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Amy Richardson, 31, has oily skin and wavy hair--at least she thought she did until she moved from Miami to Las Vegas. Suddenly she was buying moisturizer for the first time in her life and forgoing her expensive collection of straightening irons.

"It's amazing how much where you live affects how you look," says Debra Jaliman, M.D., a clinical instructor of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. Pollution, altitude, humidity or dry air, and a whole host of other environmental influences all conspire to alter your beauty destiny. Here's how to make the best of what geography gives you.

east coast

CLIMATE: HUMID

Skin While a moist environment is better for your complexion than one that's arid (it helps keep skin supple--and less likely to show early signs of aging, including fine lines), air that's practically dripping with dew, like that found in Florida, New York and other Eastern states, can push normal or combination skin (as well as oily skin) into the acne-prone zone. "Sweat and heat increase bacteria, which aggravates any kind of skin condition," explains Jaliman, who recommends tailoring your skin-care routine to get weather-triggered breakouts under control. Avoid creamy, wipe-off cleansers and go straight for a rinse-off option like Dove Essential Nutrients Self-Foaming Cleanser ($6.49; at drugstores). For a power wash, choose salicylic-acid-based cleansers like DDF Therapeutic Skincare Salicylic Wash 2% ($28; beauty.com), which can help prevent bacteria buildup. A toner also can help clean out pores to get rid of trace oil. (Editor's pick: Neutrogena Alcohol-Free Toner, $7.50; at drugstores.) Check labels of moisturizers and sunblocks as well to make sure the ones you're using are oil-free and noncomedogenic (meaning they won't clog pores), and choose gel formulas over creams and lotions. Best bets: Clarins Ultra-Matte Day Concentrate Moisturizer ($34; gloss.com) and Eucerin's oil-free Extra Protective Moisture Lotion SPF 30 ($9.69; at drugstores).

Hair Humidity and hair is another story altogether. Damp air can turn otherwise well-behaved locks into one unruly mess. A silicone serum is an effective frizz-fighter, explains Angela Cosmai of Manhattan's John Frieda salon. Try it in John Frieda's Frizz-Ease Hair Serum ($10; at drug-stores). If you've got short hair or natural waves, use a styling gel (like Lancome Hair Sensations Strong Hold Ultra-Pure Fixing Gel, $16; lancome.com) to shape hair, then let it air-dry. Long hair can always be slicked back into a neat ponytail.

Best makeup for humid weather Look for oil-free and sebum-controlling products like Prescriptives Virtual Matte Oil-Control Makeup ($32.50; prescriptives.com), a foundation with SPF 15; Clinique Acne Solutions Concealing Cream ($12.50; clinique.com), a medicated concealer that heals and hides skin imperfections; and J.a.n.e. Oil-Free Bronzing Powder ($4; at drugstores). For eyes, Chanel Automatic Liquid Eyeliner ($30; gloss.com) and Lancome Definicils Waterproof High Definition Mascara in black ($21; lancome.com) stay put in steamy temps.

Hot polish In New York City, Creative Nail Design's top-selling lacquer is Wildfire, a rich red ($6; 800-833-NAILS).

Cool spa treatment The Double Oxygen Facial at Spa Palazzo Boca Raton Resort & Club in Boca Raton, Fla. ($125 for 50 minutes; bocaresort.com), is a high-tech facial that uses oxygen-infused serums to combat dehydration and sun damage and calm stressed-out skin.

plains states

CLIMATE: WET HEAT

Skin Without cooling ocean breezes, the central states can get hotter than a steaming pot of Texas chili. "Heat causes blood vessels to dilate," explains Mary Ann Martinez, M.D., director of Bee Caves Dermatology in Austin, Texas. "Over time, they can become permanently dilated and visible." Translation: blotchy skin that never clears up (rosacea, a skin condition that can manifest acnelike symptoms, is an extreme version of this). While air conditioning keeps you cool, there are other things that can help your skin. "Cut back on anything that causes blood vessels to expand, including caffeinated drinks, spicy foods and alcohol. Also use sun protection and try to keep stress under control," Martinez says. Wash your face and body in warm--never hot--water (hot water can aggravate inflammation), and stay hydrated. "For some people with sensitive skin, rosacea or the dry-skin condition eczema, heat and sweat may aggravate the skin disorder," Martinez explains. That's why you should mist skin with water during and after workouts, stay close to a fan and take a cool shower when you get uncomfortably warm. Best skin bets: DERMAdoctor Calm, Cool & Corrected 2n1 Rosacea Tx ($85; nordstrom.com), with soothing botanicals and antioxidants to reduce inflammation, and Institut' DERMed Licorice Hydrating Cream ($40; 866-433-7633), a moisturizer with licorice extract that helps calm hypersensitive skin.

