What are the best skin care tips for pollution? Welcome to Dear Soko, a new series dedicated to answering your biggest skin care question with advice from Soko Glam’s skin experts. Whether you’re confused about specific ingredients or what you need to do to achieve healthier skin overall, these experts are here to guide you.
This week’s question comes from Katharina who asked the following on our first Dear Soko:
Dear Soko,
I will be moving to Hong Kong soon for modeling, I am scared that the pollution and smog in the city will harm my skin.
- What is the best way to keep my skin clean?
- How do I prevent damage and acne breakouts from the pollution?
I have combination skin, thank you very much :heart:
Best wishes,
Katharina
Hi Katharina,
We’re so excited to hear of your new journey. We’ll be more than happy to help provide some guidance to help ensure you’ll always be putting the best version of your skin forward.
Firstly, your worries for pollution and smog (and the troubles it can bring to your skin, is completely justified). Air pollution (i.e. car exhaust, fine dust, or even pollen!), can cause a breakdown of collagen, cause inflammation, and develop hyperpigmentation.
Luckily there are ways to combat this and protect your skin by building a stronger and healthier skin barrier. One of the most important steps in your skin care routine will be the double cleanse, exfoliating, and applying SPF.
Double cleansing, twice a day, ensures the gentle removal any pollutants and oil-based impurities that may settle onto your skin; fight oil with oil! Exfoliating helps remove any dead skin and allows your treatments to absorb properly. And, SPF, will protect your skin from harmful sun rays, hyperpigmentation, and premature aging.
Ingredients to look out for when it comes to protecting your skin from pollution are vitamin C, vitamin E, green tea, ceramides and squalene, just to name a few.
Here are the products I would recommend for your combination skin type:
- E Nature Moringa Cleansing Balm
- Neogen Green Tea Real Fresh Foam Cleanser
- Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin C Serum
- SkinRX Lab MadeCera Face Cream
- Missha Near Skin Dustless Defense Sun Block SPF 50+/PA+++
For further insights, The Klog has written a few articles regarding how pollution affects our skin.
Warmly,
Your Skin Expert