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In this insightful piece, our guest contributor, Maureen Ike, explores why your skincare routine may not be working in Nigeria and how our heat and humidity could be affecting the products you use.
There is a cycle that plays out quietly among skincare users in Nigeria. A product promises to deliver a glow, hydration, or brighter skin. It gets bought, becomes part of a routine, and before long comes the familiar question: Why isn’t this working? Frustration sets in, the product gets shelved, and the search begins again.
As skincare became more intentional, so did expectations. Building intentional skincare routines became increasingly popular in Nigeria in the late 2010s. What began as basic cleansing evolved into layered, step-by-step routines. Then came the arrival of K-beauty, with its lightweight toners, sheet masks, and multi-step systems. While moving away from harmful bleaching creams was a necessary cultural shift, it unfortunately opened the door to another issue: the reliance on products that were not created for our environment.
The African beauty industry is growing at a remarkable pace, yet a crucial conversation is missing. We are buying into a global beauty ecosystem that sells universal promises, often without asking the most important question: Was this product actually formulated for my environment?
Read also: Tried & Tested: Simple hacks for maintaining your hair and skin glow on a trip
When skincare meets a different climate
Woman applying skincare via Pexels.com by @Kampus production A product developed in a New York, London, or Seoul lab is designed to perform in those specific conditions, with their humidity levels, temperature ranges, and air quality. Bring that same product into the heat of Lagos, and its performance can change significantly. Something described as light and elegant in a cooler city can feel entirely different on skin in a tropical one.
Vivian Achugbu, a lawyer, found this out firsthand with a popular Japanese sunscreen. “The result was immediate,” she recalls. “I applied it on my face, went out with it, and it almost blinded me. Not only was the excessive oil on my face enough to fry with, but it also broke me out.”
What Vivian experienced highlights an important nuance. The same formulation can behave very differently when used outside the environment for which it was designed. Heat, humidity, and increased oil production can all influence how a product feels and performs on the skin. That “weightless” sunscreen may not be failing because it is a bad product; it may simply be reacting differently to the environment.
Dr Christabel Ovesuor, a consultant dermatologist based in Asaba, sees the result of this mismatch regularly. “Nigeria’s climate is mostly hot, humid, and in some places very dusty. That alone affects the skin barrier, oil production, sweating, and even how active ingredients penetrate,” she explains. The effects show up quickly. “Someone using a heavy moisturiser or occlusive product like petroleum jelly abroad during winter may tolerate it well, but here in Lagos or Asaba, that same product can clog pores badly and trigger acne or heat rash.”
The problem goes beyond moisturisers. “Even ingredients like exfoliating acids, retinoids, and brightening agents can react differently here because our UV exposure is stronger and more consistent,” Dr Ovesuor adds. “If you’re not protecting the skin properly, irritation and pigmentation can happen faster, especially in darker skin tones, which is what we mostly manage here.”
Why the environment matters more than we think
Dark-skinned woman touching her face via Pexels.com by @Roman Odintsov Nigeria’s combination of intense UV exposure, high humidity, and heat already places considerable demands on the skin. Using products designed for entirely different conditions can add another layer of complexity. Yet when a product underperforms, the industry’s default response is often to recommend more products rather than asking what might actually be influencing its performance.
The first step towards bridging this gap is awareness. Instead of immediately assuming a product has failed, consumers should also consider how the environment may be influencing its performance. Harmattan and the rainy season place very different demands on the skin, meaning a product that performs well in one season may feel entirely different in another. A product that feels heavy and uncomfortable by midday may simply be too rich or too occlusive for the humidity. That is not necessarily a skin problem. Sometimes, it is the environment telling you the product is the wrong fit.
Read also: The rainy season skin reset: Everything you need to know as the weather shifts
The case for skincare designed for Africa
Woman applying skincare on her cheekbone via Pexels.com by @Darina Belonogova The beauty industry has an opportunity to rethink how products are developed. The environment will always influence how skincare performs, regardless of where a product is formulated. Products should therefore be developed with the climates and conditions in which they are expected to perform, not just the markets in which they are sold.
Skincare should not have to fight the climate in which it is worn. Building products for the African environment is not an afterthought. It is the next logical step for an industry that has long relied on a one-size-fits-all approach to formulation.
Read more: Uncover launches the Myravive Collection, a multi-layer hydration technology for melanin-rich skin
React to this post!The post Your skincare is only as good as the environment it’s designed for, so it’s time we rethink how skincare is formulated for African climates appeared first on Marie Claire Nigeria.
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