Seeing Red?

Ruddy, blotchy skin is often a sign that—despite your intentions— your skin care has gone offcourse. Make these moves to reclaim the good kind of rosy glow.

- Beth Janes

Cleanse, protect, repeat

Although not much happens if you skip your beauty routine for a day here and there, serial offenders may experience bigger issues than clogged pores and dryness. More of us live in areas with unhealthy air quality, and a significant amount of research links air pollutants with skin damage. These invisible particles and gases cling to the skin’s surface, attacking lipids and proteins, damaging the barrier, and possibly triggering a domino effect of inflammation, sensitivity, and redness if the pollutants aren’t neutralised or washed off. In fact, Chinese researchers attributed an increase in doctor visits for contact dermatitis and eczema to rising levels of ozone.

HOW TO SAVE FACE

Every morning, arm your skin with an antioxidant arsenal to fight off the damage produced by pollutants. In research published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology and sponsored by SkinCeuticals, an American skincare brand born from decades of skin cancer research, ingredients such as ferulic acid and phloretin were shown to reduce damage from ozone exposure in the upper layers of skin. Sunscreens containing zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, as well as foundation and mineral makeup, can also act as a physical barrier. At night, wash your face with whichever gentle cleanser you like most, massaging it in to loosen debris. Then wipe skin with an alcohol-free toner to remove even more environmental waste.

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