Can Moving To A New City Affect Your Skin?

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Updated 9/10/19. After moving to a new state or country, many can experience some changes in their skin and its appearance. This might include rashes, dryness, sensitivity, bumps, increased breakouts or oil production. Generally, these changes are influenced by three key factors: water, climate and food. I break down each one and why it might be affecting your skin.

Table of Contents

Water

I’m not referring to the water you drink, but rather to the water you use when you shower and wash your face. The properties of this water vary place to place and can definitely have an effect on your skin. For example, if your skin has been used to hard water and now you’ve moved somewhere with soft water, something as simple as washing your face may impact your skin. Typically, this is because it’s harder to rinse off cleansers using soft water, so you may be left with a cleanser residue that your skin is not used to. (I never recommend using cleansing balms or cleansing oils for this very reason, regardless of the type of water. Read more about why you might be doing the double cleansing method all wrong.) Reversely, if your skin has been used to soft water and now you’re using hard water, it may be more dehydrating and can cause dead cell build up to occur faster, especially for those who already suffer from dry skin. Your skin’s pH can also be altered by water, so this can create a disruption.

Pro tip: always use an alcohol-free toner after cleansing to remove impure tap water and return your skin to a healthy pH.

Brightening Toner For Dull, Tired Skin

Climate

It’s a fact that when seasons change, the skin is affected (be it negatively or positively). The nice things about a seasonal change is that it’s a slow transition, so your skin has some time to adjust. The challenge of moving to a new city, state or country, however, is that you are immediately thrown into a new climate and your skin may initially have a hard time adapting. This can create internal chaos for the skin and throw things off balance. There are specific products that are really good for re-setting the skin, and Rapid Response Detox Masque is one of them.

Food

Certain cities, states or countries will expose you to foods that you may, or may not, have had as much of when living elsewhere. For example, living in Texas, I know I eat far more meat (barbecue) than I did when living in Boston or Minnesota. In addition, I certainly eat way more Mexican food (cheese). Changing up the foods you consume may have an impact on your skin because of the hormones given to cows and other animals.

While it will always be difficult to determine the cause of a change in your skin, do know that anytime you make a change in your water, climate or food, a change is made to the body and your skin—which may be positive or negative.

If you are experiencing changes with your skin, the best place to start is to consult with a professional and adjust your skin care routine to fit your current needs. Simply put, if your products aren’t working, it’s time for a change. You might also consider keeping track of your every move with a calendar to look for any possible patterns that might allow you to determine what’s not working. Lastly, time heals all. Eventually, your skin should adjust to your new environment and things will normalize eventually.

Disclaimer: Content found on www.ReneeRouleau.com and Blog.ReneeRouleau.com, including text, images, audio, or other formats were created for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website or blog.

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  1. Hello! I was born and raised in the Midwest and after having horrible acne in my teens, I resorted to Accutane (an extremely potent medication with potentially harmful side effects) and it worked like a true miracle. No more breakouts ever — just baby soft, perfectly clear skin. After I turned 22, I moved to Los Angeles and immediately started breaking out horribly, just like how I used to. I know it’s the climate, but what should I do? The nasty, cystic acne has returned, leaving me with scars and endless frustration — HELP!

    Posted By: Anne  | 

    Reply
  2. hi,
    i moved to another city one and half year back anf from that day to now my skin is braking out a lot espicially on jawline and fore head. i didnt use any products even i dont wear makeup on my face and i left them like that just only 2 times face wash daily.i dont know what is the cause of it.my mom said it is due to climatic changes and water.can you please suggest me any tips or help to decrease these acne from my face

    Posted By: viji  | 

    Reply
    • Read through all my acne and blemishes posts here blog.reneerouleau.com

      Posted By: Renée Rouleau  | 

      Reply
  3. I recently moved from Southern California to Dominican Republic and my face is breaking out really really bad!! It’s awful! I’ve never had this problem before, which is why I’m on the internet trying to get help. I’ve only been here two weeks and it seems like it’s getting worse. I’m not sure if it’s a rash or what, but it’s causing me to be really insecure.

    Posted By: Rya hawkins  | 

    Reply
    • No fun. I would suggest your switch your skin routine to something that is better for clearing breakouts. If your skin is changing (and it’s hard to know exactly what in SoCal is causing it to be this way) then it’s time to change up your products to see if that gives a better result. Look at our skin types here https://www.reneerouleau.com/skin-types

      Posted By: Renée Rouleau  | 

      Reply
  4. I moved from California all my family are experiencing bad rash all body it appears and disappear how long does it take to go away and what can you recommend

    Posted By: vero  | 

    Reply
    • I would recommend you see an allergist to find out the cause of the rash and how you can make it go away. Some people experience body rashes from being allergic to the antibiotic amoxicillan but there are so many other causes and you need to get to the source of the problem.

