How to adapt your skin care routine to a different climate

What Factors Are Affecting Your Skin

1. Pollution

Going from a more rural environment to a bustling city can be tough on your skin, particularly when it’s a city known for high levels of pollution. When your skin is exposed to harmful gases, dirt particles, and increased amounts of free radicals, it can react badly. This is because pollution harms and breaks down your skin’s barrier function by degrading collagen and lipids contained with in it. Studies have shown that women who live in highly polluted urban areas have a weakened barrier function around 10 percent more so than women who live in non-urban areas. Additionally pollution can cause skin flare-ups, irritation, rashes and breakouts. Dirt particles accumulate on the skin’s surface, which can clog pores. This mixed with your skin cells and oils can cause reactions such as pimples and even dehydrate your skin.

2. Water

The type of water you use to cleanse your skin makes a big difference. There are two types of water — hard water and soft water. Hard water contains more minerals such as calcium and magnesium, whereas soft water only contains particles from one element, sodium. The differences in water can affect your skin and how cleansers perform. If you’re used to using soft water and then start using hard water, it may further dry skin. If you are experiencing this, you may want to consider using a micellar cleansing water in these instances to avoid the affects the water change can have on your skin. Find out more about micellar water here.

3. Temperature And Sun

Going from a hot climate to a cold one - and vice versa - can affect your skin. A warmer climate can increase your skin’s oil production, whereas cold climates can make skin more dry, particularly if you spend time indoors with the dry air that radiates from heaters. Adapt your skin care routine accordingly if you notice that your skin is breaking out more or are in greater need of moisture because of the new climate. Also whether you are in cold or warm temperatures or not, never forget to use SPF.

Skin Care When You Experience Climate Change

1. Deep Clean With The Right Products

Use a gentle cleanser twice a day to remove oil, free radicals, sweat and sebum from the surface of your skin. Change your cleanser according to your skin’s response to your new climate. If your skin is suddenly oily, use cleansers with glycolic acid to cut through the oil and deep clean your pores. It’s an exfoliator than can help increase surface skin cell turnover. Just landed in a big metropolis with high pollution? Use a cleanser that contains an antioxidant complex. Bundled up in a cold environment that’s drying out your skin? Use a cleansing milk or micellar water to keep your skin from drying out.

2. Use A Toner If You Need To Get Super Clean

Find an effective, alcohol-free toner to lift any excess oil or dirt particles that may not have been removed through cleansing. This is particularly important if you’re in a very polluted city.

3. Enlist Antioxidants

Antioxidants are helpful for your skin no matter where you are. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals which can negatively impact your skin. You should be look for products with antioxidant Vitamin A, C and/or E either in the form of a serum, moisturizer or mist.

4. Moisturize And Protect

Pollution, sun and changes in water can be tough on your skin which makes it super important to protect and moisturize it correctly. Always apply moisturizer in the morning and at night to soothe and hydrate your skin. In the mornings, use a moisturizer with SPF to protect your skin from harmful rays and sun damage. Moisturized skin is happy skin.