Superdrug names Shropshire as one of the best places to live for healthy skin

In a study by Superdrug, the region came fourth out of 42 for having the healthiest skin, based on various factors such as the number of prescriptions for acne medication from the NHS, pollution levels, percentage of adults who smoke, and percentage of adults who are treated for obesity in each area.

NHS acne prescription data was the first factor considered, followed by environmental factors – such as how busy each region is with traffic – to find out in which areas acne was a common problem and why. Reascons could include pollution, obesity and smoking.

The health and beauty giant detailed their method on how they came to the result: "Using acne prescription data, the rise or fall in the numbers of prescriptions since 2015, the pollution levels, the number of those who smoke, and the levels of obesity, we created an overall ranking for each NHS region across the country.

"For each category, we assigned a score from 0-100, with the highest score representing the most "skin-friendly" area in each category."

The ranking shows the difference between the areas with the least pollution and the areas with higher pollution, highlighting how poor air quality impacts the skin of residents in that area. The areas with the highest pollution levels suffered the most with acne and required more prescriptions per 1000 people.

Interestingly, it was found that Somerset has the fewest cases of acne in the country due to having the least smokers and pollution levels.

Meanwhile, highly populated cities such as London, Manchester and Birmingham are some of the worst areas, with higher pollution levels and more smokers.

The top 20 areas for healthy skin

• Somerset

• Gloucestershire

• Bath, NE Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire

• Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin

• Herefordshire and Worcestershire

• Hampshire and Isle of White

• Derbyshire

• Lancashire and South Cumbria

• Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent

• Sussex and east Surrey

• Devon

• Hertfordshire and west Essex

• Dorset

• Cornwall and Scilly Isles

• Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes

• Cumbria and the North East

• Frimley

• Kent and Medway

• Black Country and west Birmingham

• Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland

How the ranking was decided

Superdrug analysed six different factors related to skin health, which are:

• The number of prescriptions for acne medication in every 1000 people.

• The increase/decrease in acne prescriptions since 2015 in each region.

• The pollution levels.

• The number of adults who smoke.

• The total prescriptions for obesity medication per 1000 people.

They then assigned a value of 0 - 100, with 100 being the best result for the region, and 0 being the worst.

Tips for healthy skin

• Clean your face every morning and night: Spots are caused when dirt and bacteria block the pores. The best products to clean and unblock them are oil-free, and to treat spots, use a product which contains salicylic acid, glycolic acid, tea tree oil and benzoyl peroxide.

• Exfoliate and moisturise the skin: Similar to above, exfoliating removes any dead skin cells and bacteria blocking the pores, and using a moisturiser will protect the skin.

• Minimise products: Putting too many products on your skin can have the opposite affect and make spots worse – it's best to use gentle and sensitive skin products. Make-up can be removed with a cream-based cleanser which means adding more moisturiser after might not be needed.

• Avoid smoking: Smoking makes acne worse and speeds up wrinkles and aged skin.

• Wear SPF: UV rays from the sun are harmful to skin over a long period of time, and wearing sun-cream or moisturiser with SPF in it will keep the skin healthy. An oil-free one is a safe choice.

*You can see the full research here: onlinedoctor.superdrug.com/acne-hotspots.html