Over time I’ve had quite a few forum postings from people claiming their skin has changed a lot after a move to a new city. This move is usually dramatic, like moving to a completely new country. And the move has broken them out big time.
I’ve been traveling a lot around the globe over the last six months so I know better than anyone how a physical location can change the skin, and how it can make acne better or worse.
I can even tell you what cities I’ve been in that made my skin awesome, and what cities made my skin break out or go blotchy.
My skin was definitely the best in Las Vegas. I was there in summer so I’m guessing the searing dry heat had something to do with it. It was so hot and dry that my skin just could not produce enough oil to keep hydrated. The heat was too dry to even sweat!
My skin was great in Fiji too. I spent a few days lying around in a resort by the beach so my skin must have loved the extra sleep and relaxation I was getting. The pollution in Fiji is relatively low too, especially on the island I was staying.
Air pollution and acne
I’m a big believer in air pollution causing acne. With a heap of dirty air particles flying around settling on our skin, getting into our pores and irritating our skin. It’s the perfect set up for blocked up pores and spreading bacteria for making a pimple.
The worst city for my skin so far has been London, interesting enough where I’m currently located. For the first time in six months I’ve been concerned about my skin. I’ve had three small pimples on my jawline and my forehead has become very blotchy and almost orange-peel-like. It’s as if a bunch of spots are deciding if they want to make their way out or not.
Of course I’ve been applying a BHA lotion and Bee Yummy religiously so I’m sure my forehead will clear up soon, but it’s still a big concern to me and I’m blaming London because this is where it all started.
The air pollution in London is terrible so that has to be the main problem. I’ve also noticed the ratio of London residents with problem skin seems to be significantly higher than most of the other cities I’ve visited so it must be a common problem.
When I think about it, my skin wasn’t that great in New York City either, the other most polluted city I’ve been to. I did experience an unusual breakout when I was there. I blamed it on the sunblock I used at the time but now I’m wondering if it was really brought on by the air pollution.
How to prevent air pollutant acne
Interestingly enough, when I Googled air pollution and acne most of the results that came up were product related. It seems that skin care companies are realizing that air pollution is a growing concern so are now making products that claim to clean the skin of daily pollutants.
While I personally don’t think it’s possible to produce a product that can target pollutants on the skin specifically, I do think if you live in a city where the air pollution is relatively high, then you need to do something about it.
Exfoliating regularly is a really good idea. In fact, I’d even start exfoliating my face every second day if I lived here. And of course it’s essential to invest in a very good (but still very gentle) cleanser so you make sure you’re washing all the pollutants off. The water only method may not be a great idea in a city like London or New York.
Has your skin changed after a move?
I’d love to hear from your own experiences. Have you gone on holiday or lived in another city/country and found that your skin changed a lot? I’ve heard of this happening so many times now. I’d love to do some kind of study or thesis on it to really get to the bottom of why this happens.
If this is you, write a comment in the box below and let us know where you’ve been and what happened to your skin, good or bad!
34 responses ↓
This past summer I went on a cruise to central america and I have to say I was prettty embarrassed with my skin on the ship.For some reason the scorching heat of central america was more than my face could handle and it went all kamikaze on me.Then after the cruise I spent a week in miami and I dont know if someone was cranking up the heat lever but if anything it was more hot than central america.It was so blinding I remember that I had to watch the floor to walk outside cause the sun was killing my eyes.
But after all that I returned to my island in the caribbean and I’ll always remember that when I got back I enjoyed 3 weeks of fabulous clear skin
and it has never been that good since 
.It must have been the care free way I was when I got back cause that vacation was a bit stressful not to mention it wasnt that hot either.
But I believe that the temperature on the ship had to do something with it as well.Cause if you’ve just been in blazing heat, then suddenly returned inside the ship to air condition temperature then you’ve decided to go out on the deck while in the middle of the ocean to normal temperature then all that change has to be the reason.
i believe stress has more to do with it a LOT of the time. miami, yes, is awful. i’ve almost always had bad skin there. BUT i’ve also always been stressed out there! the period where i had actually really good skin there was when i wasn’t stressed. in conclusion, weather isn’t the sole culprit of acne. it may contribute, but stress may be the defining factor. also, of course, the reason will be influenced by what products you are using at the time. like you said, fran, using bee yummy your skin will probably clear up soon, and it’s not very broken out, from what i understand.
so — STRESS STRESS STRESS. moving makes you stressed like hell, and traveling too! i used to think airplane air made me break out, but of course it was just the stress making my oil glands have a party!
