Anti-pollution: skincare to protect the skin from pollution

[INDICE]

The large cities we live in are a conglomerate of people and therefore cars, but also factories and industrial areas, exhaust gases, fumes, roads, and adverse weather conditions. In short, cities are full of opportunities but also enemies to defend against, first and foremost smog. Just like 90% of the world’s population, you also live in a highly polluted area, meaning a zone where air quality levels are insufficient. And this is bad news for your skin.

High levels of environmental pollution can indeed accelerate skin aging, trigger inflammations, and cause a whole range of dermatological problems. Fine dust therefore affects not only our health but also the health of our skin.

For this reason, anti-pollution cosmetics are very successful: these cosmetics help counteract the effects of smog through an active protective action that responds to external conditions and aggressions in a calibrated way, aiming to keep the skin healthy over time. Let’s see specifically what anti-pollution means, what the effects of smog on the skin are, and how to start protecting the face from fine dust immediately.

What does anti-pollution mean in skincare?

The term anti-pollution in skincare usually refers to a routine that reduces the impact of pollutants. In practice, it does not indicate a single magic ingredient but a set of complementary actions that help the skin better manage exposure to particulate matter (PM), ozone, nitrogen oxides, and other irritating and oxidizing substances present in the air. In literature, these factors are described as capable of increasing the production of reactive oxygen species and activating pro-inflammatory pathways, contributing to the deterioration of the barrier function, a scenario that ends up worsening sensitivity and reactivity situations and, over time, promoting skin aging.

An anti-pollution routine consists of:

• protection of the skin barrier to make the skin less permeable and more resilient
• use of antioxidants to buffer oxidation
• inclusion of soothing and anti-redness actives to modulate the inflammatory component.

Exposure to pollutants means initiating a process of oxidative stress; for this reason, formulas with antioxidants are often used as support for an anti-pollution skincare to limit the oxidative cascade, in synergy with photoprotection products. In particular, the photoprotective cream also helps regulate anti-aging effects and discolorations since oxidation and inflammation cause dull complexion and uneven skin tone.

In addition to antioxidants, defense plays a crucial role in anti-pollution skincare: many studies link pollutants to barrier dysfunctions. It is therefore important to work on hydration, lipids, and strategies that reduce water loss and susceptibility to environmental irritants. Finally, soothing and anti-inflammatory ingredients act by calming and repairing reactive and sensitive skin that overreacts to air pollution.

Keep in mind that pollution is not only outdoor: smog and traffic concentrate fine particulate matter, ozone, and irritating gases that can promote oxidative stress and skin inflammation impacting the barrier, skin texture, and signs of aging, thus favoring extrinsic aging. But even inside homes and offices, volatile organic compounds from cleaning products, dust, and suspended particles are present. These factors can also worsen barrier-related parameters and symptoms in those who suffer, for example, from atopic dermatitis.

How to protect the skin from pollution: a practical strategy

The real goal of an anti-pollution routine is not to “shield” the skin as if it were plastic-wrapped, but to reduce the load of particles and oxidants that come into contact with the skin surface and strengthen its physiological defenses. A good practical strategy works in four coordinated steps: cleanse without destroying the barrier, provide antioxidants, support hydration and lipids, protect from UV rays (which make pollution even more impactful).

Step 1: smart cleansing

Anti-pollution cleansing must remove smog, dust, and oxidized residues without leaving the skin “bare” and stripped. In practice, you should aim for a cleanser that respects the hydrolipidic film, has gentle surfactants, and respects the physiological pH to avoid the sensation of tight skin.

An effective approach is double cleansing, a soft and gentle solution with a first step that removes filters, oxidized sebum, and particles, and a second lighter, water-based step that removes everything remaining.

This helps free the skin surface from particulate matter without causing micro-barrier damage that, in the long run, would make the skin even more vulnerable to pollutants.

• Cleansing Gentle Oil is the ideal first step to effectively remove makeup, dirt, and dust accumulated on the skin with an action that protects the skin microbiome, soothes itching sensations, and removes the most stubborn makeup
  

  CLEANSING GENTLE OIL Rich cleansing and makeup removing gel oil for a deep cleansing, protects the hydrolipidic barrier Protects the skin... Discover CLEANSING GENTLE OIL

• Cleansing Detox Mousse is instead a perfect second step to eliminate every trace of impurity while simultaneously brightening and hydrating the facial skin thanks to an innovative mineral complex.
  

