How Does Pollution Affect My Skin?

It’s common knowledge that air pollution can lead to a variety of health complications – in fact, a recent study published in the journal Nature concluded that air pollution accounted for as many as 3.3 million deaths worldwide every year!

However, when most of us think of these detrimental effects, we imagine the damage being done to our bodies via inhalation of the polluted particles. As well as causing coronary and respiratory ailments, air pollution can also have serious consequences for our skin. Among other things, it can cause or exacerbate skin conditions such as acne, eczema, rashes and premature aging.

Indirectly, air pollution can also harm the skin in another way. A concerted build-up of contaminants in the Earth’s atmosphere can lead to erosion of the ozone layer. Since this layer filters out the harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays of the sun, areas which do not benefit from its protection (such as much of Australia) are vulnerable to carcinogens in these rays. Therefore, air pollution can indirectly be responsible for contracting cancer or other serious skin ailments.

Types of Pollution Responsible

Many of us think of air pollution as being a problem confined to factory sites (where oil and gas emissions can increase the proportion of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the atmosphere, leading to severe health problems for those who live nearby) and big city centres. Therefore, it might come as a surprise that levels of pollution can be as much as five times higher indoors than outdoors.

Tobacco smoke is among the chief pollutants found indoors, which can irritate the skin and cause rashes in case of prolonged exposure. Meanwhile, products which generate formaldehyde in the home are detrimental to the skin since this causes dryness and itchiness, thus providing the perfect conditions for rashes to develop. Poor circulation throughout the house can trap contaminants, thus increasing our skin’s exposure to them.

Air pollution can also lead to the signs of premature aging. Because air that is heavily contaminated with pollutants contains less oxygen, the skin cells which thrive on this become deprived of it, thus leading to sagging of the skin. Furthermore, pollutants lead to increased numbers of free radicals in the air, which combine with UV radiation to diminish skin collagen production, which decreases the elasticity of skin. This paves the way for wrinkles and lining to appear.

What You Can Do to Prevent Skin Problems

Above all, the best course of action when trying to prevent skin problems caused by air pollution is simply to avoid air pollution altogether. Fortunately, a network of monitoring stations has been set up in conjunction with a series of environmental apps, designed to allow everyone access to the latest accurate air quality data in their area. This gives us the foresight to alter plans so as to avoid pollution hotspots.

Meanwhile, wearing long-sleeved shirts and sunscreen at all times can work doubly to prevent skin issues arising from air pollution. On the one hand, it will prevent polluted particles from coming into direct contact with your skin, while on the other it will also protect you from the harmful UV rays of the sun.

In the home, using a vacuum cleaner with a filter and an air purifier will also serve to keep indoor pollution levels at a minimum. Opening windows and doors is another great way to keep the air flowing and pollutants down – especially after a rain shower.