I believe pollution really has an effect on the skin but it is also linked to the weather… I’m from France and I stayed in Houston, TX for one year and my skin became very bad over there (and not only my skin, my hair too). The city is so polluted that you can’t even see the stars by night… Besides the hot weather and the humidity make it even worse.
Some could think the acne may also be due to the change of food (which was drastic in my case). Maybe… but when I went to Colorado my skin cleared up in 5 days… The city was almost pollution-free and the weather was colder.
So the outburst may also be linked to an exposure to an altogether different climate. I know a Vietnamese girl who came to France and experienced acne for the first time in her life in my country (and the city was not so polluted).
But then depending on the type of skin we have, maybe our skins react differently according to all these factors…
Oh Fran I feel for you … I found that alot of my skin rashes are due to the dirt and grime in London but unfortunately I am in a committed relationship and can’t leave ! I personally have problems especially as I work smack bang in the City … in fact I have a few rashes now on my chin … it always calms down when I leave London x
So you’re in London now? Will you be traveling through europe or only the english speaking parts? (I’d really be interested if you find good natural or at least effective products in the loacal europeen brands. While UK has access to mostly everything that is available in canada or US, for the rest of europe it is not that easy.)
I’ve been to Lindon once. We were roaming through the city all day long and in the evening when I steped un der the shower I was shocked: the water was literaly gray of dirt that was running off my body and that even before I used any soap! I can understand now why you only see bicyclists with a mask over their nose and mouth …
As for your routine – do you use the be yummy only on your face or your neck as well?
I’ve been getting whiteheads on my neck, started on my left jarline and is wandering down my neck now to the other neck side… It started about 2 weeks ago which is about the same time I started to use the be yummy and the philosophy purtity fequently. Now I’m very unsure – is it an allergic reaction to any incredent or was there just adifferent factor from outside *sigh*
So I stopped using both since this WE, going to observe my reaction and I’ll have a allergy test for cosmetic ingredients and bee products…
Hi Nico, I’m leaving for Brussels today and I’ll be around Europe until I return back to Brisbane on Christmas Eve!
I’ll definitely check out the natural skin care options where in can in the cities I’m in. It’s going to be so cold (it snowed in London last night!!!) so I’ll probably want to spend as much time as I can indoors
Oh sounds like you’ve done the right thing by stopping using the new products. It’s always best to start using 1 new product at a time so if you get a cosmetic acne reaction you know what’s causing it. Give it a couple of weeks and see if it clears up. If it does, choose one product that you don’t think is the culprit and see how your skin reacts.
Every March Break i travel with family to the south. I generally travel to quiet restorts located on tropical islands, and away from modern wester civilization. I notice every time i travel, my skin clears up almost instantly. The natural salts and minerals in the ocean water cleanse my skin leaving my whole body soft and supple. My facial acne almost disappears- it is amazing! However as soon as I return home, my skin reverts back to ‘normal.’ My skin has improved over the years, but I have yet to find the same results i enjoyed on a sunny sandy beach island, as I might find in a bottle.
Fran,
I live in New Jersey (U.S.A).
I live in a suburb about 50 minutes outside New York City.
I get flare ups of acne that comes and goes, finding that oatmeal soap, and more lately, Aloe Vera to help.
I am 37 and thought Acne was more prevalent in the late teens.
About the pollution, the drive down Route 1 towards New York has more pollution that my town. If I took the train would that protect me more than the drive. And, if I close the window during my drive would that help me, or is it inescapable?
Fran, I greatly appreciate you for sending me your e-letters every few days and I try to at least scan them all.
All your fans appreciate your work and I am so happy to see a young lady enjoying her life with her travel and fascinations.
andy.
@Christine
So you’re looking for cosmetics with incredents from the sea?
How about La Mer? No, not the very expensive thing that you get in US but the local brand here in germany on the north sea. http://www.la-mer.com/
I haven’t tried any of it but it is said to be good. I’m rather sure you could get that in US as well otherwise I’m sure you can get it from a swap.
@Fran
Enjoy your stay in europe – but don’r stay indoors! There are soo many things to see here, nothing is better than live history, and you can find a lot in europe!
