Your skin is delicate. Everything it comes into contact with, and many things it doesn’t, impact it. Your daily hobbies, commute to work, and some of your casual sins gradually wear down your skin barrier, compromising its quality over time.
Today’s article explains three common harms: pollution, smoking, and chlorine, their impact on your skin, and the steps you can take to mitigate them.
Opulent Aesthetics values high-quality skin. We stay at the forefront of the latest beauty science research and offer the most advanced and revolutionary treatments.
Our sole purpose and mission are to provide professional treatments, keeping you looking and feeling young and beautiful for as long as possible.
How pollution affects your skin
Pollution, although generally invisible, accumulates on your skin, dramatically affecting it. If you doubt this, the next time you travel by train or tube (particularly in London), blow or wipe your nose with a clean white tissue, and notice how much black debris appears on the tissue. All of that soot and dirt builds up on your skin.
Walking the streets in busy urban or industrialised areas also affects your skin. Again, if you doubt this, just look at the dark stains left on buildings, particularly in and around London – they are caused by pollution.
The three main pollutant culprits are:
- Particulate matter (PM.25) – refers to ultrafine particles with diameters ≤ 2.5 micrometres — about 30 times smaller than a human hair. Being so small, they penetrate your skin’s pores and hair follicles, accumulating in the outermost layer of your dermis (stratum corneum).
They bind to proteins and lipids (fat cells), triggering oxidative stress by generating reactive oxygen species. They cause inflammation and stimulate enzymes called matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) that break down collagen and elastin. - Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) is a gas produced by industrial factories, power plants, and combustion engines, including cars, buses, lorries, and motorbikes. It is a primary component of urban traffic air pollution.
While not fat-soluble, it oxidises the skin’s surface, degrading lipids (fat cells) and compromising your skin microbiota – the ecosystem of microbes contributing to healthy skin function, including its protection. N02 interacts with the sebum (oils) in your skin, creating secondary pollutants called nitrosamines, triggering inflammation and compounding the harmful effects of UV-radiation damage. Extensive exposure to NO2 increases sensitivity to allergens and irritants while drying the skin. - Ground-level Ozone (O3) is a highly reactive gas formed when sunlight reacts with NO2 and other reactive compounds. It is very damaging to your skin, as it depletes vitamins E, C, and glutathione from the skin’s surface. It oxidises unsaturated lipids like squalene and ceramides, compromising the cell function of your skin’s protective barrier. O3 also increases trans-epidermal water loss, resulting in dry, flaky skin, and triggers an inflammatory response, exacerbating conditions like acne and dermatitis.
As you can see, the effects of pollution on the skin are severe and cannot be underestimated. It is why the government has taken steps to reduce air pollution with Ultra-Low-Emission Zones.
Mitigating the harms of pollution
It’s not always easy to escape your environment, but with modern work-from-home policies in swing, if the option is there, it’s worth taking. The daily commute to work will be compromising your skin quality without you knowing it.
If the option exists to live in a suburban or rural area, it is beneficial to your skin. Having said that, there are steps you can take to limit the effects of pollutants on your skin.
- Have a facial skin peel – It will dissolve the outermost layer of your skin, removing any pollutants adhered to it.
- Have a complexion facial – this professional treatment purifies your skin by cleansing pores congested with dirt, excess oil, and irritants. It is the perfect treatment to tackle the harmful effects of pollution on your skin.
- Use a gentle cleanser daily – it will help you remove impurities from your pores, limiting their cumulative effect. Make sure it’s low PH to ensure your lipid cells are not stripped away.
- Use a vitamin C serum – It will protect you against oxidative stress and enhance your skin barrier.
- Use a moisturiser rich in vitamin E with ceramides (and other fatty acids) – it will support the fat-soluble cells of your skin, enhancing your skin’s protective barrier.
- Apply a squalene primer (occlusive shielding) – It will prevent pollutants from binding to your fat cells, limiting their harm.
- Use sunscreen daily; it will reduce the synergistic harm from pollution and UV radiation.
_________________________________________________________________________
Must read: Ceramides: A Hidden Gem For Skincare[1]
_________________________________________________________________________
How smoking affects your skin
Smoking directly affects your skin and is one of the worst external harms. It introduces thousands of toxins into your body, and the nicotine constricts your blood vessels, limiting the oxygen available to your cells. With less oxygen, your cells receive fewer nutrients, impeding their ability to function and regenerate.
