Indoor Pollutants Can Cause Dry Skin And Irritation
Indoor Pollutants Can Cause Dry Skin And Irritation
Indoor pollutants can cause dry skin and irritation. So, what can you do? The first thing is to improve the overall air quality by allowing fresh air into your home as often as possible.
Open windows or doors on both sides of your home to create a real cross breeze. By constantly freshening the air, you can help dilute the levels of pollutants, which can be of great benefit to your skin. Of course, if you live in an area that’s heavily polluted outdoors, try to keep the air in your home as clean as possible.
Some examples of outdoor pollutants include:
- Smog
- Ozone
- Ammonia
- Vehicle exhaust
- Nitrous oxides
- Dirt, dust, and debris
- Toxic metals, such as mercury and lead
- Carbon monoxide from fires and fuel combustion
- And the list goes on and on…
Outdoor pollutants are detrimental because they increase the number of free radicals in our environment—which, studies have shown is damaging to the skin. Free radicals can damage cells over time by encouraging oxidation.
Scrub the pollution away
Exfoliating your skin on a regular basis can help guard against pollution’s negative effects from building up, giving it that dull, drab appearance. Good scrubbing helps to deep clean your pores and remove dirt, oil, and debris.
Use a good moisturizer
Moisturizers will provide your skin with antioxidant support and help hydrate your skin. Most importantly, a moisturizer will help to create a barrier between your skin and pollutants.
Double cleanse
Your first step is to remove pollutants and dirt from your skin through proper cleansing. For those living in high-pollution areas, you may want to do a ‘double cleanse.’ Choose a cleanser for your skin type that has no added sulfates.
Give your skin a thorough cleansing, specifically to remove the surface residue such as your makeup, dirt, excess oils, and any chemicals you may have come into contact with. Once you’ve done that, it’s a good idea to give it another quick cleansing. This way, you can be sure that you removed all the surface impurities and have thoroughly cleaned your skin. If your pores are clogged, you may experience a few breakouts. That’s a good indication that you need to cleanse your skin a bit better.