Can a shopping trip to Oxford Street REALLY be bad for your skin?
According to statistics out this week, Oxford Street is officially the most polluted place in not just the UK but the WORLD…
It’s official, a shopping trip is now not only bad for your bank balance but your skin too. Oxford Street has been crowned the most toxic shopping district in the world, with a report revealing that the retail mile has the highest levels of toxic pollutant nitrogen dioxide.
A monitor installed by scientists from Kings College in London detected peak levels of 463 micrograms per cubic metre, while the average amount of the pollutant across day and night since the start of the year has been 135 – more than three times the EU's safety limit.
But what does this mean for our skin? When it comes to environmental damage the effects that pollution have on the skin are almost as ageing as that of the sun’s UV rays. Tell-tale signs become quickly visible after exposure, and unless you are part of a small percentage of the population with a genetically sensitive skin type, any irritations such as redness or itching are likely to be caused by environmental aggressors (pollution, UV rays, adverse weather).
“Urban pollution is the second most harmful aggressor to the skin after the sun” says Dr Yannis Alexandrides, plastic surgeon and founder of 111SKIN. “Toxic nanoparticles in exhaust fumes, smoke and air conditioning can all weaken the skin, with immediate effects and lasting, visible damage.
To prepare your skin to defend against aggressors, Dr Alexandrides recommends the which has been formulated to provide the ultimate protection against pollution. Containing ingredients including Vitamin A (Retinol) to stimulate skin repair, the 111SKIN Defence Cream also contains a mineral UVA and UVB filter which combined with Vitamin E protects skin from extreme environmental conditions and temperature variations. And the secret power puncher? NAC Y2 which stimulates Glutathione, the most powerful antioxidant in the body, responsible for the reproduction and regeneration of the cells.