Environmental pollution is a significant problem in many large cities around the world and anti-pollution skin care is a hot new trend coming out of Asia. A significant number of studies have examined the effects of pollution on the ageing of the skin and found some alarming results.
Pollutants are very diverse, from some airborne components such as ozone or nitrogen dioxide to industrial residues such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and nanoparticles. The effect that these pollutants can have on the skin depends of course on the daily environmental exposure. This exposure will vary from location to location and between individuals. However, if you live in a large polluted city then it is very likely that your skin is being exposed to significant pollution every single day.
Effects of Pollution on the Skin
Researchers have found the following effects of pollution on the skin: Ozone in photochemical smog appears to speed up skin ageing, by depleting vitamin E levels in the skin, interfering with wound-healing processes and causing oxidative stress.
Skin exposed to pollution areas experiences a higher sebum secretion rate, when compared to non-polluted areas. There is a tendency of the cutaneous pH to decrease when exposed to pollution. One study found a higher a significantly higher amount of lactic acid in the skin in polluted areas compared to non-polluted areas.
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