We can’t deny it, life in the city has many advantages – we’re talking everything from the endless options of restaurants, shops and entertainment to the easy access of public transport and more. But, just like most things, the cosmopolitan lifestyle comes with some disadvantages too. One being the stress it can cause our skin.
As the human body’s largest organ, our skin has many vital functions. Not only does it act as a protective barrier to shield us from harmful bacteria, it also regulates our internal temperature and transforms vitamin D into calcium to optimise our bone health. So, it goes without saying that it’s essential we look after our skin and level up our skin care routine.
With that in mind, here at Cult Beauty, we’ve done the hard work for you by taking a deep dive into which cities are best for your skin’s health. Using four different ranking factors – ranging from the air quality to the average levels of humidity per year – we’ve rounded up the top 20 cities that put your complexion first.
WHAT CITY FACTORS AFFECT OUR SKIN
To identify the best skin-friendly cities across the UK, we’ve looked into four different factors:
- Air Quality: This index refers to the city’s air quality index (AQI). The more polluted the air, the higher the number, resulting into the greater the share of the population, the higher the negative effects from the pollution.
- Humidity Levels: This is the average level of humidity percentage for the past 12-month period.
- Wind Average: This is the average level mph wind for the past 12-month period.
- Average Annual Lowest Temperature: The average lowest temperature for the past 12-month period.
TOP 20 UK CITIES FOR YOUR SKIN
HOW TO CITY-PROOF YOUR SKIN
With the United Nations predicting that two thirds of our world’s population will be living in a city by 2050, its time to help your face fight against urban pollution. With sensitivity, pigmentation and premature aging far more common among city dwellers, a standard cleanse and moisturising routine simply isn’t going to cut it. But fear not, we’ve put together the top tips and tricks you need to shield your skin against the challenges of the big smoke.
DOUBLE CLEANSE TWICE A DAY
Cleansers or face washes are non-negotiable when living life in the big city. Whether you’re traveling on the underground or bustling through busy streets, your day-to-day commute will have a large impact on your skin’s health. The best way to overcome this? Double cleansing, twice a day. Helping to dissolve daily debris, this first (and arguably most important) step not only melts away the day but also creates a clean canvas for when you apply other products. For the best results, we suggest using an oil-based cleanser or cleansing balm, followed by a foaming cleanser.
ENSURE A DAILY DOSE OF VITAMIN C
As we know, our skin shields us from daily sunlight and pollutants, so it’s important to keep its defence mechanisms as stress free as possible. To do this, all you need is a daily dose of vitamins – in particular vitamin C. Boosting brightening benefits to combat uneven tones and discolouration, this essential ingredient is easily applied via your daily serums. Supercharged to improve your natural resistance against free radicals, they not only purify but protect all day long. Find out more by scrolling through our Ingredient Focus Vitamin C guide.
MOISTURISE, MOISTURISE, MOISTURISE
Living in metropolitan areas means you’re met with a whole host of different environments. As you travel to and from locations there is typically a noticeable shift in temperature and humidity – one moment you’re in the office with the air conditioning full blast and the next you’re squashed on a stuffy bus. These transitions have been proven to compromise our complexion, leaving it dehydrated and dull. But, that’s where your dew-drenching moisturisers comes into play. Reinforcing your barrier functions, they relieve tightness while quenching your skin’s thirst. For optimum results, use formulas that feature hyaluronic acid. Why? Because this essential ingredient holds up to 1,000 times more water weight, keeping it locked safely in your dermis.
DEFND WITH DAY CREAMS
In the same way we shield our skin from UV rays, we should also be protecting it from high-energy visible light – more commonly known as blue light. Cue: Day creams. Not only protecting you from your avid use of laptop, tablet and phone screens, these potent formulas are packed with antioxidants that counteract the free radical damage that comes hand in hand with city life. Want to know more about how to guard your complexion from HEV? Read our guide on How To Protect Your Skin From Blue Light… Don’t worry, you can thank us later.
PROTECT AGAINST POLLUTION
Face mists are the perfect partner in crime when battling damaging pollutants. Easy and efficient, they can be spritzed at home or on the go. While they offer a mid-day pick me up, they also hydrate, brighten and refresh. This skin-saving solutions’ non-film-forming formulas wards off pollutants from landing on the surface of your skin and inevitably prevents them from penetrating further into the epidermis. Our advice? Keep one close by at all times.
SHIELD WITH SPF
Now we know this isn’t new news, but it’s always worth mentioning – don’t forget to apply SPF! Rain or shine, city or countryside, sunscreen is a must. Using chemicals that absorb UV rays before they have the chance to penetrate the skin, not only do these shielding savours reduce the levels of radiation that reaches the epidermis, but they also avoid premature aging, hyperpigmentation and more.
HOW TO CITY-PROOF CONSCIOUSLY
Now you know how to protect your skin from the city, why not take things one step further and give back to the city? With our Cult Conscious scheme, you can ensure you’re picking products that not only shield your complexion but planet Earth too. How? We’re glad you asked. Teaming up with Provence, here at Cult Beauty we are able to identify each product's proof points by performing extensive due diligence of our brand’s claims. So, essentially, we are giving you a at-glance confirmation of which items fits our and your values. Below are just some of our certified proof points to look out for to ensure you can make your purchase matter. Find out more with our guide to Everything You Need To Know Cult Conscious.
Recycle Your Remains: lessen the impact of beauty on the planet by adding a Recycle Me bag to your cart with your next buy. Our Recycle Me programme takes the materials of your items and downcycles them, turning them into plastic boards that can be used for other things. Not only does this avoid them from ending up in landfill, but they’re getting a second lease of life.
DISCOVER RECYCLE ME >>>Opt For Organic: choosing organic skin care means that your formulas are created without the exposure of pesticides or non-organic matter that are responsible for compromising their purity and responsible for harming the planet’s inhabitants and soils. Not only do the lack of synthetics enhances biodiversity and result in better soil quality, it also reduces every day pollution.
SHOP ALL ORGANIC SKIN CARE >>>Embrace Recycled Prodcuts: recycled products celebrate eco-conscious companies who are leading the charge with their commitment to low-to-zero waste packaging and practices. By selecting these skin care saviours, you can rest assure knowing that your product’s materials have not contributed to landfill waste.
SHOP ALL RECYCLED SKIN CARE >>>There you have it, now you have everything you need to know about city-proofing your skin, it’s time to enjoy the hustle and bustle of the big smoke – without comprising your complexion. Taxi!
SHOP ALL SKIN CARE >>>
*METHODOLOGY*
This dataset ranks 43 UK cities, based on how good they are for our skin. To do this, four different factors were used. Once the data for the factors were collected, they were then normalised, to provide a score 0 to 1. The normalised values were summed, to give each city a total score out of 5. Next, the cities were ranked from highest to lowest, based on their toral scores to reveal the UK cities that are best for our skin. Each metric was based on annual average figures.
Air Quality: This index refers to the city’s air quality index (AQI). The more polluted the air, the higher the number, resulting into the greater the share of the population, the higher the negative effects from the pollution.
Humidity Levels: This is the average level of humidity percentage for the past 12-month period.
Wind Average: This is the average level mph wind for the past 12-month period.
Average Annual Lowest Temperature: The average lowest temperature for the past 12-month period.
