It’s not called The Big Smoke for nothing. Our skin is at the mercy of pollution just as much as our waterways.
We are becoming increasingly aware of the hazards of our urban lifestyle on our skin and the cosmetics industry has followed suit, introducing a new crop of products laced with super-antioxidants and grime-fighting city combatants. Where scientists have seen a hole in the ozone, beauty companies have seen an opening in the cosmetic market.
Spotting city skin is easy, pardon the pun. It’s dull and congested with blocked pores and dehydrated with patches of dryness. Stress has depleted the skin of nutrients and it’s been over-exposed to late nights, alcohol, tobacco and other stimulants. It’s choked with smoke and ragged thanks to air-conditioning and other major contributors to poor skin. However, by protecting ourselves from ultraviolet radiation and photoageing by using the correct formulations and the most effective method to deliver our skincare, while supplementing with vitamins and antioxidants, we can significantly improve sallow skin.
Skin is made up of tiny pores that ensure the skin can breathe and regulate body temperature, among other tasks, but they also filter out the grime and debris associated with everyday life. Of course, that means that we city slickers have skin coated with a fine layer of nasty toxins from the pollution.
According to a University of California, Berkeley study, skin ailments are most certainly linked to air pollution in cities. It found the ozone rapidly strips Vitamin E, an important component of healthy skin, from the uppermost skin layer. Skin conditions aggravated in urban environments include atopic dermatitis, psoriasis and other ailments which generate itchy, red, inflamed and scaly skin.
The researchers examined the stratum corneum, a thin layer at the surface that accounts for less than five percent of the skin. Long considered an inert layer of dead skin, the stratum corneum is now receiving considerable attention as the gateway to underlying body tissues.
‘Skincare companies know if you have dry skin, it’s your stratum corneum that’s in trouble,’ says Berkeley researcher Dr Jens Thiele. ‘Everything you apply on the skin has to pass through that layer.’
The urban environment causes the destruction of the skin’s natural barrier function, which regulates the movement of materials in and out of the skin. It is also thought the increased formation of harmful chemicals from the breakdown of the skin’s fatty lipids triggers an inflammatory response in underlying skin layers.
Dr Neil Sadick, a clinical professor of dermatology in New York, agrees. ‘With the changes in the ozone layer we’re getting more instant ultraviolet radiation, as well as more damage from environmental pollutants. In my practice we’re definitely seeing more patients, and younger ones, with damaged skin. To repair it, and to guard against further threats, the two major factors necessary are a broad-spectrum sunscreen and a high-potency antioxidant formula.’
Pollution solutions
Just think of a sliced apple turning brown to visualise the urban impact of oxidisation on your skin. Research is increasingly pointing the blame for ageing and illness towards oxidative cell damage caused by the environment. Here is where antioxidants step in to defend the skin, providing it with a fighting chance of repairing existing damage and defending itself against future ageing.
Antioxidants are compounds that counteract the damaging effects of free radicals on cell structures, as well as cellular DNA. Free radicals accelerate the ageing process and are the result of oxygen molecules being oxidised, but they can also be created by exposure to various environmental factors, smoking and UV radiation. They are unstable cells that, if left unchecked, can compromise your health and potentially lead to cancer.
When pollution damages the skin, the cells release superoxide free radicals and other molecules that unleash their energy at random, like a stray bullet.
For years the leading antioxidants in topical beauty products Vitamins A, C and E. The list now also includes those such as alpha hydroxyl acids, hyaluronic acid, peptides, coenzyme Q10, idebenone, resveratrol and coffeeberry, many of which are found in the latest grime-fighting products – from the cosmetic giants to the natural and organic boutique lines.
Back to basics
Fear not – it’s not quite as dire as it sounds. There are several simple things you can do to equalise the effects of city living on your skin. First up, your epidermis will thank you every day for a basic twice-daily skincare routine. Get skin in tip-top condition by cleansing, toning and moisturising every morning before applying makeup (it should go without saying that falling asleep with your makeup on is a no-no). Exfoliation to slough away dead cells and brighten the complexion can be done at home, or with microdermabrasion or a peel at a salon to remove surface debris.
Improving the skin’s resistance to pollution is the name of the game. Use sun protection and a moisturiser rich with ingredients to improve the skin’s surface strength.
Cosmetics are often blamed for clogging pores but they can actually protect against pollution because they provide a fine layer of resistance, so don’t steer clear of your makeup bag. Oh, and keep hand cream in your bag to soothe chapped hands.
