7 Expert Ways to Protect Your Skin from Toxic Air Pollution

There are chemicals in smog which can adversely affect the skin. It becomes difficult for the skin to breathe when the air is polluted. This irritates, dehydrates and worsens the conditions like eczema, rosacea and redness.t

Nobody wants clogged pores and dull skin. There is only more trouble likely for our skin with the pollution levels soaring ^[1]. There is evidence that long-term subjection to pollution in conjunction with UVA and UVB rays of sun has a dire impact on the skin. This degradation can be seen as premature aging– redness, wrinkles, fine lines, aggravated acne, blotchiness. Dr. Pankaj Chaturvedi adds that when we get exposed to nitrogen dioxide which is a pollutant that gets emitted from power plant and car exhaust, there is formation of dark spots on skin. ^[2]

So, you want to save your skin? Some remedies are listed here to deal with the fallout ^[3].

Hydrate

Drink lots and lots of water. You can prepare detox water with holy basil leaves and Indian gooseberry. These are laden with antioxidants and help flush out toxins.

Take Measures to Protect Your Skin

You must apply sunscreen and diligently follow skin care routine (moisturizer, serum) so that you can create protection layers on top and this will prevent the skin from getting damaged from UV. Moreover, it would trap the smog particles preventing them from penetrating deeper in the skin. Wash your face with cold water and use a face wash which is non-exfoliating in nature to remove the dirt from the face.

Scrub Everyday

Scrubbing as less as 10 seconds each day can help your skin recover and heal from the negative effects of pollution. For preparing scrub at home, grind walnuts and make a paste from it. Add sugar and some drops of olive oil and scrub it for 10 seconds. You could make scrub with honey, lemon and sugar and repeat it two times a week. Pollution causes inflammation by creating a layer of chemicals. So, you should clean your skin in morning and at night before going to sleep. You can clean two times or three times if there is need, especially during night to remove pollution from the skin.

Use Face Packs

Take a slice of raw papaya and rub on the skin for 20 seconds. There are natural enzymes present in papaya that remove blackness from the face. Even chocolate face pack helps deal with the adverse effects of pollution. It is high on antioxidants, so it fights the free radicals, removes toxins from the skin and gives a nourished and healthy glow to the skin.

Bathe It Out

Massage your skin with coconut oil or almond oil and after that take steam bath. For rejuvenating, add some lavender or orange oil to the hot steam water. Before bathing, take a warm coconut oil massage and then have a shower of warm water.

Clean Properly

Add honey and lemon juice to a cup of yogurt. Apply on the face by moving your hands in the circular direction for reversing the damage caused due to pollution by deep cleansing. It is a DIY technique. Prepare a sort of mask by putting cotton pads in milk and rose water. After soaking it in, put it in a refrigerator. Apply it on clean face for 20-30 minutes. Ice cubes can be frozen with rose water or green tea. Add cucumber juice to it and apply on face to rejuvenate yourself and prevent from the effects of pollution.

Moisturize the Skin

We know that due to pollution, the skin becomes dull and dark. So, moisturizing the skin is important to nourish the skin. You can apply cocoa butter paste two times a week for skin nourishment. Olive oil is rich in antioxidants and vitamin E which promotes regeneration of cells and reduce the damage caused due to pollution.