IFTTT (If This Than That) is an app where you can set one action or event to trigger another. It has a million of uses, a couple of examples here. It is available for bot iOS and Android. I harnessed this app to help me with my skin and hair.
I set the app up to send me push notifications if the weather met certain criteria -- specifically humidity and UV level.
I already debunked the myth that we should all wear sunscreen all year round. I set up the IFTTT app to let me know when the UV index rises to 3 or above, and it would give me a heads up to wear sunscreen. So far this notification has not yet been triggered this winter, but it will probably start popping up as we start to get some sun over here.
If you live in a place that gets tons of sunshine all year around, you might set the trigger to a higher number to remind you to wear extra protection and stay out of the sun during the riskiest times.
My assumption is that most of us are not terribly diligent about wearing sunscreen all the time, so we should make sure that we are at least wearing it when it's crucial.
I have also set up an alert for high humidity. So far I have not been actively doing anything about the notifications, just observing how my hair and skin react to very high and very low humidity. It will help me to prevent extremely frizzy hair or dry and flaky skin.
Finally, I have an alert for rain and snow, this makes sure that me and my kids are dressed waterproof and have the right shoes on. We commute and are at the mercy of the weather, so knowing ahead that it will rain (or that we don't need our heavy jackets) is a blessing. I also have alerts for temperature changes (which I adjust as the seasons change). For example at the moment my phone tells me if the temperatures will drop below -3°C or rise above 8°C the next day, and I make a quick mental note to dress myself and the kids appropriately. Above above 8°C means I get to wear my pretty wool coat instead of the marvelously Land's End warm puffer coat that I can't stand to look at any more each spring.
All these alerts might sound like a lot of trouble to set up, but it took me just a few minutes. Tweaking them throughout the year might take another couple of minutes, and it makes my daily life easier. At this time of the year it can be a sunny 15° one day and a -2° with sleet on day, and being prepared makes a huge difference.
But it wasn't always like this -- when I was pretty new in Germany and my kids used to go to a playgroup in a forest, I was always surprised at how all the other kids were perfectly geared up for the weather that day -- for example one day in the spring suddenly literally everyone switched to rain gear and light hats while mine still turned up in snow gear and warm caps. That's when I learned to follow the weather forecast. Weather.info is the most accurate free weather app for Germany according to Stiftungwarentest, and that's what I use. And in case you wonder why I don't just check the weather and bother with the IFTTT -- I am absent-minded and forget most days.
So, does anyone else use their phone to helps them with their beauty routine? I also use HabitRPG to build up beauty-related habits, and Drinkly to keep me hydrated :)
I set the app up to send me push notifications if the weather met certain criteria -- specifically humidity and UV level.
I already debunked the myth that we should all wear sunscreen all year round. I set up the IFTTT app to let me know when the UV index rises to 3 or above, and it would give me a heads up to wear sunscreen. So far this notification has not yet been triggered this winter, but it will probably start popping up as we start to get some sun over here.
If you live in a place that gets tons of sunshine all year around, you might set the trigger to a higher number to remind you to wear extra protection and stay out of the sun during the riskiest times.
My assumption is that most of us are not terribly diligent about wearing sunscreen all the time, so we should make sure that we are at least wearing it when it's crucial.
Maximum UV Index
| 1 - 2 | Low | |
| 3 - 5 | Moderate | |
| 6 - 7 | High | |
| 8 - 10 | Very High | |
| 11+ | Extreme |
I have also set up an alert for high humidity. So far I have not been actively doing anything about the notifications, just observing how my hair and skin react to very high and very low humidity. It will help me to prevent extremely frizzy hair or dry and flaky skin.
Finally, I have an alert for rain and snow, this makes sure that me and my kids are dressed waterproof and have the right shoes on. We commute and are at the mercy of the weather, so knowing ahead that it will rain (or that we don't need our heavy jackets) is a blessing. I also have alerts for temperature changes (which I adjust as the seasons change). For example at the moment my phone tells me if the temperatures will drop below -3°C or rise above 8°C the next day, and I make a quick mental note to dress myself and the kids appropriately. Above above 8°C means I get to wear my pretty wool coat instead of the marvelously Land's End warm puffer coat that I can't stand to look at any more each spring.
All these alerts might sound like a lot of trouble to set up, but it took me just a few minutes. Tweaking them throughout the year might take another couple of minutes, and it makes my daily life easier. At this time of the year it can be a sunny 15° one day and a -2° with sleet on day, and being prepared makes a huge difference.
But it wasn't always like this -- when I was pretty new in Germany and my kids used to go to a playgroup in a forest, I was always surprised at how all the other kids were perfectly geared up for the weather that day -- for example one day in the spring suddenly literally everyone switched to rain gear and light hats while mine still turned up in snow gear and warm caps. That's when I learned to follow the weather forecast. Weather.info is the most accurate free weather app for Germany according to Stiftungwarentest, and that's what I use. And in case you wonder why I don't just check the weather and bother with the IFTTT -- I am absent-minded and forget most days.
So, does anyone else use their phone to helps them with their beauty routine? I also use HabitRPG to build up beauty-related habits, and Drinkly to keep me hydrated :)
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