And thanks for the encouragement… I’m such an impatient person *sigh*
I was in London and in september for a week and my skin became very bad after like 2 days. I had a huge breakout, my skin was all red and very dry and very rough when I touched my face. It was awfull. At the moment I thought it was the food to blame, but now I see it was probably the pollution!! And as soon as returned back home to Slovenia, my skin started going back to “normal”.
I have a recommendation for a product that I am trying. It deals with the issue of pollutants to some extent because it has negative ions in it. The skincare line is Mia Pelle. If you try it, I would not recommend the cleanser or the lotion because the cleanser was too drying and the lotion made me break out. But, I am having good luck so far using the moisturizing gel as a cleanser.
I think that pollution is indeed a factor in clear skin. I live in New York and when I walk or run outside, I often find little black specks on my skin when I get home. Recently I went to Dominican Republic for two weeks and I really saw the difference in my skin.
[...] Phew! Thankfully I’ve recovered from my London skin breakout. I recently spent ten days in London and experienced the worst breakout I’ve had in six months. [...]
I just moved to London in September and my skin has never been this bad. Not even when I was a teenager. Not even when I was taking a birth control pill that made me breakout. It must be the pollution. Does anyone know of a good way to combat polution-caused acne? I’m staying here for another couple of months and I really need a solution. It’s gotten so bad I don’t even want to leave the house and meet new people.
Rochelle this is a really tough one. What I’d do is exfoliate a lot more than normal, both surface and deep pore to make sure all the pollution is off my skin.
I’d also invest in a really good cleanser. And you could try purchasing a skin care product that claims to help with pollutants, there are a few out there now.
Hi,
Because Climate Change is a Type of Air Pollution. When people think of air pollution, they most often associate it with the sort of dirty discharge that can be readily seen coming from the smokestacks of coal-fired plants or even the particulate matter that is emitted from automotive tailpipes. However, the most common and potentially dangerous gases that threaten life on Earth are actually greenhouse gases.
Carbon dioxide and methane, together, account for about 30% of the “greenhouse effect” that, at levels that had been steady since the end of the last ice age, keeps the Earth at the relatively comfortable temperatures that more life enjoys. However, while the levels of water vapor (which actually account for most of the greenhouse effect) have remained relatively stable, the amount of carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere has sky-rocketed, due largely to the burning of fossil fuels and the massive increase in the number of ruminant animals used for meat production.
SustainGreenPower.com
I have moved to Missouri, USA from Cheshire in the North West of England. I ve been here for nearly four months and have never had such bad skin.
I have lots of little bumps under the skin on my forehead, I have frequent spots and blackheads occuring on my chin and strange red spots around my jaw line.
Normally my skin is ok bar the occasional monthly hormonal breakout. I ve stopped wearing foundation as thought that could be the cause, but the spots and lumps keep coming.
I use Clinique anti blemish foam wash and every other day facial scrub. When spots are really bad I dab some witch hazel on them.
I thought it could be the change in water? As where I am staying is by no means a polluted city.
I’ve currently been traveling a lot and I used to live in Los Angeles and my skin wasn’t perfect but I didn’t have break outs just my regular scars and roseacea, but when I went to the beach in Mexico my skin was bad the first 3 days because of the heat and the excessive sweating, but after it went back to normal an the sun was helping my face clar a lot. Then, went back to Los Angeles and everything was back to normal, but since I came to Lima, peru my face keeps getting worst and worst evry week, it’s quite embarassing and I don’t even want to go out or anything. I also have oily skin and it’s gotten worse and my hair feels like I have to wash it everyday. Now after reading everyone’s stories I believe that the air and pollution are a major factor in damaging your skin and hair to what you are used to. I don’t know if it’s the change and your skin getting used to a new location. I hope someone can recommend me something.
Hi Fran,
I absolutely LOVE this blog, thank you so much for all of the advice and info. I’m 24 and live and work in London and have been having problems with my skin for about two years now. I used to get the odd spot around the time of the month but otherwise had relatively clear skin. But my skin took a turn for the worst exactly around the time i started working in London and then finally moved here. I now really struggle with congestion (lots of bumps under my skin around my chin area and jaw line) and get deep cystic spots every few weeks or so. I have ordered the Bee Yummy skinfood from the internet in the hope it might help me (?!) and am using Kiehls Ultra cleanser which is really gentle but gets my skin really clean. I have tried so many products (too many!) and all the acne ones really dry out my skin and leave me with flaky patches and if they dry up one breakout another always seems to be around the corner and the congestion is still there.
