7 Anti-Pollution Skincare Tips To Protect Your Skin From Toxins
Living in a busy metropolitan city is not easy these days. We are not talking about the traffic or cost of living here but the cost your skin pays every day, thanks to pollution and other external aggressors! When you step outside, your skin comes in direct contact with smog, dust, and pollutants that impact your overall health and your skin. Fortunately, we’re here with some anti-pollution skincare tips that can come to your rescue.
Pollutants including UV radiation, chemicals from gas and coal burning, and blue light emissions from electronic appliances unleash free radicals, causing oxidative stress and leading to premature aging and major skin concerns like skin cancer. So, how to protect the skin from pollution? Here, we have listed some of the most effective anti-pollution skincare tips that will help you keep free radicals at bay and maintain healthy and clear skin.
Anti-pollution skincare tips
Shield your skin from the toxins present in the air by following these simple yet effective anti-pollution skincare tips:
• Rely on antioxidants
Looking for pollution protection skincare tips? Take refuge in antioxidants and start noticing improved results. Antioxidants like vitamin C stand in the first line of defense against pollution. Antioxidants are believed to hold together the free radicals before they can cast negative effects on the skin. You can include vitamin C serum in your anti-pollution skincare routine to get optimal free-radical protection.
• Double-cleansing is mandatory
When it comes to anti-pollution skincare, double-cleansing becomes the first step towards it. Indulging in a double cleansing ritual helps you extract last traces of dirt, makeup, and impurities confined in the skin. Start your double cleansing routine with a gentle cleanser cum makeup remover like the vitamin C micellar water (no-rinsing) that helps brighten the skin (as pollution can cause skin dullness), remove up to 100% dirt, dust, and makeup, and banish invisible impurities like SPF residue, leaving zero impurities on the skin. Complete the double-cleansing step with a neem-infused cleanser.
• Exfoliate regularly
Pollutants can clog the pores hence a great anti-pollution skincare tip would be to exfoliate regularly. Go for products infused with Alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) – an effective ingredient that helps brighten the skin, boost collagen production, correct skin discoloration, and promote blood flow to the skin. For best results, exfoliate twice or thrice a week.
• SPF is non-negotiable
While protecting the skin from pollution, you should not forget the importance of applying sunscreen every day irrespective of the weather and season. UV lights penetrate the skin to break down collagen and elastin fibres and cause wrinkles and cellular DNA changes. These, in turn, increase the risk of skin cancer. Here, a smart anti-pollution skincare tip would be to use a mineral sunscreen (with SPF 30 or above) for maximum protection against UV rays and pollutants. For additional benefits, try out SPF moisturisers like Vitamin C serum cream SPF 40.
• Moisturise well to keep the skin barrier intact
Pollutants can weaken the skin barrier and make it more vulnerable to dryness, wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, and UV damage. Hence, you need to strengthen the skin barrier for intense protection from environmental pollutants. Look for a moisturiser with niacinamide or ceramides to build your PM anti-pollution skincare routine and let your skin regenerate itself thoroughly.
• Follow a healthy lifestyle
Your pollution skincare methods should focus on keeping the skin healthy from the inside as well. To maintain a healthy skin barrier, you must prioritise working out, get enough sleep, and eat a wholesome diet. These practices help improve your metabolism and release toxins from the body.
• Wear a scarf and hat!
Wearing a scarf or hat can help create a physical shield against pollutants and protect your hair and face from the direct effects of sun and other particles. For under-eye protection, wear sunglasses (to guard the delicate under-eye area) and avoid rubbing your eyes (pollutants may enter the eyes and cause irritation).
We hope, we have answered your query - how to protect the skin from pollution! Keep these above-mentioned anti-pollution skincare tips in mind and start taking care of your precious skin in the right way. For more details on anti-pollution skincare and product guidance, browse through the Garnier skincare products and skincare tips to achieve pollutant-free healthy skin.