Stress is a no. 1 factor when it comes to how your skin looks. Since it's hard to get a good night's rest in a bustling city, and smog already causes skin cells to react as if they are facing stress, getting a good night's sleep becomes doubly important (not to mention a cure for a sallow, sleep-deprived complexion).
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Use light reflectors.
When your skin isn't cooperating but you need to fake a healthy glow, rely on a prebase serum or gel with light reflectors in it (like CHANEL Le Blanc de Chanel Sheer Illuminating Base, $45). Used as a primer, its shimmery, iridescent finish gives skin of any age a glow so subtle that no one will know it's not real.
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Exfoliate your lips.
In addition to regularly exfoliating your face to fend off dry skin (super important during winter months), don't forget to scrub your lips. Chapped lips are one of the first signs of a much larger-scale dehydration. Exfoliate with a sugar scrub like The Lip Scrub by Sara Happ, $24; wipe the scrub with a washcloth, then moisturize lips with a rich balm or eye cream.
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Carry a mist.
Dehydrated skin not only looks dull but also has trouble sweating out toxins and exaggerates fine lines until they look like deep wrinkles. Keep a portable mister like Vichy Thermal Spa Water, $5 on hand to rehydrate dry skin, refresh foundation or cool down hot, sweaty skin.
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Get or give yourself regular facials.
They may not fit your budget, but regular facials or weekly light treatments can do wonders for your skin. For an affordable alternative, consider scheduling mini-facials on your lunchbreak or do a mini facial at home (complete with exfoliation, mask and moisturizer) -- no time for that? Then carry facials-to-go like MD Skincare by Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Daily Face Peel, $75 with you for a quick, 10-minute treatment.
Bright lights, big city ... big zit? Several studies, including one published in the "Journal of Investigative Dermatology" and another in the "International Journal of Cosmetic Science," have long suggested that smog could be stressing out -- even damaging -- human skin cells, depleting them of valuable substances like Vitamin E. So what's a city girl to do? Adopt these 10 lifestyle habits and send those pesky skin irritants packing.
