Hamburg ranks sixth in the top ten cities in the world for healthy, glowing skin and Berlin just missed out on the top ten at number 11, while Zurich came in at number 13 and Vienna at number 16. This is what price comparison website, Compare the Market, found in their study of 50 cities worldwide. Factors such as environmental pollution, indoor smoking rate, annual temperature and monthly solar radiation were used as a basis.
With an air pollution score of 30.74 out of 100, the fewest working hours among the top ten (1,354 per year) and an indoor smoking rate of 22.5 percent, Hamburg achieved a skin health score of 7.76 out of 10. Also the rather cold average temperature of 9 .8 degrees Celsius and economical hours of sunshine of just under 74 per month have a positive effect on skin health.
No wonder, then, that Bergen in Norway took first place with a lower average temperature of 6.5 degrees Celsius and a good 77 hours of sunshine per month. A lower smoking rate of just 17 percent and a lower air pollution score of 20.41 also had a positive impact on the overall score of 8.61.
Scandinavian cities fill the spots between Bergen and Hamburg – namely Oslo, Helsinki, Copenhagen and Stockholm in places 2 to 5. Places 7 to 10 were taken by Manchester, Vancouver, Toronto and Amsterdam, in that order. So when the weather turns cold, gray and rainy again, one can take comfort in the fact that at least it’s good for the skin.
Skin health is an important aspect of general well-being
“Skin health is an often-overlooked aspect of our health, but healthy skin is extremely important to our overall well-being. The ten healthiest cities for skin health are predominantly cooler European and Canadian cities like Helsinki and Vancouver,” commented Compare the Market spokeswoman Hannah Norton.
“One of the best ways to protect skin from sunlight and UV rays is to use sunscreen on the skin or wear a sun hat to protect your head and face. They may also wear clothing to cover and protect the rest of the body, or stay indoors when UV exposure is at its peak,” adds Norton.
In the upper midfield of the 50 locations examined worldwide, there are other European cities such as London (12th place), Dublin (14th), Vilnius (15th), Paris (18th), Prague (19th) and Lyon (21st). In South America, Colombia’s Bogota performed best at number 17, followed by Sao Paulo (24), Rio de Janeiro (26) and Buenos Aires (33).
taillights
Unsurprisingly, cities with high levels of air pollution like Mumbai and Delhi (just under 84 and just over 90 out of 100 respectively) and high average temperatures of 26.4 and 24.6 degrees Celsius, respectively, came in 46th and 47th. Far higher annual working hours also had an impact of 2,117. The low smoking rate of 8.6 percent in both cities may come as a surprise to some.
Other taillights: Shanghai (44th place), Jerusalem (45th), Chilean Santiago (48th) and Bangkok (49th). Surprisingly, the holiday paradise of Bali comes in last place, which is due to the high number of hours of sunshine per month (103) and a smoking rate of over 32 percent. Many working hours per year (2,024) and a high average temperature of 25.3 degrees Celsius also have an adverse effect on skin health.