What Causes Seasonal Acne Changes
Acne often shifts with the seasons because weather, habits, and environment change how your skin works. In winter, dry air from cold outdoors and indoor heating pulls moisture from your skin, making it produce extra oil to fight back. This oil mixes with dead skin cells and clogs pores, leading to more breakouts on areas like the cheeks, jawline, and forehead.[1][2][4]
Central heating worsens this by creating a dry, warm space that inflames skin and weakens its protective barrier. When the barrier fails, bacteria that cause acne thrive, and inflammation spikes, turning small issues into bigger pimples.[3][6]
Scarves, hats, and masks trap sweat, dirt, bacteria, and leftover makeup against your face, especially around the jaw. Friction from these items irritates skin and creates mechanical acne, while synthetic fabrics hold onto germs even more.[1][2][3]
Lifestyle shifts add fuel. Holiday stress raises cortisol, a hormone that boosts oil and triggers spots. People eat more sugary or fatty comfort foods, drink less water, skip workouts, and stay up late, all of which upset skin balance.[2][3][6][9]
Harsh habits make it worse, like overwashing that strips natural oils, skipping moisturizer out of fear, using alcohol-based toners, or taking long hot showers that dry skin further. Pollution in winter cities mixes with dryness to clog pores and oxidize oil into blackheads.[1][4]
Summer flips the script. Heat and humidity make pores open wider and ramp up oil and sweat production. Sweat grabs dirt and bacteria, clogging pores if you do not cleanse right after sweating or swimming.[5][7][8]
Heavy sunscreens, makeup in humid air, and chlorinated pool water block pores too. More sun thickens the outer skin layer over time, trapping oil inside for deeper cysts later. Still, summer sweating can flush pores and boost cell turnover if you clean properly, sometimes easing mild acne temporarily.[5]
Year-round changes like pollution, temperature swings, and shifting skincare routines confuse skin across seasons, sparking breakouts wherever you live.[7]
Sources
https://news.abplive.com/lifestyle/pollution-induced-acne-winter-cities-breakouts-1815713
https://www.coastalbeautyaesthetics.com/ultimate-guide-to-preventing-winter-breakouts-medspa-acne-solutions
https://www.marieclaire.co.uk/beauty/unseen-causes-of-winter-breakouts
https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/fashion/winter-breakouts-are-real-a-dermatologist-shares-reasons-and-tips-to-treat-winter-acne-101767161500731-amp.html
https://londondermatologyclinics.com/does-acne-get-better-in-the-summer-months/
https://slmdskincare.com/blogs/learn/5-reasons-your-skin-is-breaking-out-in-winter-and-what-to-do-about-it
https://clinicdermatech.com/blog/seasonal-acne-fix-treatments-to-control-breakouts/
https://www.drbatras.com/can-summer-and-heat-cause-acne-breakouts
https://columbiaskinmd.com/combatting-winter-acnetips-from-medical-aesthetic-dermatology/
