In this part of the country where I live, the harmattan did not show up until Christmas morning, I woke up to a blocked nose and cold feet. This is the only weather you’re cold and sweating at the same time.
By the 26th morning, it was full-blown, couldn’t take a bath till late afternoon. By the 27th, it had disappeared and here I was thinking Uncle dusty came out to play.
Fast forward to January, he finally came out to play, it’s been super chilly, dusty, and hot all week so I decided to finish up this post before he disappears again.
Here are 10 items you need to stay protected this harmattan season
1. SUNSCREEN
There is a misconception of sunscreen being for only light-skinned folks (I laugh in Spanish). The sun damaging rays does not see color, it hits all skin tone with the same intensity.
Shielding your skin with sunscreen either fair or dark is the smartest choice.
This harmattan sun can fry your destiny (Nigerian slang) my brothers and sisters in the North can attest to this. Sunscreen is the key to keeping the skin healthy.
Get yourself one with at least an SPF30 from your local beauty stores and pharmacies.
2. LIP BALM
Say no to cracked lips this season, get yourself a lip balm. You can improvise with shea butter or petroleum jelly. Apply this in a generous amount around your lips for maximum protection.
3. MOISTURIZER
For those of you who do not like body creams/moisturizers, now is the time to bring them out from whatever hole you’re hiding them.
Please no ashy looking skin this season. Add moisturizers to your skin to prevent flaking and avoid looking like uncle dusty.
4. SHEA BUTTER (ORI)
Moisturizer alone does not do the job for me, I look ashy after a few hours so I top it up with shea butter (ori ). I love my legs super shinny during the harmattan. Gives my skin extra protection all day without flaking.
If you have dry skin, you need heavy oils like shea butter for maximum protection.
If you prefer a less greasy look then add a thicker layer of a moisturizer than you would on a normal day.
5. FACEMASK
We are still in covid season, MASK UP!
We have the coronavirus to thank for the liberty of wearing a mask without getting weird glances from people, as It has become a compulsory uniform.
The benefits of wearing a face mask this season are endless one of them being not getting arrested by the police.
We all know how dusty the harmattan season can be, you don’t want to inhale dust into your lungs.
MASK UP! for double protection against Aunty Rona and Uncle Dusty.
6. SUNGLASSES
Harmattan but make it fashion.
Where there’s dust, there’s wind to blow particles into your eyes. Avoid getting an eye irritation or infection, Protect your eyes from direct sun rays by wearing your sunglasses.
7. BOTTLE OF WATER
The most important item! this should be the number one item on your list. You should not wait till you’re thirsty before you drink water.
More people suffer from dehydration this harmattan season. Please don’t add dehydration to the list of things we’re fighting in the country.
Do yourself a huge favor by drinking water at intervals to stay hydrated. Your body needs more water this season due to the condition of the external environment.
A friend of mine gave me a tip to drinking more water, just set an alarm on your phone at intervals. I set mine to every one hour, with this, I get to drink more water.
Another tip is getting a fancy bottle or cup, our brain is funny, this motivates you to drinking more water.
8. CARDIGAN/SWEATER
This is my favorite weather for a reason. If you know me, then you know how important my cardigan is to me, I take it everywhere harmattan or not (I’ve been preparing for the Abroad weather) haha!!
Now is time to get your jackets and cardigans out especially for the kids. The weather gets chilly in the mornings and late evenings which is enough to catch the flu.
9. VITAMINS
Your immune system needs all the support it can get as you are vulnerable to allergies now more than ever.
Eat more wholesome fruits and vegetables, take vitamin supplements if you must. Vitamin C capsules should be your best friend.
10. WARM WATER
In my first boarding school, we had the luxury of getting warm water to bath. Imagine my shock when I switched schools and the only way we could get warm water was to keep our buckets of water under the bunk to make it warm. I hated school during the harmattan season because of this.
Boil your bathing and drinking water if you can. Don’t bath with excessively cold or hot water this harmattan season. Warm enough to not give you a heart attack when you pour down.
This is not the time to form Jagaban
Bonus
STAY IN YOUR HOUSE
If you must not go out, do not go out. Covid is still very much around. Protect yourself and family at all cost this harmattan season. Lock your doors, get a blanket and cuddle up.
Christmas season is over, no more house hopping.
There you have it!
What essential item did I miss?
Let’s chat in the comment section.