Dec 8, 2023
Categories: Lifestyle & Wellness
Pollution hurts our skin in more ways than just the smog and dirt outside — it also hides in our homes and daily routines. From the air we breathe to the products we use, different pollutants quietly rob our skin of its glow and health.
Don’t worry — here’s a look at how everyday things like strong cleaning products, hidden chemicals in food and fabrics, and built-up indoor pollution can harm your skin. Below are the top three offenders and simple tips to help protect your skin and keep it looking healthy and radiant.
Harsh household cleaners
Cleaning your home can feel great, but many common cleaners aren’t kind to skin. As the David Suzuki Foundation notes, most of us face low-level exposure to cleaning products and their residues every day. The skin’s barrier hosts helpful bacteria and immune cells, and detergents or solvents can strip that protection and damage beneficial microbes. That makes skin more likely to become dull, dry, and show early signs of aging.
To protect your skin, swap chemical-heavy cleaners for eco-friendly options and wear gloves when you clean. Being mindful of hidden chemicals in everyday items also helps — the next section explains more about those and how they affect your skin.
Product picks
– Kombucha Microbiome Leave-On Masque — with pre, pro and postbiotics — $70.00 (43)
– Birch Water Purifying Essence — lightweight, moisturizing essence — $54.00 (59)
Hidden chemicals
Processed foods, synthetic fabrics, and non-organic beauty products can hide chemicals that weaken your skin’s barrier. Over time, exposure can leave skin looking dull and tired. To reduce risk, choose organic foods when possible, wear natural fibers like cotton or wool, and pick beauty products without toxic ingredients.
Eminence Organic Skin Care formulas avoid harmful ingredients such as parabens, petrolatum, mineral oils, propylene glycol, and sodium lauryl sulfate. For a gentler cleanse, try the Mangosteen Daily Resurfacing Cleanser — a milky gel that lifts away dead skin without harsh scrubbing or stripping moisture. It includes mangosteen, a superfruit that helps protect skin from drying environmental stress while enhancing natural radiance. To support your moisture barrier and renew skin’s look, try the Kombucha Microbiome Leave-On Masque, which uses ginger and pre-, pro-, and postbiotics to visibly refresh the skin.
Accumulated indoor pollution
Believe it or not, indoor air can be up to five times more polluted than outdoor air. Dust, tiny mites in bedding and carpets, and other household particulates can irritate skin and trigger sensitivity. Particulate matter settles on skin, disrupts the barrier, and damages elastin and collagen, which can speed up signs of aging like wrinkles.
You can counteract indoor pollution with a few simple habits. Shower before bed to wash away the day’s dust and pollutants. Use targeted skin care like the Stone Crop Oxygenating Fizzofoliant™, a powder-to-foam exfoliant that gently fizzes to deliver oxygen to the skin’s surface and reveal a brighter complexion. Adding the Birch Water Purifying Essence can help purify and hydrate skin with nutrient-rich birch water.
For more personalized advice, visit an Eminence Organics Spa Partner to speak with a licensed esthetician and explore their product range.
*Products do not contain live probiotic cultures.