Pollution and Your Skin

Living with pollution is a fact of life—and so is protecting your skin from it. “Pollution is all around us, and most of the time, we can’t even see it. Some particles of pollution are so tiny, they’re invisible to the naked eye,” says Dr. Michelle Henry, a New York City-based dermatologist. The amount and types of pollution that bombard the skin have increased over the past decade (in some cities, air quality has gotten worse despite clean air efforts) and include things like smoke, smog, ozone, pesticides, factory and car emissions, even pollen. And don’t think that you’re not at risk when you’re indoors—microscopic particles like dust, pet dander, cooking oil fumes, mold spores, and household cleansers are all types of pollution too. Every time your skin comes in contact with these pollutants (like, every single day), there is the potential for damage. In fact, pollution exposure affects your skin in a way that’s very similar to sun exposure—both produce free radicals, and when they come into contact with your skin, they cause oxidative stress, which can damage all layers of your skin, from superficial irritation to the destruction of skin cells deep in the dermis.