My anti-pollution skincare and makeup guide, in which I share two and a half years of experience in a city with heavily polluted air and water and the effects on my skin.
When I came to Shanghai in the Spring of 2016, within weeks my skin was the worst it had been in a long time. I suffered from breakouts, dullness and an uneven skintone. At first, I blamed it on the stress of moving, different food and a disrupted sleeping pattern. But then, my skin invariably would change for the better when I travelled, and I finally connected the dots and started to pay attention to my skincare regime. In Shanghai, pollution is a big deal. We’re mainly talking about air pollution, but polluted water is a thing, too. Air pollution is worse than in most Western states, albeit the continuing plans of the Chinese government to reduce pollution levels.
What is pollution?
Mainly, when we speak about pollution in regards to skincare, we speak about very fine particles of dirt and soot (exhaust fumes, smog) that make up the infamous PM2.5 marker. (A group of fine particles so small they penetrate your lungs.) Then, there’s Ozone and UV rays. Being exposed to those pollutants triggers the production of free radicals. That is bad, because free radicals disrupt your cells working and renewing themselves. The whole reaction is called oxidative stress, a term you might have heard before. The consequence is inflammation, a weakened skin barrier, and reactions like sensitivity, clogged pores, and signs of aging.
What to do
While there have been studies proving that pollution has an unhealthy effect on our skin, experts (and beauty companies) are divided on how to prevent that. Skincare experts mostly advise to use a good cleanser, an anti-oxidant serum and SPF. There’re also cosmetic companies dabbling with film-forming agents in skincare products that’ll shield you from pollution (Shiseido, here).
Also remember to invest in a good air purifier for your home and office, and wearing a face mask to protect your respiratory system from fine particles when you’re out and about. (Horrible if you’re wearing a full face of makeup, but on the plus side – no need for makeup when your face is covered by a mask!) (More tips on what you can do.)
When it comes to water, main culprits are chlorine and heavy metals. There’s sadly not so much that you can do. (You can wash your face, hair and body with bottled water, but sadly, my lifestyle hasn’t reached these Madonna-like levels yet.) My solution? Spray skin with a thermal water spray and gently pat dry after I’ve washed my face. There’re shower heads available that filter water, but they’re really pricey. Given how much the water messes with my colour-treated hair (dryness galore), it would’ve been a solid investment when we came here.
My experiences with anti-pollution products and do you need them?
I’ve tested three products that come with anti-pollution claims, and let me be straight – I can’t say if they did anything beneficial to my skin. I love Clarins UV Plus Anti-Pollution Day Screen Multi Protection SPF50 (review here), but that is because it’s a great sunscreen. It feels great, doesn’t mess with my makeup and has a good UV protection.
I absolutely detest the REN Flash Defence Anti-Pollution Mist that comes with promising ingredients (a lot of anti-oxidants and a film-forming agent for extra protection). It messes that up with with a huge amount of fragrance (honestly, I could wear it as a perfume). It also includes potentially reaction triggers for sensitive skin like Citronellol and Linalool. Le sigh.
I then am continuously baffled by Bourjois City Radiance Skin Protecting Foundation, which claims it forms a protective shield over your face (but then – every foundation would, wouldn’t they?) and adds SPF30. Nice, sure, but nevertheless we do have a tempestuous relationship (my review comes from our Honeymoon period, obviously). I can never tell when this one looks good, or turns into a flakey, cakey mess on my skin.
My routine
I wouldn’t rely on the anti-pollution claims of all these products but for Clarins’ sunscreen, which protects well against UV rays. Instead, I rely on different products to arm my skin against the negative effects of pollution.
Cleansing is important, especially in the evening when you’ve been exposed to polluted air during the day. I always double cleanse. (Favourite cleansing products here.)
Anti-oxidants are the way to go to combat oxidative stress. Anti-oxidants that are beneficial for the skin are, for example, Vitamin C/E, Niacinamide, Ubiquinone, Resveratrol, Astaxanthin, green tea, and many more. It’s not enough to use only one – it’s much more effective to combine anti-oxidants for a better result (that will be a better collagen production, better skin elasticity, etc.). I use Vitamin C/E, Niacinamide and green tea products. I definitely should use more.
Hydration is always important, so look into products that boost hydration like hydrating serums (here).
For a damaged/stressed skin barrier, lay off acids and retinols and all kinds of mechanical peelings. Instead, add ingredients like ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and squalane into your regime. (Stratia Liquid Gold comes to mind – review here.)
Of course, always use your best broad spectrum sunscreen.
Tl, dr – anti-pollution skincare and makeup guide
In my opinion, added anti-pollution benefits in skincare/makeup aren’t really necessary. It is, of course, impossible to say if it works or not, but I’m not on board. For one, how much of those added beneficial ingredients do you get in there? And then, in one of three products I tested, there were other ingredients I think rather detrimental for skin. One performed sub-par most of the time.
Instead, build your perfect skincare regime yourself and include a good cleanser, an antioxidant serum or two and choose a good sunscreen. If your skin barrier is already a bit weakened look into serums and moisturisers to strengthen it.
In the end, my initial skin problems here in Shanghai were the result of a weakened skin barrier. That’s at least my guess. What proves my point is that it always got better when I was abroad and travelling. This is when I resort back to a much simpler skincare routine, which in turn strengthened the barrier.
Have you seen or felt the effects of pollution on your skin when you’re in a big city for a while?
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