The pollution problem: what is urban living doing to our skin?

Polluted air in our towns has been linked to skin conditions such as discolouration, acne and eczema. It’s time to learn how to protect yourself, says Lindsey Kelk

We all want great skin and, if you’re anything like me, you’re doing all the right things: cleansing, toning and moisturising; drinking approximately 17 buckets of water a day; and, of course, managing your sugar, dairy and alcohol intake (kind of). But if your skin still isn’t glowing with good health, you could be suffering from the effects of airborne pollution. As our largest and most exposed organ, our skin can struggle to cope with constant attacks from the chemicals in the atmosphere, leaving it sensitive, discoloured, sagging or acne-prone. There are a lot of great things about urban life, but, the truth is, human beings weren’t designed to live like this. Personally, I believe I was designed to live on a beach with a piña colada in one hand and a second piña colada in the other, but that doesn’t pay the mortgage, and so here we are.

Know thine enemy
I’m almost certain you’ve heard of free radicals but maybe, just maybe, you’re not entirely sure what they are – and that’s OK. The facts about these niftily named skin saboteurs can be a little confusing. In the simplest terms, free radicals are atoms or molecules that contain unpaired electrons – making them unstable – and are thought to be associated with a range of illnesses and diseases. They can be created by perfectly natural reactions in the body (they’re in our food and drink). They also float around in the air we breathe, all day every day, and are produced by exhaust fumes, smoke, industrial waste, pesticides and lots of other unavoidable processes in our modern society.

The sad fact is that free radicals are incredibly needy. You know that one friend who can’t stand to be single for more than a minute? That’s a free radical. They attack the skin by breaking through our cellular barriers and stealing an electron from a healthy cell so that they don’t have to be alone. This oxidisation process not only damages your skin at a cellular level, but also creates another free radical in the process. If it weren’t messing with your complexion so badly it would almost warrant a degree of pity.

When a free radical steals that electron, your cells can no longer function properly, leading to skin problems such as sagging due to a loss of collagen; acne; dull or grey-looking skin; and dryness and eczema. The long and the short of it is that there is no good news about these suckers – and you want them as far away from your skin as possible.

You might be reading this and thinking: “But I live in the countryside! None of this applies, and my beautiful, plump, bright, shining face is safe from all these nasty-sounding things.” Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but pollution, though not quite as bad in the countryside as it is in cities and towns, is still there. Wind patterns move city-created pollution, increased traffic dumps a ton of exhaust fumes, and then there are pesticides and ammonia from pig farming (gross), all of which generate an awful lot of nasties that may be sticking to your skin even as you read this. Sorry.

Weapons at the ready

Thankfully, as we learn more about free radical damage, we are developing ways to prevent and protect ourselves from the worst of it. The easiest way to do this is to pack your skincare routine and your diet with antioxidants. These work by reacting or neutralising the rampant free radicals – generally by donating a spare electron before it can steal one from your skin. This is why many people consider them to be the superheroes of skincare.

While there are loads of antioxidants and related ingredients with lots of solid research behind them, it’s generally accepted that the most effective options for your skin are vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin A and niacinamide. But how do you put them to work? A diet rich in antioxidants can only be a good thing (if only because the antioxidant resveratrol is found in red wine), but you also need to apply them in the right way to ensure your skin is getting the protection it needs.

First, you need to clean your skin properly – and I mean clean, not strip. The last thing you want is to damage your skin’s natural barriers. All these unpleasant cell-munching monsters that float around in the air stick to our skin like they’re made of Velcro, so a good but gentle cleansing regime is paramount to healthy, pollution-free skin.

While all antioxidant ingredients have benefits, research has shown that using some together yields even better results; vitamin E and vitamin C, for example, go together like rama lama ding dong. You can get antioxidant protection in your moisturiser, makeup, serum and SPF. Because UV rays speed up the process of oxidisation, anything that creates a physical barrier between your skin and the environment is a good thing, so don’t think going bare-faced is giving your skin a “breather” – it isn’t. It’s actually leaving it at the mercy of the elements and airborne pollutants.

So, the long and the short of it is: pollution bad, antioxidants good. Until we find a way to remove these nasties from our environment, it’s essential to maintain a good skincare regime that protects your skin from chemicals in the air and prevents them harming your health. Urban living will always be full of things to stress you out, but, thankfully, damaged skin doesn’t have to be one of them. Now, where did I put that glass of red?

Aimed at shielding skin from airborne pollution, Clinique’s Dramatically Different Hydrating Jelly works to protect, strengthen and hydrate skin for 24 hours – formulated for maximum results without parabens, phthalataes or fragrance.