Despite the fact I only have very mild acne the effect it has had on my self confidence has been enormous. Having read a lot of your info I realise that my problem was probably made worse by a range of things (including skin picking/obsessing about my skin when i should have left it alone, changing my contraception and therefore messing up my hormones, masses more stress from my job and lack of sleep) but i think the initial problem with congestion really could have been caused by the pollution in London. Previously i lived in the countryside and didn’t have any problems with congestion.
I just find it amazing how problems with your skin can make you feel. I have been through a year or so of really low self esteem and it is only recently that i realised that my skin was having a real effect on how i feel about myself. Having found your blog, read some of your advice and signed up to the mini course i am determined to change my attitude and hopefully clear up my skin at the same time. It’s so good to start understanding the causes of the problem rather than just feeling miserable, frustrated and alone. Thank you so much Fran, you are the only person (including beauticians and medical professionals) who has helped me really understand the problem and it’s causes and therefore gotten me closer to finding a long term solution. Please keep up the wonderful work!
I grew up in the Bronx and always had somewhat unruly skin. But the minute I started working in Manhattan I broke out terribly and four years later, it still hasn’t stopped. Not only two hours on the subway everyday liable to coat you in all sorts of gross particles but just the stress of commuting… at the end of the day I almost feel the breakouts waiting to happen. I can’t wait to get out of NY. Yes, I will move to stop breaking out.
OMG, this is hitting home! I moved to Los Angeles 2 years ago from a samll town in Wyoming. Ever since I moved here my face has had the exact same acne bumps as described above, small and unsure if they are coming up or not, mostly on my forehead but also on my cheeks. Ive tried every skin wash I can think of, and nothing works. Ive been back to Wyoming a couple times and my skin clears up within a couple of days!! I also just went to Vegas last weekend and my skin cleared up! I was only there for 3 days, but as soon as I got back to LA my skin started breaking out again! I wish there was something to do to stop this!!
Hello!
I commented on another article by Fran. Please consider the WATER when you try to treat your acne!
My very long comment is here:
http://www.highonhealth.org/the-best-way-to-clear-a-sudden-acne-breakout/#comment-29369
to Christele: Texas has very hard water. I don’t know about France and the Vietnamese girl though.
to Christie: about the tropical islands helping your face. That happened to me to in greece. I’ve been washing my face with salt water and then rinsing with distilled water.
I truly believe air pollution causes acne. i am a pilot on 50 seater commuter aircraft, the cabin is pressurized and cabin air is recirculated. lots of air pollution there. Only when i work do i ever get acne.(really bad breakouts on my nose only). Time away from work, vacations etc, my skin clears up really well. Then when i return to work, yup, its back again.
Hey Fran,
I went to Florida and my skin was healing so suddenly that I didn’t have any breakouts but when I had to leave home, I got a big painful zit. What do you think helped my skin?
I live in Malaysia and have only lived here for 2 years. I used to live in the States my whole life and just when my skin started clearing up is when I had to leave for Malaysia. Immediately after we got here my skin started breaking out again, something I thought I would be rid of forever. Malaysia has no laws on pollution and I live in the capital city, which is dirtier than rural areas and think this is what is making me break out. I visited Texas for my entire summer break this past school year and after about 3 weeks my skin was wonderful again. Now that I am back I have to worry about spots all over again. :[
I’m originally from Oregon, then moved to Boston for college and work, and am now living in New Jersey just outside New York for grad school. The pristine skin I grew up with in Oregon has progressively gotten worse with every move. I think I have a program down that combats the pollution and doesn’t aggravate my very sensitive skin:
- Aveeno Clear Complexion Cleanser – gentle but works!
_ Origins Modern Friction Scrub – every couple days
- Origins White Tea Skin Guardian – Use everyday under moisturizer. It’s expensive, but really seems to protect skin from pollution!
- Origins Out of Trouble Mask – I use it at least once a week for an hour to deep clean!
Hope this helps!
I enjoyed the article, you asked if we had any changes in our skin from city to city, well, simply; yes.
