- Air pollution may aggravate skin conditions such as acne, inflammatory skin diseases and skin cancer
Pollution is a huge contributor of inflammation, pigmentation changes, and long term skin damage and you can't really run away from it. Going back to basics, treating the most fundamental aspect of skin health: a healthy barrier is incredibly important to reducing the damaging and long lasting effects of pollution on your skin health, particularly in the environments we are exposed to in Asia.
To promote a healthy barrier, overall skin health is critical, from the alleviation of dryness and irritation through rehydration, supporting elasticity and good skin cell health through diet and topical anti-aging, or anti-pollution skin care make common sense. Pure Argan Oil has very strong antioxidant properties and when coupled with it’s incredibly rich Vitamin E and Omega 3,6, 9 profile it can help strengthen the structure of skin and fight damaging molecules -- in turn, protecting it.
Pollution and your skin
Air pollution can lead to skin aging and the worsening of inflammatory skin diseases like eczema, acne and psoriasis, says Dr. Chan Yung, a dermatologist with the Apex Dermatology Institute in Hong Kong. It can also increase the risk of skin cancer.
Yung recommends combating these effects by wearing sunscreen and a hat, even using an umbrella during the daytime. But he also advises the use of an antioxidant to help reduce oxidative stress from free radicals.
A topical antioxidant is best, he said, because the oral absorption of vitamins is limited, leaving the amount available for skin further reduced. Pure Argan Oil is well known for its anti-inflammatory as well as its rich antioxidant profile so can be used to alleviate the discomfort of these inflammatory skin diseases actively reducing inflammation, adding rehydration and reducing the oxidative stress from free radicals.
Pollution linked to 9 million deaths worldwide in 2015, study says
White blood cells produce free radicals from oxygen to kill bacteria or viruses, explains Linwei Tian, an environmental epidemiologist at the University of Hong Kong. When they are exposed to air pollution, these free radicals may be created to fight off potential pollution deposits, but as the white blood cells cannot kill the pollution particles, more white blood cells come in, creating even more free radicals, causing oxidative stress and inflammation.
Traffic-related air pollution has also been shown to cause the formation of lentigenes -- dark spots on the skin -- in women in Germany and China, with the most pronounced changes on the cheeks of Asian women over 50, according to research in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.
A recent study in China found that indoor air pollution, due to close proximity to smokers, cooking fuels and roads, can also cause skin aging.
But while studies like these suggest a direct correlation between air pollution and skin damage, Dr. Henry HL Chan, a dermatologist with the Hong Kong Dermatology and Laser Center and a professor at the University of Hong Kong, said it's hard to find exact statistics on just how big a role pollution plays.
Two factors cause the greatest damage -- sun and smoke -- and when air particles cause free radical damage to cells, certain parts of our cells are not replaceable, Chan said.
Protecting Yourself
Skin products, like Safia's Pure Argan Oil, utilize the properties of antioxidants to help prevent the formation of free radicals. Pure Argan Oil which is rich in antioxidants, is a commonly used botanical oil in anti-pollution and anti-aging formulations. When used to topically and as an after sun treatment it not only soothes the skin and rehydrates it, with the antioxidant profile actively working to counteract the UV free radical damage to the skin cells. In compromised, smokey and polluted environments it works wonders.
Pure Argan Oil with its scientifically proven skin hydration and rejuvenation properties and rich antioxidant profile helps combat skin damage and the aging process. Dermatology experts, such as Dr Chan suggest using topical antioxidants, such as Argan Oil and ingesting antioxidant supplements such as vitamin C and E to really combat skin health degeneration.
Antioxidants work by fighting how the body is trying to combat pollution, and skin care products build a barrier aimed at stopping pollution from getting into the body in the first place. Pure Argan Oil works as that protective barrier , with a straightforward, daily application improves skin health dramatically.
The World Health Organization describes air pollution as a "public health emergency," causing 3 million deaths a year from outdoor pollution and 6 million deaths from indoor pollution in 2016.
“Much of this air pollution occurs in Asia. In a study of 482 cities in the region, 99.6% were exposed to unhealthy air quality levels based on WHO guidelines”, according to Clean Asia Air, an international nongovernmental organization that works toward better air quality and healthier, more livable cities. So protecting your skin or epidermal barrier in China is a “MUST”.
* Article edited and re produced from CNN
