While protecting the skin from ultraviolet (UV) light is the single most important factor to maintain both the health and the appearance of the skin, the effects of pollution has become almost just as important. There is now increased evidence that pollution can increase morbidity and disease. From an esthetician’s perspective, it can also increase signs of aging in the skin, causing wrinkles, dark spots and hyperpigmentation, lack of elasticity and firmness, as well as rough, dry texture.
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The New Environmental Protection Plan
While protecting the skin from ultraviolet (UV) light is the single most important factor to maintain both the health and the appearance of the skin, the effects of pollution has become almost just as important. There is now increased evidence that pollution can increase morbidity and disease. From an esthetician’s perspective, it can also increase signs of aging in the skin, causing wrinkles, dark spots and hyperpigmentation, lack of elasticity and firmness, as well as rough, dry texture.
Studies have shown that traffic-related air pollution exposure to particulate matter (PM), soot and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) have been associated with premature skin aging. Further studies show that the adverse effects of particulate matter can cause more damage when in the presence of both pollution and low levels of UV radiation. More recent findings have shown that an increase in UV radiation and ozone can increase the damage to the skin from PM. 1
Just as increased awareness of the importance of protection against UV light has become a key educational factor for the esthetician, awareness and remediation against the detrimental effects of pollution have become increasingly important for the esthetician’s protocol and follow-up recommendations. Here, we’ll look at the effects of pollution on the skin, and ingredients that can help reduce the appearance of these effects on the skin.
The Problem with Pollution
Air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). WHO data shows that almost all of the global population (99%) breathe air that exceeds WHO guideline limits containing high levels of pollutants.2 While there has been conjecture that the pandemic helped reduce pollution emissions globally, a recent survey found that of 6,475 cities monitored worldwide, not a single country involved in the monitoring process met WHO’s air quality standard in 2021.3
The most recent data from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that about 68 million tons of pollution were emitted into the atmosphere in the United States.4 These emissions mostly contribute to the formation of ozone and particles. Furthermore, according to the EPA, scientific evidence shows that long and short-term exposures to fine particle pollution, or PM, can cause premature death and harmful effects on the cardiovascular system, including increased hospital admissions and emergency visits for heart attacks and strokes. Scientific evidence also links PM to harmful respiratory effects, including asthma attacks.5
Pollution is a contamination of either the indoor or outdoor environment by any chemical, physical or biological agent. Air pollution is composed of two main types of primary pollutants: particulate matter and gases. Particulate matter are commonly referred to as fine (PM2.5, PM10) or coarse particles, while gases (O3, CO2, CO, SO2, NO2) or volatile organic compounds may also pollute the air.6
How Pollution Reacts on the Skin
Ambient particulate matter (APM) is air-borne material that is detrimental, a.k.a. air pollution. A major mechanism by which APM exerts its detrimental effects is through the generation of oxidative stress. It has been postulated that these particles can serve as carriers for organic chemicals and metals that are capable of localizing in mitochondria and generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) or free radicals. The term oxidative stress is used when there is an imbalance between the number of free radicals compared to antioxidants. This can negatively influence the process of aging.7
In a review of ROS and inflammation, researchers found that bodies, starting with the skin, are under ever greater assault from pollution and toxic elements in the environment that it has not yet evolved enough to neutralize on its own. Furthermore, inflammation and the resulting accumulation of ROS play an important role in the intrinsic and photoaging of human skin. Environmental insults such as ultraviolet (UV) rays from sun, cigarette smoke exposure and pollutants, and the natural process of aging, contribute to the generation of free radicals and ROS that stimulate the inflammatory process in the skin.8
Skin is the body’s first line of defense against the environment. Unclothed areas of skin are chronically exposed environmental aggressors and stressors such as UV light and pollution. The skin consists of two main layers, the epidermis and the dermis. Below the dermis lies subcutaneous fat tissue. Fibroblasts in the dermis create an extracellular matrix containing collagen and elastin fibers. The epidermis contains mostly keratinocytes that rise to the skin surface as they develop to form the superficial part of the epidermis, the stratum corneum.
The skin is protected against oxidative stress by a variety of antioxidants. These include antioxidants such as glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, catalases, vitamin E, vitamin C, glutathione (GSH), uric acid and ubiquinol.9 Antioxidants, however, are present in the deeper levels of the stratum corneum, and move up towards the epidermis along with the normal process of skin cell turnover. The outer layer of skin, therefore, is exposed unprotected from oxidative stress for longer periods of time.
Studies have shown a direct correlation between exposure to air pollution and increase in the appearance of skin aging, most notably dark spots and hyperpigmentation. The stratum corneum is the first target of UV light and pollutants such as ozone. Free radicals are formed during exposure, depleting the skin’s natural antioxidant storage, creating oxidative damage to the skin, including depletion of lipids and ceramides, therefore hindering its function to limit trans-epidermal water loss, and allowing chemicals and pathogens to enter the body. This in turn, can lead to inflammation,10 or what some scientists are now calling “inflammaging.”