Hair In Midwestern states like Kansas and Missouri, July temperatures often hit triple digits, so you should use styling products that offer protection from the sun's ultraviolet rays, and wear a hat as often as possible. Avoid shampooing every day (even mild shampoos can increase dryness), and rotate shampoos every week or so to prevent a body- and shine-busting accumulation of any one type of cleanser. A good product for you to try: Pantene Pro-V Radiant Response Mousse ($4; at drugstores), a styler with sun filters that adds body to hair while also helping protect it from environmental damage.

Best makeup for hot weather Look for products that are sweat-proof and protective. Pur Minerals' 4-in-1 Loose Powder ($21; purminerals.com) fits the bill; it conceals and evens out skin tone while protecting with SPF 15. (Another plus: The formula is all-natural, with no talc, fragrance or preservatives to irritate skin.) The Bliss Ink Pink Blushing Balm ($22; blissworld.com) is an oil-free cheek stain that creates a natural-looking flush that won't budge if you sweat, and Too Faced Liquif-Eye ($17.50; sephora.com) makes your favorite eye shadow water-resistant.

Hot polish In Chicago, OPI's top-selling lacquer is I'm Not Really a Waitress, a deep luminous red ($7.50; opi.com).

Cool spa treatment The Ruby Red Grapefruit Refresher at LakeHouse Spa at Lake Austin Spa Resort in Austin, Texas ($135 for 50 minutes; lakeaustin.com) revives and rejuvenates you after a warm day. Your entire body is exfoliated with a blend of natural grains, and then treated with a grapefruit body wash and detox gel, before being wrapped to help your skin absorb all the grapefruit goodness. Finally, a therapist gives you an uplifting scalp massage.

mountain states

CLIMATE: HIGH ALTITUDE

Skin The higher up into the mountains you go, the better the views--and the greater your chances for sun damage and dehydrated skin. "The No. 1 ingredient that replenishes skin is water," says Simon Ourian, M.D., a cosmetic dermatologist in Beverly Hills, Calif. "It can't be overemphasized." Ourian insists that drinking water frequently during the day is just as important as slathering on a rich moisturizer, and that a humidifier is the most important skin-saver of all. Keep one humming near your bed so you can hydrate while you snooze. And use cleansers and moisturizers that list water among their first three ingredients. Best bets: Aveeno Moisturizing Bar for dry skin ($3; at drugstores) and Biotherm Aquasource Non Stop Ultra Moisturizing Balm ($32; biotherm.com).

Hair "The thinner air at higher elevations filters out fewer of the sun's ultraviolet rays, so you really need to protect your hair," says John Frieda's Cosmai. Ultraviolet rays can burn the hair's cuticle, or outer layer, leaving it dry and brittle; they also can damage pigment and reduce hair's strength and elasticity. Invest in a leave-in conditioner such as Aveda Color Conserve Foaming Leave-In Conditioner ($14; aveda.com) or a sun-smart shampoo like Phyto-Life Fade De Phy Anti-Color Fade Shampoo ($30; phyto-life.com), which uses lightweight silicones to prevent sun damage and color loss.

Best makeup for high altitudes In mountain states like Colorado, Idaho and New Mexico, you need cosmetics that are hydrating and protective. Elizabeth Arden Sheer Lights Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15 ($25; elizabetharden.com) gives skin a healthy glow, while providing hydration and sun protection. Almay Bright Eyes Shimmer Pearls ($7.50; at drugstores) are cream eye shadows that blend easily, are crease-resistant and contain vitamins C and E. Bloom Sheer Color Cream ($15; sephora.com), which comes in 12 shades to highlight lips and cheeks, contains skin-soothing lavender essential oil, and Cover Girl Wetslicks ($5; at drugstores) delivers shimmering color with the feel of a creamy lip balm.

