Whoever said you “can’t take the city out of the girl” clearly never paid much attention to their complexion. When you’re first living on your own in the city, it can be easy to get caught up in the fast paced lifestyle without realizing how it affects you. Excessive drinking, staying out all night, and breathing polluted city air can do a lot of damage to your body -and your skin is no exception. City skin is more acne prone, covered in pollutants, and more likely to show signs of premature aging.
But, don’t start packing up your bags and heading for the ‘burbs just yet! As long as you take proper care of your skin and heed this advice, you can get the most out of your city lifestyle without sacrificing your skin.
ALWAYS Wear SPF
There are plenty of things your mother said during your childhood that deserve a hard eye roll, but her relentless nagging that you should always wear sunscreen is not one of them. Forget about your normal argument that you spend most of your time inside or underground. Since walking is the main form of transportation year round in bigger cities, your skin needs protection. Plus, you are subject to UV rays even if you hang out by a window, so it is better to be safe than sorry.
Removing Your Makeup is Even More Important
Taking off makeup at the end of the day can be inconvenient, but it is so incredibly important. Even more so if you are a city dweller. Think of your makeup as a thin veil, constantly collecting the pollutants and toxins that sit in the air and holding them on your face. By washing your face properly every night, your skin has a chance to breathe and detoxify. Our skin is our largest organ, and like many other parts of our bodies, it repairs itself at night, so it’s vital that you remove toxins before hitting the sack. If you sleep with your makeup on, not only are you choking your skin with old makeup and air pollutants, but you’re also spreading bacteria all over your pillows and sheets, which can cause acne and breakouts.
Don’t Be Alarmed if Your Skin Type Changes
This is annoying, but also super common. Thanks to environmental changes, pollution, and other unavoidable aspects of city living, your skin could completely change its identity. When this happens, make sure to change your skin care routine accordingly with products tailored to your skin’s new attributes, like oiliness, dryness, and being more acne prone.
Avoid Touching Your Face
The immeasurable amount of germs that we encounter every day is something that most city folk actively try not to think about, but hear us out. All those pollutants we were talking about being in the air before are also on every single thing you touch, so you’re adding even more toxins to your skin by touching your face.
You Have To Live Even Healthier
Being proactive about cleansing your skin is only the first part of defending your skin in the city. Excessive drinking, staying out late, and midnight junk food are all common aspects of city life, and yet so detrimental to the health of your skin. Ironically, city life induces less healthy habits when you actually need to live more healthy than ever to combat the stresses of urban living. Your best bet is to eat healthier, exercise more, stay hydrated, and avoid fast food, alcohol, and late nights. But, of course, we didn’t need to tell you that. This applies to any place you live, but it’s especially important in a cosmopolitan environment. It may not be as fun, but your skin and body will thank you, and you will need that extra care to counteract the affects of city life.
Take Extra Care To Prevent Premature Aging
No, you’re not seeing things, your skin is probably aging more rapidly after your move to the city. While acne and changing skin types are common, minor annoyances city people should look out for, wrinkles and premature aging are also potential side effects of city life. Late nights, stress, improper cleansing, and constant exposure to pollutants are all one way tickets to wrinkled, aged skin. This means you may have to try extra hard to keep your skin youthful. Yes, ugh. So, this means more effort and more maintenance, such as facials, using anti-aging creams, apply weekly masks, etc. We know it’s annoying to have to make extra effort to keep your skin healthy, but it’s well worth it in the long term. Our complexions go far beyond vanity, they are actually a reflection of our health, so it’s always a positive trait to practice care and hygiene for your body’s biggest organ.
