How To Protect Your Skin From Air Pollution
Here at Fashion.ie we are going to show you important ways to protect your skin from outside air pollution. There are many things that you likely know are not good for your skin.
The sun is number one, of course, along with sugar, stress and the blue light from your phone.
However, many people overlook the damage air pollution does to our skin.
And it is not just city dwellers that need to beware. If clear and happy skin is one of your New Year’s resolution, keep on reading here to find out how to protect skin from air pollution.
What Is Air Pollution?
You might think that air pollution is the things you can see like black smoke from factories, smoggy air in cities, etc.
However, ‘air pollution’ is an umbrella term for many different things. The EPA identifies six air pollutants: carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen oxides, ground-level ozone, particle pollution and sulfur oxides.
And while air pollution is usually associated with the outdoor environment, it can also be present indoors.
How Air Pollution Affects Your Skin
Your skin is a barrier between the outside world and your internal organs. Simply put, air pollution damages your skin. And while many people think that air pollution just sits on top of your skin, it can actually go deeper.
Pollutants can get into the deeper layers of your epidermis. As a result, you can have issues with hydration, clogged pores, duller skin and premature signs of ageing.
And, adding some insult to injury, your skin is not only impacted from direct air pollutants. Air pollutants that inhaled can damage skin via your blood.
How To Protect Your Skin From Air Pollution
There are two words you need to be aware of: topical antioxidants. Antioxidants neutralise reactive free oxygen species and can reverse some aspect of environmental damage.
If you want to protect your skin from air pollution, you should be applying anti-pollution antioxidants twice a day. And although all antioxidants are good for you, some work better than others, like vitamin C and E.
And it is worth your while to strengthen your skin barrier. This is because the stronger the barrier, the less pollutants are able to get in.
Look for ingredients like ceramides and lipids that will fortify your external barrier. And we cannot stress the importance of sun protection. So, always wear your sunscreen.