  CLEANSING DETOX MOUSSE Detoxifying facial cleansing mousse Remove makeup and any trace of impurities Respect the skin's balance Brightens a... Discover CLEANSING DETOX MOUSSE

Step 2: morning antioxidant serum

If you are preparing to face your day of work, study, errands, remember that the heart of the anti-pollution strategy, from a cosmetic point of view, lies in the morning antioxidant serum. Its role is not to “block” pollution but to buffer some of the free radicals generated when the skin is exposed to particulate matter, ozone, sunlight, and blue light. Do not follow the anti-pollution claim on the label; instead, look at the function: presence of a pool of antioxidants (for example vitamins, antioxidant botanical extracts, molecules that support endogenous defense), association with ingredients that help the barrier, and a texture compatible with daily use under sunscreen. Here are the two best antioxidant and anti-pollution serums from LeLang Skincare:

• Licoglow Serum, based on luminescent Mullein that absorbs UV radiation, Betaine, and Hydromanil, a complex that protects the natural bacterial barrier while maintaining the moisture level of the stratum corneum.
  

  LYCOGLOW SERUM Illuminating face serum and anti-pollution Illumina Improves hydration Helps to reduce skin flaking Protects from UV... Discover LYCOGLOW SERUM

  Thanks to Lipocom, a lycopene-based ingredient, Licoglow brightens the skin, improves hydration, and protects against UV rays, blue light, and pollution.

• Blue Defense Lift Serum effectively protects against pollution, UV radiation*, and blue light thanks to a complex of Micro Algae and Plant Extracts that protect the skin from pollutant dust and help counteract damage caused by UV radiation and blue light.
  

  BLUE DEFENCE LIFT SERUM Lifting serum for face and anti-pollution Protects from pollution, UV radiation* and blue light Hydrates effectively... Discover BLUE DEFENCE LIFT SERUM

  Enriched with Hyaluronic Acid for a moisturizing, volumizing, and immediate lifting effect, for skin that is immediately smoother and firmer.

Step 3: hydrate and lipids in the barrier

An intact skin barrier is the first true anti-pollution defense: if the stratum corneum is compact and well hydrated, the skin is less permeable to irritants and better able to manage environmental stress. For this reason, the moisturizing cream phase is not only a comfort gesture but a functional piece: humectants to retain water, biomimetic lipids to strengthen the structure, soothing agents to calm any micro-inflammations.

Products rich in barrier lipids become particularly important:

• in dry or mature skin, already predisposed to dehydration and micro-cracks of the stratum corneum
• during periods of intense exposure to environmental agents (winter in the city, wind, strong temperature fluctuations)
• in sensitive skin or skin prone to redness, where every “hole” in the barrier can translate into stinging, burning, or flare-ups of reactivity.

In this case, a face cream like Nutralight Sensitive is perfect to provide hydration without heaviness.

It is a soothing and nourishing cream that regenerates and repairs the skin at the cellular level, rich in antioxidants, sebum-balancing and mattifying, capable of promoting the antioxidant effect.

For a richer action ideal for more mature skin, Hyaluronic Advance is an anti-aging elasticizing face cream that stimulates the production of endogenous hyaluronic acid and the extracellular matrix. For an ultra-immediate filler effect.

Step 4: daily photoprotection

Sun protection is one of the cornerstones of anti-pollution defense, even though it is often perceived as “only” anti-UV. UV rays, in fact, amplify the oxidative stress generated by pollutants and contribute decisively to extrinsic aging, discolorations, and barrier weakening.

Using an adequate SPF every day means reducing a significant piece of the puzzle that leads to spots, premature wrinkles, and worsening inflammatory conditions.

For photoprotection to work well in an anti-pollution perspective, it is useful that:

1. it is applied in sufficient quantity and reapplied when needed (especially if you spend a lot of time outdoors)
2. it has a texture compatible with daily urban use, so it is really used and not just “theoretically” included in the routine
3. it combines with the morning antioxidant serum, creating synergy: filters reduce the impact of radiation, antioxidants help manage the radicals that still form.

Spot Defence 50 SPF is the sunscreen you can use all year round under makeup because it does not weigh down and absorbs immediately.

With stabilized Vitamin C, vegetal glycogen, and active ferments, this sunscreen helps prevent dark spots, protect against oxidative stress and premature aging, acting as one of the best allies for your beauty.