Where in China do people have the best skin? The place with heavy oil and spicy food ranks first

In the hottest summer in history, every time I go out, it feels like a torture for my skin.

If you don't cover your skin, you will be exposed to the indiscriminate attack of ultraviolet rays. If you cover your skin tightly, it will easily cause oily skin and acne. It is not easy to protect your skin.

But if you think about it carefully, aren't there always some people around us who have amazingly good skin without doing anything? These people may have strong genes, or they may just be born in the right place.

So, China is so large, are there any differences in the skin conditions of residents in different regions? Which region is the "lucky one" with the best skin?

Ultraviolet rays , the skin's lifelong enemy

First of all, when discussing skin in such hot weather, the first thing we can’t avoid is sunlight.

In June 2022, China's average temperature was 21.3℃, the highest since 1961[1]. In July and August, the temperature remained high, with the UV index in cities such as Shanghai and Guangzhou reaching 11 or above. If you expose your skin to the sun without any protection, you may get sunburned in just a few minutes, not to mention getting a tan[2][3].

The Chinese Academy of Sciences, China Meteorological Administration and other institutions have jointly studied the spatial distribution of ultraviolet radiation in China from 1961 to 2014, and found that the intensity of ultraviolet radiation is affected by multiple factors such as altitude, latitude, clouds, and humidity [4].

Spatial distribution of ultraviolet radiation in China from 1961 to 2014 / Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews

From this, we can find that the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, with an average altitude of more than 4,000 meters, has the highest UV radiation level, while Chongqing and eastern Sichuan have the lowest. Overall, the UV radiation level in eastern China is lower than that in western China[4][5].

Counterintuitively, the overall average UV radiation levels in many southern provinces, especially in the Yangtze River Basin, are not higher than those in North China[4].

Therefore, ultraviolet rays have caused differences in skin conditions among residents in different regions to a certain extent. Ultraviolet rays in sunlight not only tan the skin, but also cause "photoaging", making the skin rough and wrinkled.

Capital Normal University conducted a sample study of the skin of women of different ages in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Chongqing, and found that 35 is a turning point in the whiteness and brightness of people’s skin. Whether it is a 14-year-old girl or a 70-year-old man, the skin of Chongqing people is the whitest and brightest among the four cities[7].

Chongqing has many geographical advantages. Not only is it located in a basin with a low altitude, it is also foggy and rainy, earning it the name “Fog City”[8]. In addition, the cloud cover over Chongqing is high, acting as a natural “sunshade” that can reduce most of the ultraviolet radiation[4].

So, even though Chongqing is so hot that the roofs can melt, the people here may still have better skin than many people even if they do nothing.

But if you live in an area with strong ultraviolet rays, you may not be so "lucky".

Compared with Shaoxing, which is located at the same latitude, the skin aging of people over 30 years old in Lhasa is at least ten years earlier[9].

A comparative study of people in rural areas of Sanya and Shenyang also found that the ambient ultraviolet radiation in Sanya was twice that of Shenyang. For people who regularly “sunbathe” in Sanya, the risk of skin aging for men was about six times that of men in Shenyang, while the risk for women was 11 times that of men in Shenyang[10].

Excessive sun exposure will not only affect your appearance, but may also cause sunburn.

According to data from the China Cancer Registry and the World Health Organization, the incidence of skin melanoma, which is closely related to ultraviolet rays, is highest in Northwest China, followed by North China, and lowest in Southwest China, excluding the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau [11].

Therefore, sun protection is extremely important. Applying all kinds of big-brand lotions, essences and masks may not be more effective than sticking to sun protection.

Where are the people with the most hydrated skin ? The South wins.

Not only ultraviolet rays, but also many other factors in the external environment are testing our fragile skin at any time, such as air pollution and environmental humidity.

The harm of air pollution to the skin is often overlooked by us. In fact, harmful substances in the air not only attack our respiratory system, but also harm our skin.

Many studies have shown that the oil smoke, car exhaust, and industrial waste gas we are exposed to every day can make our skin darker and older, and even cause acne and spots[12][13][14]. For example, ozone can damage the skin's barrier function; PM2.5 can inhibit the synthesis of collagen; and nitrogen dioxide can cause the loss of moisture in the skin's stratum corneum[15].

Air pollution also increases the likelihood of people suffering from skin diseases. Peking University once studied more than 40,000 emergency cases of skin diseases in a hospital and found that when local air pollution was severe, the number of people visiting the hospital emergency department for skin diseases such as dermatitis and eczema increased significantly[16].

From a national perspective, according to the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, among China’s 168 key cities in 2021, the top 20 cities in terms of air quality are mostly in the south, with Haikou ranking first and Shenzhen ranking eighth, while the cities at the bottom of the list are mostly in North China and Northwest China[17].

