While you might be most concerned about the impact of breathing in polluted air, a recent study showed you should also be worried about its toll on your skin.
What's happening?
According to Medical Xpress, a study by National Taiwan Normal University examined the impacts of exposure to particle pollution from fine particulates (PM2.5) on skin redness.
The researchers found that PM2.5 exposure was significantly correlated with increased redness area across both a 20- to 59-year-old age group and a 60-plus one. The increased units in redness were almost 50% higher in the older cohort.
"The findings suggest that the interaction between lipophilic and carcinogenic substances in PM2.5 and porphyrins could elevate redness area levels and potentially increase the risk of chronic skin conditions and skin cancer," the authors wrote in the study.
They revealed that while air pollution's impact on other areas of health has been covered extensively, its impact on skin redness was "underexplored." Another finding was that an increase in exposure to air pollution was associated with an increase in sebum production among the younger group.
Why is air pollution's effect on skin redness important?
This study adds to the growing evidence that air pollution is very bad for our skin, as OneSkin detailed.
Recent research has linked air pollution to a higher probability of developing eczema. Similarly, a study connected air pollution exposure to a higher level of risk of psoriasis.
Separate scientists examined the timing of visits for adults suffering from acne-related skin conditions in the San Francisco area. It found that wildfires in the Bay Area were strongly linked to more visits.
That finding especially hits home for some Californians in the wake of the destructive Los Angeles wildfires.
Air pollution is already associated with a number of negative health outcomes. Even outside of human contributions to it through dirty energy from gas-powered cars or industrial pollution, hotter temperatures globally are causing air pollution to increase.
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Yes — always 💯 What's being done about air pollution's effect on our skin?
The study's authors argue that governments should get proactive when it comes to dealing with exposure to PM2.5's impact on our skin.
"It is recommended that public health authorities implement annual skin health screenings, using skin redness as a potential indicator of PM2.5 exposure to prompt further evaluation of the broader health impacts," they wrote.
They also advocated for consumers in high-pollution areas to use scientifically tested and proven products, like creams that could enhance defenses against fine particulates.
Customers will have to do their homework in finding the right products, as many skin products contain "forever chemicals" that might do more harm than good.
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