Hot polish In Denver, Essie Cosmetics' top-selling polish is Mademoiselle, a sheer, barely there pink ($8; essie.com).

Cool spa treatment During the High Altitude Scalp, Hand and Foot Treatment at Vail Cascade Resort & Spa ($110 for 50 minutes; vailcascade.com), a trio of hydrating and healing treatments tends to tired, climate-ravaged body parts in serious need of R & R--a must for sore, tired feet and legs after a long day on the mountain.

west coast

CLIMATE: DRY HEAT

Skin The West Coast tends to have dry summers, and pollution can be a problem in places like Los Angeles. Complexion musts: an oil-free moisturizer with high water content and an SPF of at least 15 (Ourian recommends Olay Total Effects 7x Visible Anti-Aging Vitamin Complex, $19; at drugstores). If you're spending a lot of time outside, push the skin-sloughing retinols and acid products to the back of your medicine cabinet for now; that dead layer of skin actually helps protect the delicate skin underneath. (Removing surface skin via products like these and then heading outdoors is like "bleaching your teeth and then drinking black coffee," Ourian says.) You can use your extra-strength exfoliators again at summer's end.

Pollution causes damage similar to sun exposure, leading to wrinkles and premature aging. (The culprit: free radicals, unstable molecules that hurt healthy cells.) Products containing antioxidants like vitamins C and E and beta carotene provide a protective barrier that keeps the harmful stuff out while helping to reverse existing damage--why applying an antioxidant cream regularly is a good bet. Try beComing Boost Me Up Skin Immunity Hydrator ($35; www.becoming.com), with vitamins A, C and E; beta carotene; and grape-seed extract.

Hair For limp locks, try a lightweight leave-in conditioner (Cosmai likes Infusium 23 Original Leave-in Treatment, $4; at drugstores), and skip the styling products--especially alcohol-based ones, which sap moisture from hair. Shampoo only every few days (you can wet hair and condition it on in-between days), and rotate shampoos every few weeks to prevent the buildup that can weigh hair down.

Best makeup for dry heat Products with skin protectants should be at the top of your list. Anastasia's Eye Shadow Duo in Spanish Starlight ($24.50; anastasia.net) is formulated with vitamins C and E and includes bone and shimmery brown shades; L'Occitane's Shea Tint Duo ($18; www.loccitane.com), available in Blackberry/Wild Rose or Red Currant/Peach, imparts color on lips and cheeks, while protecting and nourishing with shea butter; and Urban Decay L.A. Lube in a Tube ($11; urban decay.com) is a nude-colored lip gloss made with mango and shea butter.

Hot polish In Los Angeles, OPI's top-selling lacquer is Double Decker Red, a shiny apple red ($7.50; opi.com).

Cool spa treatment In the Anti-Aging Facial at Avia Spa in Santa Barbara, Calif. ($95 for 60 minutes; aviaspa.com), leaves from the neem tree are blended with carefully selected herbs to repair, hydrate and help reduce the signs of aging.

RELATED ARTICLE: no matter where you live ...

Some beauty challenges know no boundaries.

STRESS From Atlanta to Austin, urban life presents unique beauty challenges. "Stress changes your hormone levels, which in turn affects your skin," explains Debra Jaliman, M.D., a clinical instructor of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. Whatever you're susceptible to (particularly acne), you'll see more of when the pressure's on. Replace your regular face wash with the new Stri-Dex Clear Cycle Deep Wash ($5.49; at drugstores), a salicylic-acid cleanser, for times when breakouts are most likely to occur--often during high-stress times or PMS.

HARD WATER Water rich in minerals like calcium and magnesium--known as "hard water"--often leaves behind a clingy film that makes skin look dull and rough. A non-alcohol-based toner like. Phytomer Rose Toner ($25; phytomer.com) can help remove tenacious residue after a washing.

TOO MUCH SUN Anyone who leads an active outdoor life is at risk for sun damage. High-powered sunblock like Total Block SPF 60 Tinted Cover-Up ($23; Dermadoctor.com) is crucial; remember to reapply every hour.

Illustrations by Mary Lynn Blasutta

Southern California freelance writer Jenna McCarthy gets her year-round golden glow the safe way--with self-tanner.

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