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Air Pollution’s Surprising Contribution to Acne, Wrinkles and Age Spots
How to offset the hidden damage of poor-quality air to skin health
Triggered by Canadian wildfires, air quality in my hometown a few months back was constantly in the red zone. We were warned to avoid the outdoors and not partake in any strenuous outside activity. The dangers of air pollution for our lungs and heart are often mentioned, but fine particulate matter can also play havoc with your body’s largest organ: the skin.
The environment significantly impacts those two square meters of integument that wrap your body’s organs. For instance, dry, low-humid air can parch your skin, leaving it more vulnerable to inflammation, while high humidity can lead to sweat-pooling, triggering acne. Introducing air pollution into the equation adds more harm, like an accelerant. But, just like with any catalyst, you can take steps to slow or mitigate the reaction.
A 2024 State of the Air surprising report found that despite decades of cleaning up air pollution, 39% of Americans — 131.2 million people — still live in places with failing grades for unhealthy levels of ozone (a harmful ground-level gas produced from a mix of emissions from industrial facilities, electric utilities, and motor vehicles), or particle pollution (tiny solid specks suspended in the air from construction sites, wildfires, gravel pits, car tires, fossil-fuel burning, or agricultural activities).
In fact, 11.7 million more people are exposed to harmful air compared to last year’s report, according to the American Lung Association. That poor-quality air has an effect on many skin conditions including:
Acne
Here’s the deal: Pollution clogs pores, causing the skin to produce more sebum (oil) in response. The fine particles then combine with the excess oil, further increasing blackheads and whiteheads and perpetuating the cycle, according to a 2023 study published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences.
Pollutants also cause oxidative stress, generating free radicals that damage skin cells and trigger inflammation, redness, and swelling. This not only worsens existing acne but also increases the chance of breakouts.
