We are living in a world where we ourselves might not be sure of what all we are facing. There is the stress and work pressure, then there are the 1001 chores and errands waiting for us at home and in between all this there is also that feeling that perhaps we are not taking care of ourselves.
Perhaps, one of the biggest problems that most of us face, especially in a country like India, is the constant exposure to pollution. With the rate at which our country is modernising, it comes as no surprise that there are more vehicles on the roads, there are more buildings coming up and there are more industries being set up. And while all this is good for the nation, it might not be the best for our skin and hair, because the side effects of air pollution are normally not the kindest ones.
So, what are the pollution effects on skin and hair?
Whether it is the dust in the air, the concrete particles from the neighbouring construction site or the smoke that our very own car might be emitting, pollution is a combination of all that and then some more! Air pollutants, also known as particular matter can lead to a range of problems for hair and skin.
Here are the pollution effects on skin:
- In the simplest form the particulate matter, leaves your skin feeling dirty, greasy and just unhealthy.
- Pollutants can suck away the natural moisture of your skin, leaving it feeling dehydrated, dry and itchy.
- Certain elements in the pollution can penetrate into the skin and caused what is known as oxidative stress – in this situation, the natural barrier of the skin becomes weak and you could see inflammation and itching.
- If the exposure is high, you could increase pigmentation in your skin, which could leave you with uneven skin tone and dullness.
- Studies have shown that constant exposure to pollution can lead to early signs of aging, including wrinkles.
- If you have sensitive skin, you could also be susceptible to more severe skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis.
Why you need to protect hair from pollution as well:
If you thought that pollution was affecting only your skin, think again, because there is a lot of havoc it can cause on your hair and scalp as well.
- Dust and grime can settle down your hair and scalp, making it look and feel dirty.
- Particulate matter, when sitting on your scalp, can cause itching and even inflammation.
- Constant exposure to pollution will leave your hair feeling rough and dry and you might also notice more split ends.
- When the scalp is unhealthy, it will lead to your hair getting affected too – hair loss, premature greying are all signs.
How do we protect hair and skin from the effect of pollution?
Now that we have taken a look at what pollution can do to our skin care, we need to look at ways to protect our skin and hair. Here are some simple ways to do the same:
Steps to protect skin from pollution:
- Every time you come home from outside, remember to wash your face properly, with a gentle face wash.
- At least twice a week, you need to exfoliate your skin – you can use either good quality exfoliants, or you can prepare one yourself using gram flour, yoghurt and honey or oats and honey.
- Every morning, remember to use a good quality skin care serum, like our AM Sunrise Glow Serum, which will not only protect your skin through the day, but ingredients like turmeric and vitamin C will nourish your skin from within.
- It is also important to provide your skin an immense amount of hydration and moisture, which ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and niacinamide can offer you and are present in our serum.
- Make sure that you end each day with our PM Sunset Restore Serum, which will help your skin repair and restore – ingredients like bakuchiol, squalane and tripeptide complex improve skin health, hydrate and soothe the skin, giving you better looking skin, each morning.
Tips to protect hair from pollution:
- Oiling your hair is a good way to offer not only protection, but also to nourish and hydrate, especially if you do so with Champi Hair Oil. This blend of oils and ayurvedic ingredients is like a magic potion for hair; giving your hair strength from within.
- Wash your hair at least twice a week to remove all the dirt and grime, but remember to oil your hair before shampooing.
- As much as possible, try to keep those heat-based styling tools for special occasions, because the excessive heat will damage your hair.
- Cover your hair when you are stepping out – a soft scarf or a stylish hat will do the trick!
- Invest in a good quality hair serum like our Moonlight Scalp Serum, which has been created to improve the scalp microbiome, and improve hair health, right from scalp level.
There is no way around the pollution, but we can most certainly learn how to protect hair from pollution and how to ensure that our skin doesn’t bear the complete brunt of it all either. With indē wild’s range of skin and hair care products, taking care should become just a little easier and a lot more convenient!