Nuala Woulfe Beauty: The skin & environmental stress

Monday 18 July 2016

The skin & environmental stress

Air pollution, extreme temperatures, artificial light, ultraviolet radiation, noise, cigarette smoke and traffic fumes: all these environmental stressors threaten the health of our skin. Recent studies show that when the skin is continuously exposed to various forms of environmental stress it ages much faster and becomes vulnerable to diseases such as cancer.

The skin is the wrapper that connects us to the environment and protects our body from the inclemencies of the weather. This is hardly surprising, as the skin is the body’s organ that suffers most when our living environment is toxic and inhospitable. Our skin reflects everything, whether it comes from within or without, whether it’s psychological problems, the repercussions of what we eat, the air we breathe or what touches our skin. Living conditions in large cities and industrial areas have created new problems for our skin, designed to be able to adapt to temperature and humidity variations in natural habitats.
Air pollution, the gradual thinning of the ozone layer and fossil fuel fumes are further stressors that alter the dermal balance in as yet unpredictable ways. The actual impact on the skin’s health and our well-being is only now beginning to be known to science.

Too much sun etc

Ultraviolet radiation from the sun ages the skin. We know that the dehydrated, poor appearance of a relatively young skin has a lot to do with a person’s habits. Overdoing sunbathing is one of the main stressors of the skin.
There is evidence, for example, that avoiding the sun and not smoking greatly slows down the appearance of wrinkles. Smoking, in fact, rapidly ages the skin (more than two years for every ten years smoking).

Air pollution stress

The hazards of air pollution and undeniable changes in the climate are due to global phenomena whose effects are difficult to control at the individual level. Toxic and fossil fuel fumes and even pesticides penetrate through the body’s pores and oxidize the skin. It is well known that oxidation (or oxidative stress) of the tissues is the biological mechanism responsible for ageing.

When skin tissues begin to suffer from oxidation, disturbing the cells’ balance, the first symptoms appear in the form of irritation, redness and even flaking. Inflammation and a deficient supply of blood and nutrients to the skin are the cause of countless conditions and diseases that only your dermatologist can diagnose.

Climate change and the skin

A growing number of contaminants circulating in the air are gradually changing the Earth's climate. One of the most devastating outcomes is the gradual thinning of the ozone layer. Ozone is a gas like oxygen that accumulates in the stratosphere. Its reduction in the upper strata increases the toxic impact of ultraviolet radiation on the skin. Recent predictions from the UK indicate that skin cancer cases will increase at an alarming rate by the middle of this century, with removal of 10% of the ozone layer estimated to increase cases of carcinoma and melanoma by 25%.
Ozone and the skin natural antioxidantsOne of the detrimental effects of ozone depletion is that the gas moves towards lower areas of the atmosphere. When ozone enters into contact with the skin it can alter the barrier function of the stratum corneum, the skin’s outermost layer. Ozone is beneficial when it is in the form of a gaseous layer in the far reaches of the atmosphere, but is damaging in its pure form when it comes close to the Earth's mantle.

Continuous exposure of the skin to ozone eliminates vitamin E (a natural antioxidant) and oxidizes the lipids (fatty acids) that form the epidermis. This is why many experts recommend reinforcing the natural defences of the skin with antioxidants to combat the effects of environmental stress by.

Home care can protect against Environmental Damage - SkinCeuticals research shows that SkinCeuticals antioxidants neutralise free radicals on the upper layer of the skin to help prevent age-accelerating signs of atmospheric ageing caused by exposure to ozone pollution - fine lines. sagging skin & slack skin

Your SkinCeuticals skincare professional is your partner for healthy, beautiful skin. Our network of dermatologists, plastic surgeons, and aestheticians are specially trained to create the ideal at-home and in-office skincare regimen that can help prevent accelerated skin aging, sun damage, and even skin cancer.

A comprehensive approach against ozone pollution-induced skin ageing and daily UV-damage.
Medical grade vitamin C . Broad spectrum SPF etc