Your genes, lifestyle and skincare routine are the most obvious triggers for skin sensitivities and unwanted irritation. But there’s another important factor at play that often gets brushed under the carpet. And that’s the climate in which you live.
Chances are, if you’re reading this you’ve become used to living with sensitive skin. You’ve probably got your skincare routine down and have switched out things like fragrance-forward laundry detergents and harsh household cleaning products for gentler, kind-to-skin formulations. But have you ever thought about how your environment affects the health of your skin?
The truth is, it’s not just the products you apply on a daily basis that can cause skin flare-ups and sensitivities. Climate factors such as UV levels, pollution and humidity can also compromise your skin’s barrier function. Air pollution from urban living, for example, is proven to play a major role in the frequency and severity of acne breakouts, psoriasis and atopic dermatitis (1). Similarly, the constant low humidity levels experienced from living in the desert can be a killer on itchy, flaky skin and facial redness (2).
Of course, short of packing up and moving your home, there’s not a lot you can do about the climate in which you live. However, understanding what may be affecting your skin and knowing how to combat their effects can go a long way to improving the symptoms of your sensitive skin.
To follow, we explain four of the most important environmental factors that affect your skin.
1. UV Radiation
It would be remiss not to start with the most obvious climate factor that affects your skin: the sun.
Contrary to popular opinion, the outside temperature doesn’t have to be sky high for the sun to mess with your skin. In fact, the sun emits a whole spectrum of rays called the electromagnetic spectrum which aren’t all about heat. This spectrum includes infrared, visible light and, arguably the biggest bad boy of all, broad-spectrum ultraviolet (UV) radiation. UV is dangerous because you can’t feel or see it, yet it’s present all year long – not just on scorching hot days. It’s responsible for sunburn and plays a massive role in premature skin aging, skin cancer and many other skin disorders and sensitivities. It can worsen rosacea, for one thing, and it triggers polymorphic light eruption (PMLE) which is an sensitivity reaction to sunlight that results in a red, itchy rash.
Where you live plays a significant role in the amount of UV you’re exposed to. The closer you are to the equator, for example, the more exposed you are since the sun is directly overhead and need only travel a short distance to reach the earth’s surface (3). Similarly, if you live at a high altitude you will experience much higher levels of UV due to the air being thinner and less able to absorb those damaging rays before they get to your skin. In recent studies carried out by Clarins, it was interesting to see that Arizona topped the list of states with the worst levels of sunlight and UV levels, with Nevada and California coming in second and third respectively.
To reduce irritation from UV, stay away from direct sunlight as much as possible by seeking the shade and covering up whenever you go outside. And, of course, apply broad-spectrum sunscreen to exposed skin every day. Sunscreen can be tricky to nail if you have sensitive skin, but search out our SkinSAFE 100 rated products and you’ll know you’re doing everything you can to avoid the most common allergens and irritants.
2. Hot Temperatures
Now, let’s talk about heat. As you know, the closer you live to the equator, the hotter the weather becomes due to the angle of the sun being more direct and infrared radiation having less distance to travel. However, hot weather can also occur in locations further from the equator when high pressure in the atmosphere pushes warm air toward the ground.
Comfortable outdoor temperatures don’t usually trigger skin sensitivities, but extreme temperatures can. Hot weather can cause prickly heat thanks to sweat getting trapped underneath the skin. Acne flare-ups can also become more frequent if pores become clogged by excess sebum, sweat, and trapped bacteria.
If you live in a hot climate and your skin suffers because of it, try to stay indoors when the sun is at its hottest (usually from noon to 4 pm). Don’t bump up the AC up too much, though, as this will reduce the indoor humidity levels which accelerates moisture loss in your skin and can exacerbate dehydration and irritation. Minimize prickly heat symptoms by taking cool showers and wearing loose-fitting, cotton clothes.
3. Low Humidity
Speaking of humidity… this refers to the amount of water vapor in the air from oceans, lakes, and other large bodies of water. The level of outdoor humidity varies greatly depending on where you live in the world. Colder areas usually have a very low humidity level because cold air cannot retain as much water as warm air. However, hot inland desert areas also have little to no humidity because they’re so far from the coast that by the time air reaches them, it’s lost all of its moisture (4).
While high humidity levels can make you sweat more, encouraging congestion or acne breakouts, low humidity arguably has a more crucial impact on sensitive skin – especially when it’s combined with frigid temperatures from either the weather or your air conditioning.
You see, when there’s less moisture in the air, your skin loses more water through a process called transepidermal water loss (TEWL). This can lead to dry, dehydrated, itchy skin which can trigger allergies or ongoing conditions like eczema and psoriasis (5).
If you live in a low area of humidity consider investing in a humidifier for your home and set it to somewhere between 40 and 60 percent which is the optimum level for the health of your skin.
When it comes to your skincare routine, exfoliate once a week to remove dead skin cells from building up at the surface, and make sure to apply a hydrating serum to damp skin after cleansing (this helps to maximize any moisture droplets on the surface). Then moisturize thoroughly with a rich cream or lotion. Try The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid Serum followed by Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel-Cream for Extra Dry Skin Both of these harness the powers of hyaluronic acid which draws water to the surface of the skin like some kind of skin-hydrating super magnet.
4. Poor Air Quality
Air pollution includes things like car exhaust fumes, cigarette smoke and gasses or soot from power plants. All of these release microscopic particles into the air that can be up to 20 times smaller than your pores. This means that if you live in urban areas with high pollution, those grubby particles can really get under your skin, clogging your pores, accelerating inflammation, triggering irritation, causing skin barrier dysfunction and exacerbating any existing skin conditions you may have.
Environmental pollution also encourages the formation of free radicals in your skin. Free radicals are those nasty components that chip away at your collagen, elastin, and DNA while upsetting the levels of moisture your skin needs in order to function at its best. Cue more dryness, dehydration, and even a bit of premature aging to add fuel to the fire.
Unfortunately, almost the entire planet (90 percent) experiences some kind of air pollution on a daily basis (6) but it’s inherently higher in built-up, urban areas.
To help protect your skin from the slings and arrows of environmental pollution, cleanse thoroughly day and night, and try a weekly detox with something like Clinique All About Clean Anti-Pollution 2-in-1 Charcoal Mask + Scrub. We also recommend you introduce an antioxidant-rich formulation into your routine to combat free radical damage. Try Sanitas Antioxidant Moisturizer which is chock full of vitamins C and E (and SkinSAFE 100, of course!).
https://skinandcancerinstitute.com/5-common-skin-problems-in-desert-climates/
https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/documents/sunuvu.pdf