Smoking increases oxidative stress and breaks down collagen and elastin, ageing your skin much faster. It also depletes vitamin A, impairing wound healing, which slows down the regeneration of new skin.
If you smoke, whether socially, frequently, or you are exposed to it passively, it will take its toll. It will create dryness, inflammation, and promote wrinkles and sagging of the skin. The reduced oxygen levels will make your skin appear dull in colour.
Mitigating the effects of smoking
Primarily, it is imperative to stop smoking and eliminate your exposure to second-hand smoke. Any other measure you might take will be futile in the long term if you continue smoking. After ceasing, here are steps you can take to improve your skin quality and reverse the harm from smoking:
- Have a carboxytherapy facial – This revolutionary treatment introduces carbon dioxide to your skin, which your body interprets as an oxygen deficit and responds by diverting oxygen to the treated area. The surge in oxygen also increases nutrient delivery, stimulating collagen and elastin production. The increased blood flow also supports lymphatic drainage, removing toxins from the dermis – a necessary function after prolonged periods of smoking.
- Engage professional microneedling – Microneedling will help correct the fine lines and wrinkles created by the breakdown of collagen from smoking. It will stimulate the production of new collagen and elastin. The effects are enhanced when combined with exosome treatments, helping you restore your skin’s radiance.
- Have an injectable skin booster treatment – skin boosters introduce essential compounds to your skin, like hyaluronic acid, which is essential for hydrating your skin, and amino acids, which provide the building blocks for collagen and elastin production. Skin booster treatments gradually improve your skin quality, reversing the effects of premature ageing caused by smoking.
How chlorine affects your skin
Chlorine, especially when regularly exposed through swimming, disrupts your skin by compromising the acid mantle and lipid matrix. Chlorine oxidises the surface of your skin, affecting its PH balance, and stripping away natural oils that protect your skin.
The acid mantle is a thin acidic film on the surface of your skin, comprising sweat, sebum (oils), residues of dead skin cells, and microbial by-products. It has a typical PH balance of 4.5-5.5.
It provides an antimicrobial defence by maintaining an acidic environment, inhibiting microbial growth, and ensuring a balanced microbial flora for the skin. Additionally, the acidity promotes wound healing and supports the lipid matrix to maintain barrier integrity, regulating moisture and permeability.
You can think of chlorine as an extremely harsh cleanser, one that you wouldn’t voluntarily apply to your skin, but exists in an environment you choose to frequent.
Managing your skin with chlorine exposure
There are always steps you can take to mitigate the harm caused by chlorine, but the first step is to manage your exposure. This doesn’t mean never visiting a swimming pool, but rather ensuring that you are not overly exposing yourself.
Here are some steps you can take to protect your skin:
- Apply a pre-swim barrier – normally a petroleum-based or silicone-based balm that acts as a barrier between your skin and the water, which limits how much chlorine comes into contact with your skin.
- Apply a post-swim cleanser with a low PH level immediately after swimming, and rinse it off.
- Moisturise deeply – apply a ceramide-rich[2] or humectant-based moisturiser within minutes of towelling off, and follow up with serums containing panthenol, niacinamide[3] , or colloidal oats as part of your daily routine.
- Have routine facials – a complexion-clearing facial will cleanse your pores deeply, removing irritants to purify your skin. It will make your daily skincare routine all the more effective.
- Engage injectable skin boosters and polynucleotide treatments – skin boosters provide your skin with the hydration and building blocks necessary to repair and improve your skin, while polynucleotides stimulate cell activity. Having these treatments in rotation will ensure that your skin is well-equipped to respond to the harsh effects of chlorine exposure.
Final thoughts
Your skin is exposed to harm, irritants, and pollutants every day. Some of these can be controlled and eliminated, while others are more difficult to manage. Whatever the case, the quality of your skincare routine is paramount to maintaining high-quality skin.
Professional treatments provide your skin with the edge needed to remove impurities and repair itself, gradually improving your skin quality. Still, you will notice a dramatic shift in your skin’s radiance almost immediately, and it only gets better with time.
Opulent Aesthetics in Caterham and Purley in provides the most sophisticated facial treatments, all supported by beauty science. We are here to educate and support your skin-quality goals, one treatment at a time.
To find out more and book an appointment, call Sadie today. Your skin will thank you for it.
Link this to the blog once posted.
Link to ceramide blog once posted
Link to niacinamide blog once posted
