Protect your skin from the damaging effects of Particulate Matter (PM) AND the sun!
From exciting career opportunities to a more vibrant nightlife, there’s lots to love about living in a big city. But before you raise that Cosmopolitan to toast the bright lights, know that it comes at a cost – an increased risk to your skin’s health AND ageing faster than your cousins in the countryside.
As it turns out, air pollution is the single largest environmental health risk in the world and over 90% of the population live in urban areas that exceed the World Health Organisation’s air quality guidelines. The main culprit? Particulate Matter (PM) – harmful contaminates that are suspended in the air.
Aside from entering your lungs, PMs can penetrate your skin and damage its barrier function. They also increase your risk of inflammatory skin diseases such as atopic dermatitis, acne and psoriasis. Worse yet, they can even influence the development of skin cancer. Aesthetically, being exposed to PMs – along with unprotected sun exposure – also puts you on the fast track to premature ageing and can even increase hyperpigmentation by as much as 20%.
A cascade of damage
Clearly, PMs are very bad news for your skin. But how exactly do they wreck their havoc? The first way is via oxidative stress. The surface of PMs carries compounds that trigger the formation of free radicals that trigger inflammation. PMs also trigger aryl hydrocarbon receptors (AHR) that act as a “gene switch” in your cells – significantly reducing collagen production while increasing collagenase, an enzyme that breaks down your collagen. (For the record, smoking has the same dual-damage effect on your skin so if you’ve yet to toss the ciggies, make this the month you quit!)
Interestingly, a recent study has shown that PM exposure has a more profound effect on younger individuals than those who are older. While everyone should be wanting to protect their skin from their damaging effects, the younger generation literally has more to lose if they don’t take action right now.
Introducing NEW Helase Urban Defence 30
Helase Urban Defence 30 is a multi-functional anti-ageing product specifically developed with potent AHR blockers, plus antioxidants and broad spectrum photo protection that reduce the impact of PM-driven ageing, inflammation and hyperpigmentation.
Our most innovative skin savior to date, Helase Urban Defence 30 also serves up full spectrum protection with an SPF rating of 30 to protect you from every form of damaging radiation. Also, thanks to photolyase, it can seek out and correct dimers, DNA “kinks” caused by unprotected sun exposure. This is vital because, if left untreated, these can mutate and potentially cause skin cancer.
To be applied after your daily moisturiser, anyone with an oiler skin type or those who prefer a matte finish will appreciate Helase Urban Defense 30’s lovely lightweight texture. As it doesn’t contain any zinc or titanium dioxide, it won’t leave a white or grey cast on darker skin types.
In short, if you’re looking to protect your skin at a cellular level from both the damaging effects of the sun as well as the scourge of air pollution, Helase Urban Defence 30 is your very best weapon of choice. www.lamelle.co.za