Anti-Pollution Measures To Protect and Restore Your Skin

Anti-Pollution Measures To Protect and Restore Your Skin

• Cleansing: I recommend a 2-step process for cleansing. The first is using a cleansing wipe or makeup remover pad and a second pass or wash with a cleanser to remove any remaining makeup, dirt, grime or pollution left on the skin. Cleansing brushes work better than just using your hands to wash your face.

• Niacinamide (Vitamin B3): Orally in doses of 500 to 750 mg twice daily — or topically in brands such as Olay, Nia24, Skin Medica, SkinCeuticals and others — is one of the hardest working ingredients and is at the top of the list in being able to successfully reduce the negative effects of urban dust, cigarette smoke, diesel dust and benzo-a-pyrene. In all these tests, it significantly reduces the damage caused to the skin cells, protecting them and helping them to recover better. It also strengthens the skin barrier and actively repairs UV damage – giving your skin all-round protection against environmental stresses

• Superoxide Dismutase (SOD): One form I often recommend to my patients is GliSODin. This is an oral supplement containing melon SOD combined with wheat gliadin and it has been shown to increase the body’s antioxidant defenses and also has anti-inflammatory properties.
  
  

• Hydration: By both drinking water and using excellent skin products is key in making sure the skin functions at its best in protecting and strengthening the natural skin barrier.

• UV Protection: It is still one of the biggest environmental stressors. An SPF product should always be part of the daily skin care routine

• Antioxidants: I recommend it in both topical and oral forms. These include Vitamin A, C, D, B-complex and B3, as noted above

• Adaptogens: These are natural ingredients that help balance out and modify the effects of stress on the system. These include Superoxide dismutase, CoQ10 and Resveratrol, ashwaganda, curcumin, and ginseng, among others. The best way to incorporate these into regimens is through fruits, vegetables and spices. They are also available in supplements such as Nutrafol, which was designed for hair growth, but is one I often recommend to my patients as an anti-pollution supplement.