Is The Climate Causing Your Acne?

Last Updated on January 6th, 2020

Have you noticed that you breakout more during a certain time of the year? Maybe during winter you have the worst breakouts or being in the sun during the summertime seems to lead to more breakouts. That’s because what many people don’t realize is that climate can definitely affect your acne. But there are things you can do to combat this, depending on your skin type and where you live. And no, please don’t think you have to run and buy fancy Proactiv products at the first sign of weather-related acne.

Here are a few weather elements that will affect your acne…

Hot Weather

Not only will 95 degrees make you sweat a ton, but it will also dry out your skin and that’s definitely not a good thing. Sweat accumulation can mean disaster for anyone’s skin, especially if you’re acne prone. If you shower frequently, it might not be a problem, but most people don’t have the option to shower after every drop they sweat. It’s not practical, which means that sweat and bacteria are sitting deep in your pores, just waiting to cause your next breakout.

Dry Weather

Irritation and dead skin cells are twice as likely in drier climates. There’s a reason your lips get chapped so fast when you visit Colorado. The dryness zaps away any moisture your body has to offer, which means you need to artificially put it back in. So moisturize! Not only can dry weather cause irritation and dead skin cells, but it can also lead to your body overcompensating the dryness and producing too much oil.

Humid Weather

So I know you’re thinking, “So I can’t do the heat, I can’t do dry, and now I can’t do humid. Where am I supposed to go?” Valid point, but the humidity is likely going to make your body sweat an unnatural amount, which will clog your pores and enhance the probability of breakouts. The moisture in the air is also going to trick your body into thinking that it needs to produce more oil than normal, which can be a nightmare for people with already oily skin.

Cold Weather

When it’s cold outside it can cause dryness in the skin. When your skin is dry it’s the perfect place for bacteria to live and cause annoying breakouts. This can be troublesome because we are used to using drying ingredients like benzoyl peroxide to fight blemishes. Substances like this can actually have a negative effect. Moisturizing is just as important as drying the skin out depending on the time of year.

I know after reading this you’re wondering what time of the year is good for your face. But please keep in mind that we are talking about extreme conditions: crazy hot temperatures like 100 degrees or more, extreme cold, super high humidity or very low humidity.

You get the point. The climate certainly can enhance the probability of a breakout, but if you take the necessary precautions you can increase your chances of limiting the breakouts and enjoying the weather, whatever it may be.