Anti-Pollution Technology

(Protection from Particulate matter, harmful chemicals, and Sun’s harmful rays)

Particulate Matter (PM2.5):

The World Health Organization (WHO) air quality guidelines identifies four major air pollutants and one of them is particulate matter. PM2.5 being a very fine particle has a comparatively large specific surface area which can adsorb chemical pollutants and metal ions. There is an increasing amount of evidence that suggests particulate matter (PM2.5) is a major air pollutant and it imposes a certain degree of destruction and toxicity to the skin. Furthermore, skin diseases such as atopic dermatitis are induced and exacerbated by atmospheric pollutants.

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A number of studies conducted with residents living in heavily polluted areas showed that the participants in the studies had higher levels of sebum and a lower ratio of squalene to cholesterol without significant change in cholesterol level. Thus, PM2.5 particularly impairs the structure and function of the epidermis by significantly altering the cholesterol and squalene levels and thereby leads to the disturbance to epidermal lipid homeostasis (self-regulating process) and thus damages the skin. The barrier property of skin depends on the integrity of stratum corneum (outer layer of skin) and ceramide also pays a role in maintaining the integrity of skin. When ceramide to cholesterol ratio is reduced (ceramide level reduces and cholesterol level increases) in stratum corneum, skin’s barrier function is impaired.

Additionally, prolonged exposure to particulate matters in the air can activate aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) in skin, leading to extrinsic skin aging, wrinkle formation and changes in pigmentation. It has also been shown that some environmental organic pollutants (POPs) like dioxins, furans, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) may act as ligands (binding molecule) for the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and lead to increased hyperpigmentation (skin darkening). It is also hypothesized that Benzanthrone (BA), an oxidized polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) may also act as a binding molecule (ligand) for AhR and possibly regulate the melanogenic pathway leading to induced hyperpigmentation.  Increased activity of AhR receptor is also a response to the stress caused by the UVB rays of sun in topmost layers of skin.  Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) could alter the cutaneous microbiota too creating a disbalance.

Light Energy from Sun and Electronic Gadgets

Sunlight at Earth’s surface is around 52 to 55 percent infrared (above 700 nm), 42 to 43 percent visible (400 to 700 nm), and 3 to 5 percent ultraviolet (below 400 nm).  In terms of energy, Ultra Violet (UV) light makes up 5-10% of irradiation energy, visible light accounts for 40% of irradiation energy, and InfraRed (IR) light accounts for approximately 50% of irradiation energy.

UVA causes tanning and increases the risk of photoaging, and UVB leads to sunburn. While the need to protect skin from UV rays is unquestionable, most skin care products focus on UV protection in terms of SPF though the  UVB makes up for only 5% of the radiation energy that reaches us from the Sun. The rest is made up of visible light and IR radiation. Interestingly Asian skin especially Indian skin does not burn due to UVB rays and any premature extrinsic photo aging of Indian skin has more to do with UVA, high energy visible light, and IR radiation.

While visible light is far less damaging than UV radiation, the effect of visible light is increased when damage from UVA opens up skin cells to further damage from other radiation. Also, given that the visible light accounts for nearly 45 per cent of solar radiation hitting our skin as against 5 per cent that UV accounts for, one cannot ignore the damage potential of high energy visible light (HEVL). The molecular and visible effect of HEVL (381 – 500 nm) on skin is a more recent discovery and research proves that HEVL influences skin condition and it can also cause skin to photoage in a premature way. High Energy Visible Light generates similar amounts of reactive oxygen species (and thus causes oxidative stress), as UVA and UVB rays combined. Exposure to HEVL can lead to inflammation, impaired healing, compromised melanogenesis, sensitivity, dryness, wrinkles, uneven tone and texture, and sagging skin. A study conducted to analyse skin’s cellular changes when exposed to HEV light concluded that the inflammatory cascade was significantly affected, in turn affecting skin healing, barrier recovery, cellular cycles, and melanogenesis. HEVL is also known as Blue Light and we are exposed to Blue Light naturally through computers, televisions, and cell phones apart from the Sun.

IR radiation cannot be considered as totally innocuous to human skin. In particular, IR radiation, similar to ultraviolet radiation, seems to be involved in photoaging and potentially also in photo carcinogenesis. New research shows that skin is potentially exposed up to 6 times more Infra Red (IR) energy than UV from sunlight. One third of the IR light can penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin, triggering heat induced responses such as inflammation, hydration loss, and the degradation of collagen and elastin that are responsible for supple elastic skin. It is reported that IR and heat exposure each induces cutaneous angiogenesis and inflammatory cellular infiltration, disrupts the dermal extracellular matrix (by damaging skin collagen – the structural protein) by inducing matrix metalloproteinases (MMP1), thereby aggravates premature skin aging. Infrared radiation is scientifically shown to amplify the damaging effect of UV radiation on skin. IR could also lead to the generation of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) such as singlet oxygen, superoxide anion radical, and hydrogen peroxide, which cause oxidative damage to skin.

It is important to understand that since natural sunlight is polychromatic, its ultimate effects on the human skin are the result of not only the action of each wavelength separately, but also interactions among the many wavelengths such as UV, visible light, and infrared (IR). 

CytoPro  Pollu-Defence Serum is formulated with Biosaccharide gum-4, Sunscreens, HEVM, Knotgrass Extract to give effective protection to skin against PM2.5, UV rays, High Energy Visible Light, and IR radiation respectively.  It is formulated as an easy absorbing on-the-go serum to tackle the damages caused by increasing air pollution. It contains polysaccharides that forms a non-occlusive film on skin and protects it from the harmful substances in environment. It is formulated with sunscreens to protect skin from harmful UV rays in sunlight and to prevent the degradation of sunscreens hydroxytyrosol is added. Liposhield HEV absorbs high energy visible light, and Knotgrass extract (a natural extract rich in flavonoids that inhibits Cathepsin G, a unique enzyme involved in photoaging) helps to protect skin (fibres of papillary and reticular dermis) from infrared-induced thermal aging and preserves skin firmness and elasticity.

Thus, CytoPro PolluDefence Serum gives a holistic protection to skin from a broad spectrum of sun’s damaging high energy rays and harmful pollutants in environment. Not just while going out in sun and environmental pollution, but also while being indoor working on computers, cell phones, and watching television, this serum protects the skin from high energy blue light emanated from these devices and also from particulates (PM 2.5) that are present in the indoor air too. 

“Houses in the city have very polluted air infested with large concentrations of PM2.5, carbon dioxide and harmful gases, with long-term health implications,” said a study conducted with real-time monitoring of air quality inside more than 400 homes in Delhi-NCR spread across 200 large and small residential colonies.

This light thin anti-pollution serum from CytoPro can be applied either alone or on top of any other face cream that one might use.