A Must-Have

Before moving here, I didn't know how dry Sapporo was. Here, the humidity is usually around 50 percent and sometimes drops to 30 or lower.

Thanks to the dryness, laundry gets dry quickly even indoors, and mold doesn't develop as easily as it does in Fukuoka.

However, it is harsh to skin, especially at my age when your skin no longer produces oil on its own. In my case, my hands get not only even more wrinkly but cracked with hangnails. The skin around my mouth feels itchy and rough, and sometimes painful, I have tried horse oil and spray lotions, without any noticeable effect. 

Then, when I grumbled about the dryness of Sapporo, Gemini suggested I try petroleum jelly, rather than relying on beauty products, to protect (not improve, sadly) my skin. Half in doubt, I gave it a try on my hand, and then tentatively around mouth.

The result: Yes, it works. I no longer feel itchiness around my mouth and get hangnails. And it costs me around 200 yen...Why had I dismissed this little bottle just because it is made from petrol?

Disclaimer: The above is strictly my personal opinion. If you try petroleum jelly yourself, please do so at your own risk.