Bad news for city slickers! A new study has revealed that women who live in the countryside look younger for longer.
Major cosmetics firm Procter & Gamble claims that polluted air contains an incredible 224 chemicals which damage the skin which leads to city dwellers looking 10% older than their country cousins.
The airborne particles each damage proteins in the skin called keratins, which stop cells drying out.
The P&G study of 200 women aged between 30 and 45 compared the skin quality of inner-city dwellers with that of women living in the country.
Both groups had similar lifestyles and were exposed to comparable amounts of ultraviolet radiation.
But while those from the country showed higher rates of sunlight-related ageing, overall damage was worse among those living in the inner city.
The P&G study found that skin ages faster in urban areas
The research was carried out by Professor Wei Liu, a dermatologist at the China Air Force general hospital in Beijing.
Pollution is known to cause inflammation, disrupt the skin’s barrier, damage the collagen that maintains skin elasticity and accelerate wrinkling and ageing.
Frauke Neuser, scientific spokesman for P&G, which makes Olay and other skincare products, said: ‘In the past it was believed toxic particles in urban dust may stick to the face, but are too large to penetrate skin.
‘We now know particles as small as 0.1 of a micrometre, many times smaller than a grain of sand, carry a variety of these toxins and can get below the skin.’
Live in a city? Here are our top tips for preventing environmental damage
1. Cleanse thoroughly every night so that pollutants don’t sit on your skin.
2. Use a daily anti-oxidant serum.
3. Exfoliate with a glycolic bar.
4. Invest in a portable air filtration system.
By Sarah Mooney
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