We know you’ve heard it before – skin is an organ, and our biggest one at that! Just like the lungs, heart, and other organs, the skin is easily harmed by things we come into contact with every day – especially pollutants. More pollutants are more harmful than others, but most are easily avoidable with the right skincare routine!

How does pollution damage the skin?

City air pollution is a huge, gradual threat to the skin – gradual being the operative word. Air particles are super, super tiny which allows them to find their way deep into our pores where they create free radicals. Free radicals cause inflammation and damage to the skin cells, making it harder and harder for the skin to regenerate and reducing elasticity – both of which cause signs of premature aging. These chemicals can also cause pigmentation issues in your skin which can usually stick with you for your lifetime.

The sun counts as a pollutant, too! UV rays cause lasting damage to the skin, creating free radicals and causing complexion issues including premature aging, sun spots, and even skin cancer. Please don’t forget to wear your sun screen every day!

This may not come as a surprise, but the blue light emitted from your smart phone and computer may be causing damage to your skin as well! Though the research is just beginning, there is a theory that the light that comes from screens promotes the growth of acne causing bacteria on the skin and also depletes the skins antioxidants, making it more susceptible to damage from free radicals. Just one more reason to limit your screen time!

Is it possible to protect my skin from pollution damage?

Our skin is the first defense against pollutants, so keeping your skin healthy and strong will affect not only the skin, but the rest of your body as well! While it’s not possible to protect the skin from ALL harmful pollutants, maintaining a consistent skin care regimen can drastically help keep you safe. An effective anti-pollution skincare routine contains products high in antioxidants which will help stave off the free radicals that cause damage to your complexion and well-being.

Clean

No matter where you live, your skin is being bombarded by pollutants all day, every day. We cannot stress the importance enough of washing your face every day – at least once, ideally twice! Cleansing the skin with an antioxidant rich cleanser will help remove the buildup of harmful free radicals before they get the chance to permanently hurt your skin. For a gentle, deep cleanse, we recommend the Lavendar Skin Cleanser which offers a deep cleaning and promotes the healing of damaged skin.

Restore

While you sleep, your skin works hard to restore and rebuild itself. Part of this restoration is the removal of unwanted bacteria and other pollutants, which is why it’s so important to cleanse the skin before going to bed! You can give your skin a little boost and extra help in completing the self-cleaning process with the use of a serum or toner. We recommend the Hibiscus and Pomegranate Toner, as it has antioxidant properties and is very soothing on damaged skin.

Moisturize

We know we mention this almost every week – but your skin needs to be moisturized in order to be healthy! After applying your toner, don’t forget to put on your face lotion – your skin will thank you later.

Defend

Cleansing the skin of harmful pollutants will do wonders, but you can be proactive in protecting the skin as well! When you cleanse your face in the morning, don’t forget to apply the moisturizer and the sunscreen before you put on makeup. Wearing sun screen every day will help your skin defend harmful UV rays – no one wants a sun burn on their face!