Facing A Bad Environment: Skin Protection Rules

In addition to the detrimental effect on our health (polluted air in megacities is one of the key causes of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases), poor ecology has a devastating effect on our skin, causing such ailments as moisture loss, flaking, pigmentation and irritation. Here's how to confront one of the most pressing environmental problems of the 21st century.

Step 1. Protect against exhaust emissions

Even if you live in an ecologically clean area, it will be quite difficult to find an office in the same "oasis". Whatever one may say, every day we have to be near roads and parking lots and inhale toxic substances, including automobile gases.

Of course, it is impossible to completely protect yourself from toxic gases, but it is possible and necessary to reduce the harmful effect. Kiehl's Consultant Dermatologist Dr. Adam Geyer advises: “Every time you return home, you need to wash your hands - even children know this. The same rule applies to the face. Do not delay the removal of makeup until late at night. " Throughout the day, millions of PM2.5 particles (a mixture of dust, ash, soot and toxic resins) eat into cosmetics, thereby clogging pores and breaking the epidermal barrier - the first layer that protects our skin from external influences.

Clogged pores, however, are not the only problem faced by a modern city dweller. According to a study conducted by the journal of Investigative Dermatology, an authoritative publication in the field of cosmetology and dermatology, polluted air also causes skin pigmentation disorders. Exfoliating peeling will help to overcome the problem - such a procedure can normalize the production of melanin.

For deep cleansing, the Clarisonic MiFit Wash Brush is ideal - spinning at 300 rps, it removes 99% of PM2.5. For those who rely on more traditional facial treatments, Simple Kind To Skin Cleansing and Moisturizing Oil is also suitable.

Kiehl's Nightly Renewal Micro-Peel with Quinoa Hull Extract gently cleanses and evens out complexion.

Night micro-peeling, accelerating skin renewal, Kiehl's. The product contains AHA acid, which increases the skin's sensitivity to sunlight.

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Step 2. Wake up antioxidants

The portion of harmful substances that our skin receives with a deadly charge every day is capable of sending a full-fledged attack of free radicals to our body, which in turn trigger millions of oxidative reactions that destroy organs and tissues of the body and accelerate the aging process. “This can lead to things like catarrh of the skin, psoriasis (or psoriasis), inflammation and acne,” says Dr. Geyer.

But that's not all: prolonged exposure to free radicals reduces the amount of collagen and elastin in the skin, which instantly makes our face look unhealthy and tired. A diet rich in antioxidant foods can help reduce free radical damage. As for cosmetic care, antioxidants are an indispensable component here.

Take Deep Breath, a new non-greasy oxygen gel cream from Layer Philosophy, contains a special blend of antioxidants to protect skin from external influences and saturate it with oxygen.

Elizabeth Arden's Prevage City Smart Broad Spectrum SPF 50 Serum is designed to protect skin from the harmful effects of the environment, as well as UV rays. Containing a whole complex of DNA-repairing enzymes, this product also has an anti-aging effect.

Kiehl's Night Mask is enriched with Chinese parsley and bitter orange extracts to neutralize the effects of free radicals even before they have time to react.

Light oxygen cream for exhausted skin Take Deep Breath, Layer Philosophy. For women with an intense lifestyle.

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Step 3. Ventilate the house

According to the latest research, indoor air is often 5 times more polluted than outside. The problem lies in the design of modern houses: now our housing has become much more "airtight" in order to retain heat and thereby reduce heating costs. In such poorly ventilated rooms, the dangers to your skin are no less than, say, in the middle of a motorway.

Carpets and upholstered furniture become veritable "sprays" of harmful volatile substances such as formaldehyde (released from low-quality MDF panels and plywood) and phthalates (hazardous chemicals found in common plastics). And this is not to mention the carbon dioxide that each of us releases in the process of breathing. But the devil is not as scary as he is painted: it is enough just to sleep with an open window (of course, if you do not live near a factory or a highway) and regularly ventilate the apartment in order to "dissipate" harmful gases concentrated inside the room.

Step 4. Protect the top layer of the epidermis

Today, most of the inhabitants of megalopolises are increasingly complaining about the increased sensitivity of their skin. This is due to the same polluted air. Poor air quality leads to irritation and thinning of the epidermal barrier - the top layer of the skin. As a result, the skin becomes dry, flaky and suffers from a lack of collagen. Means with a high lipid content: ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids will help to solve the problem.

Balance Me Restore and Replenish Cream Cleanser contains a special peptide complex that stimulates collagen production, as well as amino acids and hyaluronic acid for cell renewal.

Skinceuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2: 4: 2 correcting lipid-replenishing agent contains the maximum concentration of lipids: 2% ceramides, 4% cholesterol, 2% omega 6-, 9-fatty acids. This formula enhances the protective functions of the skin and has a rejuvenating effect. Apply after a serum (such as Skin Longevitiy by Bare Minerals) and fix the effect with an SPF protected day cream (such as NiveQ10 Plus Anti-Wrinkle Energising Day Cream SPF 15 or Eucerin Aquaporin Active SPF15).

Day cream Resveratrol Lift Creme Cachemire Redensifiante, Caudalie. Anti-aging complex of hyaluronic acid, peptides and vine resveratrol. Restores the lipid layer of the skin, fights loss of firmness and wrinkles.

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Step 5. Arm yourself with useful information

The CityAir smartphone app allows the owner to find the least polluted routes in the city (available in iTunes and for Android).
Salmon, avocado and mackerel contain omega acids that stimulate the protective processes in the upper layer of the epidermis. Good to include in your diet!
Check out the ORAC scale, which measures the amount of antioxidants in foods and supplements. The products in the top have the strongest anti-aging properties. In the front rows you can find prunes, raisins, blueberries and strawberries.

Photo: Getty Images, press archives