      Posted By: Renée Rouleau  | 

      Reply
  5. Hi ! I moved from Mexico to Australia and every time I go to back Mexico my face clears up and the redness and pus bumps clear up…when I return to Australia I get redness, pus bumps and type of acne… soo frustrating and sad to see the face that bad, I saw a dermatologist a couple of years ago and said it was rosacea but when I go to Mexico it calms soo much… so I am not sure now….. I am at the test point of not drinking water from the tab and cleaning my face with spray water only… I may try to stop dairy … if you have any tips would be very appreciated, please!!
    THANK YOUU!!!

    Posted By: Lulu  | 

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    • As for tips, check out Blog.ReneeRouleau.com and read through those based on the issues you’re experiencing. I have many different categories so just click on what pertains to you. You’ll get tons of great advice.

      Posted By: Renée Rouleau  | 

      Reply
  6. Hi! I moved from a home where we had city water to a home in the country with well water and since then my back, shoulders and face break out horribly. I’m desperate and have tried everything. I suspiciouned it was the water change and have begged my husband to remove the water softener in our new home. Could the change to well and/or soft water be causing my never ending breakouts?!

    Posted By: Carrie  | 

    Reply
    • It’s so hard to say but yes, it could be the change in water. Or maybe it’s the way it now interacts with your hair conditioner on your back? Ultimately, you need to switch up your skin care routine because your skin is requiring something different. See this cleanser and it can be used on face and back. https://www.reneerouleau.com/products/aha-bha-cleansing-gel

      Posted By: Renée Rouleau  | 

      Reply
  7. I’m originally from Maryland and moved to Atlanta about a year and a couple months ago, every since I moved to Atlanta my skin has took a horrible turn of increased breakout on my face, I’ve been breaking out on parts of my face that I’ve never broken out before. I have very oily sensitive skin so I always battled with Acnce but it wasn’t so bad, I usually broke out during my period or if I ate a lot of sugar and during then I would get about 2 pimples. Moving to another state my face has been breaking out extremely bad and I hate it, I don’t want to take prescribe medicine pills because I don’t want my body to depend on the pills to stay clear. I’m not if its always the water here that’s been breaking out my skin as well as the climate change. I drink a lot of water and eat I a lot of fruits so idk what else could make my skin break out so bad. Please help me 🙁

    Posted By: Shauniee  | 

    Reply
    • Hi Shauniee, Breakouts are definitely no fun. I suggest you take our Skin Type Quiz and get on a routine that will address breakouts without over-drying your skin. Take our quiz here https://www.reneerouleau.com/quizzes/1/questions/1 Since your skin is changing, you need to change up your routine and drinking water and eating fruits will not reduce breakouts.

      Posted By: Renée Rouleau  | 

      Reply
  8. Oh yes!!! I moved from Buenos Aires, a very humid city, to Zürich, a very dry and cold place, a few years ago. The first few months were a nightmare!! Breakouts, hard lumps, awful hair!! I realized it was due to the water (it’s extremely hard here) and the dairy products!! The milk is so fatty and greasy and rich. It took my skin and body almost a year to adjust. Plus, since I was new to town I didn’t know where to go to ask for help! My doctors, my skin-specialist, my hairdresser were in Argentina!! That is also a problem, the fact that I took me a while to tackle my skin issues simply because it takes you a while to find the right specialist in a new place!

    Posted By: Mel  | 

    Reply
  9. Hi, I’ve relocated temporarily to San Francisco and my skin is having a hard time adjusting- breakout, roughness and dry skin. I am from Florida so my skin is used to hot and humid. Do you have any suggestions to help ease my skin in this transition?

    Very much appreciated

    Posted By: HHH  | 

    Reply
  10. I moved a year and a half ago and have been plagued by breakouts ever since. I’m past my teens, so I didn’t really know what was up until someone sugested it could be the water here. There’s really no difference in climate or the food I eat so it makes a lot of sense. Whenever I vacation anywhere else my skin begins to clear up, so how can I get it to clear up here wiithout having to bathe myself in filtered water? I’m sick of using creams from the dermatologist that irritate my skin. Got any advice?

    Posted By: Kat  | 

    Reply
    • Hi Kat, I definitely don’t want you to use creams that are going to irritate your skin either. Irritation is never good. Here’s a few options. You can schedule a My Skin Prescription appointment with us and have a full skin consultation via Skype or Apple FaceTime. (I’m assuming you don’t live in Dallas.) Visit https://www.reneerouleau.com/pages/online-skincare-consultations for more details. Secondly, have you chosen your skin type yet? You can get products recommended from my line by going here. https://www.reneerouleau.com/pages/skin-type-quiz You can also email customer service at our website and they can answer questions. Your skin is obviously changing, so it’s time for a change. Your skin needs a balance where you’re destroying acne-causing bacteria but not doing it to a point of irritation. It’s all about addressing your skins needs while keeping it healthy, hydrated and balanced–and that’s when it will be at its best. -Renee

      Posted By: Renée Rouleau  | 

      Reply

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