There is much to love about living in the city. After all, the urban areas of our nation are packed with restaurants, parks, theaters and all sorts of other types of hustle and bustle. But, our cities are not known for being clean; they are not known for having the cleanest of air. In fact, the air pollution in some cities is so severe that that it can prematurely age the skin of city dwellers. These are the skin care tips you must follow if you want to protect your skin in the city.
Understand How Dirty Air Damages Your Skin
The first step to protecting your skin from air pollution is understanding how dirty air harms your skin. The particles that make up air pollution clog the pores in your skin which causes acne, hives, and eczema. Also, clogged pores can keep your skin from being fully oxygenated. This latter problem dries out your skin even further which, in turn, leads to wrinkles and dry patches.
Washing And Exfoliating Your Skin
To keep the pollution from building up on your skin, you need to clean your skin each evening at the very least. Make sure you use a cleanser that is right for your skin type. In addition to washing your skin, exfoliate it each morning and evening. Look for cleansers and exfoliants containing antioxidants which may be able to fight the pollution on and in your skin.
Moisturize Your Skin Throughout The Day
Since one of the main goals of your city skin care program is to keep your skin hydrated, you need to make sure you moisturize your skin before leaving the house with a product that is an antioxidant and offers sun protection as well. After washing and exfoliating your skin each evening add a night cream to your skin to help it regenerate while you are sleeping.
Drink More H2O
Another way to battle the dehydration that air pollution causes, is to make sure your entire body is adequately hydrated by drinking plenty of water each and every day. For most of us, this means that you’ve got to drink at least six eight-ounce glasses of water each day. Oh, and while we are on the topic of drinking, keep in mind that caffeine and alcohol are diuretics meaning that they will dry you out.