As for the humidity of the environment, it is often related to whether our skin is hydrated. When the humidity increases, the moisture of the skin also increases[18].

An environment that is too dry will reduce skin elasticity and the moisture content of the stratum corneum, increase fine wrinkles, and cause scales to form on the skin surface, which is commonly known as peeling[19][20].

Comparing the relative humidity across China, the south wins again.

According to a study by the Tianjin Meteorological Bureau, from 1961 to 2018, China's average annual relative humidity was 64.7%. Among all regions, South China had the highest relative humidity at 77.8%, followed by Southwest China. The lowest relative humidity was in the Qinghai-Tibet, Xinjiang and North China regions[21].

Annual average relative humidity in various regions of China from 1961 to 2018 / Climate Research

For example, the skin moisture content of women in Beijing is significantly lower than that in Guangzhou, and in winter it is significantly lower than in summer[22].

Many friends in the south have had this experience. When they are at home, nothing happens and their skin does not need moisturizing and is not too dry. But when they arrive in the north, they feel very uncomfortable. Not only are they prone to nosebleeds, but their skin is also dry to the point of stinging. They have to use up a large bowl of moisturizer in one autumn.

However, this comparison does not cover all situations.

Changchun’s long winters are cold and dry, but because of this, many Changchun residents spend the winter by staying in heated rooms. The favorable indoor conditions make the skin moisture status of many Changchun residents better than that of people in Suzhou, Changsha and other places[23].

How important is lifestyle to have good skin?

The above only talk about the external attacks that the skin has to face. The quality of the skin is also closely related to people’s living habits. No matter how good the eye cream and natural conditions are, they may not be able to withstand the deepest night you stay up.

If people get less sleep or don’t get enough sleep, their skin will be more likely to sag, age, and lose moisture[24]. The “Urban Office Workers’ Sleep Status Report” shows that the cities in China where people tend to stay up late the most are Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou. It seems that urban beauties in first-tier cities face considerable challenges to their skin[25].

In addition, Southeast University investigated the prevalence of acne in Gansu, Jiangsu, Yunnan, Sichuan, and Chongqing, and found that people who slept less and stayed up later were more likely to get acne[26].

Contrary to what many people believe, there is no obvious correlation between eating spicy food and getting acne. People who eat greasy food, or those who prefer sweet or salty food, have a higher prevalence of acne than those who prefer spicy food. Therefore, in this survey, the prevalence of acne in Sichuan and Chongqing is lower than that in Yunnan and Gansu, and less than half of that in Jiangsu [26].

If we look at the whole country, we will find that although the overall probability of acne in southern China is higher than that in northern China[27], there are significant differences between different regions in the south. The acne rate in the southwest is the lowest in the country, while the acne rate in southern China is the highest in the country[28].

In addition, people’s mental stress can also affect the quality of their skin by promoting the sebaceous glands to secrete more sebum, making our faces look oily[29]. People in the capital should be able to relate to this.

A study by L’Oreal’s Clinical Research Department found that Beijing women’s sebum secretion level is far ahead, reaching 100.1, which is two or three times that of women in many second-tier cities. The average sebum secretion level of Shenyang women is 50.1, Harbin is only 32.9, Chengdu is 27.3, and Suzhou is 26.1[30].

Other common habits that can easily cause disfigurement are smoking and drinking.

Don’t underestimate the disfiguring power of smoking. Cigarettes contribute even more to facial wrinkles than ultraviolet rays. They reduce the levels of collagen and elastic fibers in the skin, causing the skin to lose elasticity early[31].

According to the results of adult tobacco prevalence surveys in various regions, the places with the highest smoking rates among people aged 15 and above in China in 2020 were Yunnan and Guizhou, with smoking rates exceeding 30%. The smoking rates in eastern provinces are relatively low, with less than 20% in Shanghai, for example[32].

Drinking alcohol can also cause puffiness under the eyes and sunken cheeks, making people look older[33].

So where in China do people love to drink the most?

A study published in the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention Weekly showed that among Chinese men, the regions with the highest alcohol consumption were Shandong, Henan, Jiangsu, Yunnan, and Hainan, respectively. Among Chinese women, the regions with the highest alcohol consumption were Heilongjiang and Tibet[34].

So, after considering so many factors, I have summarized it for those friends who "don't want to read it for too long": Overall, the people in Sichuan and Chongqing have better skin, the ultraviolet rays are weak, the climate is humid, the air is not bad, and the living habits are not too lagging behind.

Other regions have some "disadvantages". The Northwest and Qinghai-Tibet regions are more sunny, the air in North China is bad and too dry, people in South China have many acne and love to drink, and Northeast, Central China, and East China are not bad in anything, but they are not outstanding in anything.

It seems that in addition to good food and low housing prices, people have another reason to go to Sichuan and Chongqing. It is not too late to move to Sichuan and Chongqing for skin care.