During the summer, the Sonoran desert gets fueled and refilled by monsoon rains that bring the desert back to life.
Monsoon is not just a word, but a metaphor for hope, peace, celebration, adventure, and regeneration. Our team thinks of it as a celebration of resilience. It is a miracle to see how desert plants can not only survive, but thrive in the harshest conditions. It’s no wonder the desert aloe we use to fuel our body care packs such a powerfully hydrating punch.
Desert plants have built up such incredible protection that it takes a few monsoon rains to penetrate their thick seed coats. During monsoon, that extra rain finally breaks through and brings an explosion of life.
Even if only for a few weeks out of the year, this coming out party is part of what makes monsoon magical.
Lightning Strikes
Life gets easier for the desert and even for gardeners during the monsoon. The spectacular lightning strikes during storms are part of the reason why. The strikes crate nitrates which, when mixed with rain, become a type of nourishing “liquid fertilizer”.
With that nitrogen and other nutrient rich minerals coming down with the rain the landscape is transformed into something truly amazing. All the plants are much perkier and a deeper shade of green and we see certain plants like the Desert Poppy, the Canyon Morning Glory and the Devil’s Claw, which only come out during monsoon season.
Monsoon is something many in Southern Arizona look forward to every year—not just because of its impressive storms, but for the glorious second spring we get to experience.
Glow through the season.
During monsoon season, make it a point to moisturize your skin daily. It helps in protecting the skin from pollution and dust.
Regular moisturization with a pure and natural moisturizer that suits your skin type reduces premature aging and other skin issues. Add a mineral SPF to your routine as well!
