If it seems like you’re shelling out more and more lately for anti-aging products, acne remedies or dermatological procedures, then take a look around you. We’re talking about the city in which you live. All geographical areas aren’t created equal when it comes to the quality of your skin. If you recognize the risk factors of your particular area, then you can take the best precautions to protect your skin. The most harmful environmental factors when it comes to taking care of it include pollution, humidity and sunshine. Factors that you can control are smoking, stress and using tanning beds – two habits that can make your skin look older and even cause disease. The most stressed-out city in the country? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it’s Tacoma, Wash. Unfortunately, there’s a whopping 21 tanning beds per person in the city as well, making acne and skin cancer prevalent. In Kansas City, Mo., more than a quarter of residents smoke, and the city has one of the highest levels of skin cancer in the country. Couple those factors with high humidity, and it’s a perfect storm of bad skin.

Pollution and humidity make a nasty combo for cities like Detroit, Pittsburgh and Cleveland, Ohio. Polluted cities’ residents are more exposed to harmful UV rays, which are prevalent when pollution destroys the ozone layer of the environment. If you live in a polluted city that has the double-whammy of being sunny most of the time – like Phoenix or Bakersfield, Calif. – then you need to use a vitamin- and antioxidant-packed serum to protect your skin, not to mention one that includes SPF to protect you from those harmful rays. It goes without saying that just because they’re there and readily accessible in places like Charleston, W.V., which has a whopping 34 tanning salons per capita, doesn’t mean you should use the tanning bed. So kick the smoking, tanning and stress, and you’ll make strides toward better skin, regardless of where you live.