Acne Articles

So, what does the study say? 

Let’s cut to the chase. Somerset is the most skin-friendly place to live in the UK whilst Central London and Greater Manchester are two of the areas with the highest acne case rates. 

Researchers reached these conclusions by using acne prescription data, measuring the rise or fall in the numbers of prescriptions since 2015, the pollution levels, the number of those who smoke, and the levels of obesity. From these findings, they ranked each NHS region across the country. 

The report reads: ‘Spanning much of the length of the Bristol Channel, the Somerset coast offers fresh, clean sea air that can be highly beneficial for skin health…On the other hand, it is the London region as a whole suffering the most from acne skin concerns, with East London, North London and South West London all included in the bottom five worst ranked regions.’

Why does pollution cause acne? 

This data clearly shows that high levels of pollution cause acne. This is because air pollution manifests as dirt, dust and debris which can land on the skin and clog pores. Pollution is also packed with free radicals, which interfere with skin cells and cause inflammation. 

Although research linking acne and air pollution remains sparse, a global review of people with acne living in different cities also gives clear evidence for why we should all be cleansing our skin after a day in town.

What about smoking? 

The Superdrug study also shows a clear correlation between populations where more people smoke and an increased prevalence of smoking.

It reads: ‘Greater Manchester has the second biggest smoking population, with 15.8% of adults smoking, and their acne prescription numbers were the eighth highest… Compare this to Somerset, who have the 5th lowest percentage of smokers (12.3%).’ 

The British Association of Dermatologists recently published research that links smoking to acne. They found that 42 percent of smokers had acne and only one in ten non-smokers had acne. 

Although there is some debate about the link between cigarettes and acne, it is known that smoking can reduce the amount of Vitamin E found in the skin. Vitamin E is an essential antioxidant that the body uses to protect the skin from outside stresses. 

Finally, let’s talk about diet

Healthy food means a healthy body and, naturally, healthy skin. So, it’s no surprise that: ‘South Yorkshire has the 6th highest number of acne prescriptions while also having the highest number of obesity prescriptions too. Similarly, Greater Manchester has the fifth highest number of obesity prescriptions and, as we saw above, finishes in the bottom three overall, with one of the highest acne prescription levels.’ 

The science behind this is simple: drinking alcohol and eating high-sugar or carb-heavy diets can cause your blood sugar to spike, which means your oil glands work in overdrive. 

You can read the full report here.