Part II : How Your Skin Is Shaped by Where You're From
Skin Deep: Understanding your skin
Editor’s Note: This is the second article in our series on how place shapes your skin. If you missed Part 1, start here.
Living Between Worlds? Your Skin Is Too.
Your skin doesn’t just remember where you’re from; it also responds to where you are.
For many of us, that’s not a fixed location. It’s a layered experience.
Maybe you were born in Lagos, raised in Toronto, studied in Paris, and now live in L.A.
Or maybe your body is built for monsoons and mangoes — but your current zip code comes with snow, stress, and hard water.
This in-between life? It shows up in your skin.
We often talk about internal factors like genetics or melanin levels, but external realities — especially when they change often — can cause your skin to feel inconsistent, unpredictable, or even overwhelmed.
Here's what your skin might be navigating:
Climate mismatch: Your skin might have adapted to humid tropics, but now it’s dealing with arid air, central heating, or constant AC.
Altitude + UV intensity: Moving from sea level to high-altitude cities increases sun exposure, even on cloudy days.
Water quality: Hard water (high in minerals) can leave residue that disrupts your skin barrier, causes buildup, or worsens acne.
Urban pollution: Living in a city increases oxidative stress on the skin, leading to inflammation, dullness, or premature aging.
Cultural shifts in diet or habits: A change in food, sleep, or daily rhythm (think: more caffeine, less movement, processed foods) can inflame or confuse your skin.
Emotional stress + identity pressure: Navigating multiple worlds takes emotional labor. Cortisol from chronic stress affects oil production, sensitivity, and healing.
So when you’re asking:
“Why is my skin breaking out?” or “Why does it feel so different all of a sudden?”
...it’s not random. It’s information.
What to do when your skin is constantly adapting:
1. Create a “core” routine that travels well.
Anchor your skincare in simple, barrier-focused basics that work in any climate:
Gentle cleanser
Hydrating serum (like glycerin or hyaluronic acid)
Moisturizer with ceramides, squalane, or panthenol
Mineral or hybrid SPF
Build on this foundation, depending on where you are and what your skin is going through.
2. Practice seasonal (or situational) flexibility.
Think of your routine like a wardrobe; you don’t wear the same thing in summer as you do in winter. The same goes for your skin.
Dry air? Layer a humidifying toner under your moisturizer.
High humidity? Swap heavy creams for gel-based hydrators.
Traveling? Use occlusive balms at night to buffer skin against change.
3. Prioritize recovery after big shifts.
Whether it’s international travel, a move, or even a change in water, give your skin time to recalibrate.
This might mean:
Pausing actives (like exfoliants and retinoids)
Using calming ingredients (like centella asiatica, oat, or calendula)
Doubling down on hydration and repair before reintroducing targeted treatments
4. Release the pressure to be consistent.
You are not “failing” your skin when it changes.
It’s not regressing — it’s responding.
Consistency isn’t about doing the same thing every day.
It’s about consistently listening, adjusting, and honoring what your skin needs right now.
Whether you're a cultural nomad, a diaspora kid, a long-distance daughter, or just someone constantly adapting...
Your skin is navigating it all with you.
So instead of forcing it into someone else's routine, build one that holds space for movement, fluidity, and resilience.
Because living between worlds doesn’t make your skin confused.
It makes it wise.