The skin, being the external barrier of the body, is in direct contact with everything that happens externally. From the residues of a local industry to the smoke of cars and cigarettes, our skin is exposed to harmful substances daily when we live in a modern city. So, it should be taken in consideration while choosing our skin care routines.
An excessive contact to pollution can lead to more accentuated signs of skin aging, like pigmented spots and wrinkles. Sometimes it can result in severe cases of atopic dermatitis, changes in skin oiliness, dryness, psoriasis, blemishes, acne and even skin cancer.
Another important thing that can happen with an extended exposure to pollution is damaged skin and penetration of these pollutants from the skin to the systemic circulation, which may eventually reach other organs of the body and lead to different types of diseases.
What can I do to prevent it?
The human skin naturally has a protection against pollution (made from the action of immune cells), but a daily and prolonged exposure to these harmful substances can end up damaging this natural protection. So, to avoid this kind of damage, many film-forming products and antioxidants can be used. Ingredients with film-forming action (also known as “second skin”) can create a physical protective barrier on the skin surface, so they will not penetrate the skin. Antioxidants can fight the oxidative damage caused by pollutants that have already been in contact with the skin, preventing the damages that it may cause internally. Sun rays can also cause oxidative damage to the skin so the combination of sun and pollution can be a big threat to your skin health and should be prevented!
These products should be used daily after sunscreen and before makeup to stay safe against the possible (and invisible) damages that we are exposed to in our daily life.
About the Author: MSci Maísa Melo is a Pharmacist and a current PhD student in cosmetic technology, from São Paulo, Brazil. She has earned her master’s degree from the University of São Paulo and has been involved with the development, stability, safety and efficacy of cosmetics since 2013. She has specialized in the clinical efficacy of cosmetics by biophysical and skin imaging techniques as well as the use of alternative models to animal testing. Her research work has been published in several scientific journals and book chapters from the field.
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