Picture this: You and your long-time best friend are on a weekend getaway to the city. The perfect time to unwind, escape reality and have some gal-pal fun like you used to. You walk the city streets, dressed to the nines, shopping bags in hand, ready for lunch at your favourite fine-dining restaurant. Your hair blown out to the perfect loose curl; make-up as fresh as can be. Memories flooding back of the carefree days when these sorts of ‘girls-day-out’ were the norm.
I can see it so clearly, I almost have to pinch myself to come back to reality. Whether it’s a day out in the city, or a cup of coffee on your suburban balcony, let me tell you why your outfit is never complete without your pollution defensive skincare.
Our skin is our first barrier of defense shielding our body from the environment and its pollutants. Every layer and cell of our skin plays a part in this defense; however, some environmental factors make our skin vulnerable. We all know that sunlight can induce the signs of ageing, but did you know that air pollution can also influence our skin’s appearance? Not only this, but air pollutants, microbes and environmental damages are also known to produce inflammation, redness, decreased ability to repair wounds, and an increased risk of skin cancer. As our skin ages, it becomes more susceptible to these irritants and decreases the cellular replacement process necessary to heal small skin wounds and blemishes. Increased air pollution as well as prolonged exposure to these pollutants can lead to inflammatory skin conditions, impair the generation of free radicals and add unwanted stress to our skin and its barriers.
Do you suffer from dryness, redness, blemishes, or any other symptom mentioned above? It could very well be caused by air pollution. So what can we do to protect our faces’ precious skin; the most beautiful part of our bodies largest organ?