Did you know that in the air, molecules are floating around that can cause wrinkles?

The bigger a city you live in, the more likely you’re exposed to these wrinkle-causing particles daily.

What are these particles?

Pollution. Not only is it bad for the environment, but pollution also has harmful effects on the skin. Here’s what pollution really does to your skin and how you can prevent it.

How Does Pollution Affect Skin?

Along with cigarette smoke and sun rays, pollution is a source of free radicals. These free radicals are “oxidants” that cause damage to the skin. 

Oxidants damage the skin DNA. And when the skin renews, the new cells are not an exact replica of the old ones.

So signs of aging like wrinkles, skin sagging and crepiness develop.

How to Prevent Pollution from Affecting Skin

There are two important ways to prevent pollution from causing melasma and wrinkles on your skin. Both of these steps take an approach to removing pollution particles and minimizing their effects on your skin.

Washing your face every day does more than just remove makeup and oils. It can remove microscopic particles, like pollution, that you can’t even see on your skin. Cleansing skin twice a day is ideal for removing any lingering particles on the skin.

One of the best defenses against pollution on the skin is to use an antioxidant skincare product. Remember how we said that pollution causes “oxidants”? 

This means that antioxidants have the power to neutralize the oxidants (aka free radicals), This. preventing them from causing long-lasting damage to your skin. 

One of the best antioxidants for this is Vitamin C. 

It’s a critical skincare ingredient for collagen creation and even skin tone. Studies have found that Vitamin C stays active in your skin for days after you apply it. 

This ensures that your skin has a constant buffer of Vitamin C to shield it against external stressors such as pollution for healthier, younger-looking skin. 

Pollution Effects On Skin: The Bottom Line

The harmful effects of pollution on the skin can appear as premature wrinkles, melasma, dull skin, and loss of firmness. Minimizing pollution’s negative effects on the skin starts with daily cleansing to sweep away all harmful particles and regularly using antioxidants to prevent DNA damage and premature aging.