I have very acne prone skin, cystic and lots of it. I live on the eastern shoe of maryland, we’re notorious for our swampy/humid waterfronts. I’ve had acne for as long as i can rember now and after no cure, started to wonder if it could be the air quality around here. Now we have almost no pollution here, a town of only 5000, but I was thinking maybe all the bacteria floating around from our swampy area may be causing it. WEll i went to OCean city for 3 days this summer, as you can guess, its right on the ocean, a big beach town. But while i was there i saw a significant improvment in my skin. Me and a few others have came to the realization the salt water thats always in the air, and the sun/humidty really helped. Consider this; the humidity opens up pores allowing easy brewathing for the skin, but with all the salt from the ocean blowin gin the air from staying right on the beach, the sea salt was able to get deeper and heal acne. I’ve been steaming my face in a hot shower, applying natural sea salt i bought in the store and letting it sit for awhile. I’ve noticed significant improvment. I’ve been lazy on the regiment the past week and have had a few nodule breakouts sense. Prior to that i had been improving everyday. I also apply lemon juice at nice, it seems to give a nice completion and clean out my pores. Thanks.
I moved to New York City in the summer of 2009 and I must say my skin has gone through a great deal of changes since I’ve been here.
My breakouts have been drastically different which could be attributed to various factors including the pollution, stress and weather in New York.
However I am switching products and looking into other holistic methods as well including diet and exercise regimen which can also affect your skin.
My sister recently tried the products from Acne.org and her skin completely cleared up, I mean CLEARED UP. I recently ordered the products so I’ll see how it goes.
Wish me luck!
Yes ladies, I am actually starting to believe pollution is to blame. I do have serious nasty acne, I live in Utah, and if the people here are not enough to make u breakout like crazy, the worse pollution in the country will. I bought an air purifier and hope it helps. I was in Wy for some months and it did help clear it up
I exercise, eat healthy and don’t smoke, and still have acne, i hate it, those people who eat junk and smoke all the time have perfect skin (for now) I hate it, why don’t they get all the nasty acne?
I moved to NYC, four years ago. I had never ever skin problem, now I have pimples everywhere! This city sucks.
When I went to SF for few weeks, my skin got cleared, I didn’t even had to use anything in SF.
So yes NYC is the worst for me so far.
I had severe acne as a teenager and now that I’m in my 30’s I have an occasional breakout. I would always read in the beauty magazines that you should apply a moisturizer on your face but I was reluctant because of my acne-prone skin. I’m not sure why I decided to give the Made from Earth Vitamin Enhanced Moisturizer a try but I am so glad I did. I have been using it every day for over a year now. It does not make my skin breakout at all (a big plus in my book). It makes my skin very smooth and gives me that “dewy” look. It also helps my foundation look more natural looking because the moisturizer is so hydrating. I also like the fact that it protects my skin from the sun.
I would definitely recommend this product to anyone looking for a moisturizer. Despite it’s high price (compared to other brands) it’s definately worth it, especially since it lasts for a long time.
I’m from Malaysia and all my life, I have always had clear face. Not smooth but definitely clear. Despite the searing heat on my island, my skin adapted well. Ever since I moved to England (I don’t live in London) my skin started reacting to I-don’t-know-what, and pimples would take turn to put on a show on my face! It breaks my heart to know that this has been on going for 8 months now and no matter what I do, it doesn’t go. I did most of what you do, I googled for advises from time to time but none seems to work. I went back to Msia for 3 weeks last month and there weren’t any facial ‘activity’ going on, at least not until I came back to England and it got worse than EVER! Help anyone?
I started using clear now… it is sold through amway global, I know a lot of people have issues with amway, but this is the only thing that had worked for me. I tried clyndamycin for a while and that worked at the beginning, but then it stopped. I have been using the clear now only in the mornings, with a moisturizer. You don’t want to always have the anti acne medication on, because it will dry out your skin and it will eventually start fighting it, dermatologist told me this happened with the clyndamycin. Good luck finding something that works for you!
Spot on. There are so many different kinds of acne out there, which are fueled and cured by so many different things. Over the years i have noticed my acne is environment driven. I move a lot and go on vacation alot in the military. When i lived in a country town in england i had clear skin, no bleishes. 1, 2 days after moving to Kansas, skin broke out and stayed breaking out for a year that i lived there. Only times i had clear skin was when i went to SC for a vacay, cleared up in 2 days!, and also on vacation in south america. But when returning to kansas and to various other cities, breakouts occur. And there is never a change in diet, cleaning methods, or stress, so none of those are culprits. So, with deduction you can always find out what causes your acne. Whether it is pollution, dirty air filters in a house, or climates it definately is environment driven. So looking at blogs, people need to stop telling others that they are wrong and it must be stress, diet, this or that. Not all types of acne are caused by the same things.
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