Skin Care

Yes, Pollution Affects Your Skin, and Yes, You Need to Do Something About It

It's not just the sun that can seriously alter your complexion.

Earlier this summer, we told you hopefully everything there is to know about SPF, and here's the most important thing we learned: The sun is linked to major skin-related issues, including hyperpigmentation, the formation of wrinkles, and (scariest of all) cancer. And now, as the beauty industry goes through a crazy, sun-conscious boom, some scientists and researchers have moved on, thinking, "What's next?"

The answer, it turns out, is right in front of our faces. (Literally.) "We've been studying the general field of pollution for many years," says Dr. Tom Mammone, the ecutive director of skin physiology and pharmacology of Clinique's R&D team. "But in the last few, we've been exclusively studying what's known as particulate pollution, which is easiest understood as a particle you'd see in the air, like smoke or diesel exhaust." Thanks to the buzz around research like his, cities here in the U.S. (including Teen Vogue's hometown of New York) have started to issue health warnings when levels are above average.

The assertion that pollution affects our lungs is somewhat of a no-brainer. But Dr. Mammone and his team went one step further and decided to explore how pollution affects our skin. "The particles carry a lot of other toxins," he says. And since these toxins float around in the air, guess where they end up? Right on your face.

"We have a special lab set up, and we basically tested the particles on artificial skin. We found that they generate free radicals, DNA damage, and inflammation—just like the sun does. We just did a study in Germany that looked at people who lived in high-pollution areas, and we were able to show that there was a significant increase in hyperpigmentation and aging of the skin there. We have similar data in other cities of the world."

But, you're probably thinking, why would this matter to you? Because you're the next generation, the cool young things, the stars of the future! And unfortunately, many of your ancestors have set up a hyper-industrialized world where the environment seems to be the last priority, which means you're about to inherit a pretty polluted Earth. From a beauty POV, today's concern over sun damage might just be tomorrow's concern over pollution damage—and maybe the environment (not stress or genetics) will be the determining factor in what your complexion looks like.

What's worse: Pollution is especially exacerbating for oil-prone adolescents. "Basically, teenagers have a high production of sebum, or oil, on their faces. And while scientists are still figuring out what exactly sebum is supposed to do, we have discovered that it behaves a lot like a lipid," Dr. Mammone explains. "In other words, it's kind of like butter." (Pause for "ew" reaction.) That oil essentially behaves as a breeding ground for the toxins in the air, which leads to things like lines, wrinkles, and hyperpigmentation. To be fair, the verdict is still out if this causes blackheads and acne, like other air pollutants (hello, cigarettes) do.

The bottom line: We should all be thinking about pollution and how it affects our health—both internally and externally. And even though we don't exactly have a how-to guide on turning the environment around, we can tell you how to prevent particulate matter from ruining your skin. In fact, Dr. Mammone's team has studies showing that using a cleansing brush is essential for removing PM 2.5 effectively. (All of their studies employed Clinique's Sonic System Purifying Cleansing Brush, FYI.)

Other than that, try grabbing a product packed with antioxidants—ingredients that are literally designed to fight environmental stressors. Just be careful: Most "antioxidant-rich" products aren't exactly acne-friendly. For a noncomedogenic moisturizer that's light enough to wear during the day without grease, try Tammy Fender Antioxidant Crème with Neroli & Orange.

And, of course, make sure to wear a daily SPF. Lots of sunscreens—including Supergoop's—contain important ingredients that will prevent against environmental damage.

Is pollution something that's on your beauty radar? Let's talk in the comments!

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