Skin in the City: Pollution

Key takeaways from this article

• According to new World Health Organization data, almost everyone on the planet (99%) breathes air that exceeds air quality limits.
• Pollutants from vehicle emissions, fuel combustion, industry, waste management and agriculture can build up on skin with prolonged exposure, and not only in cities.
• Pollution affects skin by generating free radicals, triggering inflammation that breaks down collagen and elastin, and disrupting the skin microbiome.
• The fjör Hydrolytic® Serum supports the skin’s natural barrier and microbiome balance, hydrates, and gently exfoliates.

Let’s talk about pollution and your skin, and what you can do about it. We all know how pollution affects the environment, but have you ever considered how it impacts your skin? As temperatures rise and summer approaches, we need to be more aware of how to protect our skin from pollution in major cities.

The truth is that pollution can wreak havoc on your skin, causing damage that can lead to premature aging, irritation and other skin problems. Our busy city lifestyles, traveling on busy subway lines or walking traffic-congested streets, leave us highly exposed to this threat. Living in “clean” western cities may lead us to believe that we are exempt from the impacts of pollution; however, that could not be further from the truth.

New data from the World Health Organization shows that almost everyone on the planet (99%) breathes air that exceeds air quality limits and threatens their health. Pollutants such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide are all outputs of vehicle emissions and fuel combustion. While these emissions are limited by law, their effects on your skin can build up with prolonged exposure. Other pollutants such as lead, ozone and PM2.5 can come from various industrial activities, waste management and agricultural activities, and are not only present in densely populated areas.