Free radicals have also been reported to participate in AGEs formation and in cell damage.11 AGEs are caused by too much glucose or sugar in the body and cells. Research has found that if there is too much sugar in the body, protein molecules can cross-link with sugar molecules. Once this cross-linking process has occurred, the new sugar proteins are called AGEs. Cross-linking degrades proteins and creates AGEs, which are, in turn, responsible for leading to many age-related illnesses like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, blindness/deafness and Alzheimer’s. When it comes to the skin, glycation is believed to be the main culprit behind deep wrinkling, thinning skin and the appearance of age spots.
Properly caring for the skin may help neutralize free radical activity and lower inflammation levels, to not only help to reduce the appearance of skin care concerns, but potentially reduce the risk of a number of age-related diseases.12
When formulating or creating skin care protocols for clients that display skin care concerns exacerbated by environmental factors such as pollution, recommendations for daily skin care include the following.
- Avoid over washing the skin as it may damage the natural skin barrier function.
- Use a gentle cleanser and avoid soap.
- Look for ingredients that help to support the skin barrier function.
- Look for ingredients that are potent antioxidants.
- Use mineral face protection containing zinc oxide.
- Use rinse-off cleansers to remove dirt, debris and pollution residue from the skin surface.
Anti-Pollution Ingredients
Utilizing professional skin care treatments and products that incorporate ingredients to help provide antioxidants to the skin’s surface, while helping to restore and strengthen the skin barrier are key to addressing skin care concerns brought on by environmental factors. Look for the following ingredients in the skin care formulations implemented at the spa or salon.
Seaweed. One of the most potent ingredients to both fight the environmental aggression of pollution and maintain the skin barrier is seaweed. Seaweed is one of the richest sources of natural antioxidants, such as phlorotannins, sulfated polysaccarides, fucosterol and fucoxanthins.13But while seaweed is known to be beneficial for the skin, it is also beneficial for the planet. Water quality is of great importance to seaweed sustenance and growth. As seaweed absorbs the seawater around it, the environment in which the seaweed is grown is of paramount importance to the health of these marine plants. For centuries, seaweed was used to help purify the water based on its ability to filter as water circulates and moves through seaweed beds with the tides.
For skin care, in addition to its antioxidant attributes, seaweed such as Laminaria digitata is a source of many important nutrients, including 12 vitamins, 18 amino acids, 42 trace elements and minerals, and phlorotannins—the key elements skin needs for deep surface hydration and balance. It also contains polyunsaturated fatty acids, enzymes and bioactive peptides. Essential fatty acids help maintain our skin’s barrier, and polysaccharides such as alginic acid help to lock moisture into the skin.
Mastic. Known as the “Tears of Chios,” mastic or mastiha is a precious, ivory-colored resin with a balsam-like scent derived from the mastic tree known scientifically as Pistacia Lentiscus. Although cultivated in other areas, it is the mastic trees in the southern tip of Chios in the Aegean that is most legendary. Chios mastic gum (CMG) consists of nearly 70 elements and constituents, and has demonstrated numerous and diverse biomedical and pharmacological properties.14 Among its many benefits, it has shown to have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. This ingredient is known to have multiple benefits, shown to help reduce the appearance of oil, pore size and dryness, as well as the appearance of fine lines and dark spots.16
Niacinamide (vitamin B3). This well-known ingredient helps improve the overall appearance of skin, improving skin texture, evening the appearance of the complexion, and helping to reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, dark spots and discoloration.17,18
Sodium Hyaluronate and Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate (Hyaluronic Acid). Hyaluronic acid is a natural moisturizing polysaccharide prevalently found in the skin that is known to hold 1,000 times its weight in water. In the body, hyaluronic acid is known to help keep skin moisturized, repair skin tissue, transport nutrients in the blood to skin cells, serve as a cushion to lubricate and protect against damage, and contribute to the resilience and suppleness of the skin. As the body ages, hyaluronic acid decreases, leading to loss of moisture and elasticity, and contributing to the formation of lines and wrinkles.19 In skin care, benefits include hydration of the skin to help reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
Quercetin. This polyphenol derived from plants responsible for their pigment color is reported to be more effective as an antioxidant than vitamins E and C. It is known to have excellent soothing properties and has been shown to reduce oxidative stress.
Oxidized glutathione. This tripeptide is composed of glutamic acid, cysteine and glycine. It is known to be a potent antioxidant, and to be effective in lightening the appearance of skin, increasing hydration and reducing the appearance of wrinkles
Camellia japonica seed oil. Also known as Tsubaki oil, used for centuries in Japan, this ingredient is known to help strengthen the appearance of the skin barrier while it also helps prevents moisture loss.20
Ergothioneine.This ingredients is an amino acid that has powerful antioxidant properties.
Use Your Knowledge
Proper education and implementation of facial treatments that address the detrimental effects of pollution, as well as other environmental factors, are key to creating real results for clients’ skin concerns.
Lydia Sarfati is an international industry leader, with over 46 years of experience as a spa owner, consultant, and esthetician. She is the founder/CEO of Repêchage, the first company to bring seaweed-based skincare treatments to the U.S market and is the president of CIDESCO Section U.S.A.
