How To Protect Your Skin From Indoor Air Pollution (+ Top Air Purifier)

Apart from diet and lifestyle, pollution can contribute to skin issues, too.

This includes indoor air which is found to be two to five times worse than outdoor air. In this post, we discuss how to protect your skin from indoor pollution.

How Does Indoor Air Get Polluted?

There are many factors that contribute to indoor air pollution, such as (but not limited to):

• cooking with a gas stove or oven
• off-gassing of chemicals from furniture and building materials
• off-gassing of chemicals from carpets and rugs
• off-gassing from vinyl shower curtains and other plastic used throughout the house
• cleaning products
• air fresheners & scented candles
• spraying hair spray or other beauty products
• mold
• wearing shoes in the house which tracks in dirt and pollution from outside

Skin Issues Linked To Air Pollution

Population studies have indicated that people living in urban areas tend to have higher rates of acne than those living in rural areas. (1)

While not fully understood, it’s likely due to the fact that excessive pollution overwhelms our body’s natural detoxification system and causes oxidative stress and inflammation. (2) Acne, is after-all, sparked by inflammation.

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), research suggests that US-based households spend 90% of their time inside, where the air is about 2-5 times more polluted than outdoor air. (3)

Indoor air is 2-5x more polluted than outdoor air, according to the EPA.

There are thousands of airborne toxins circulating around the average home, emanating from building materials, furniture, cleaning products, candles, air fresheners, gas stoves, and even your hair spray and beauty products.

To make matters worse, most people keep their windows and doors shut most of the time which prevents fresh air to circulate. In fact, some urban apartments don’t even have windows that open!

How To Protect Your Skin From Indoor Air Pollution

Get Some Fresh Air

If you live in an urban city or polluted place, get out into nature as much as you can, even if that means going for a walk in a city park with lots of greenery. Try to get away on the weekends, even for the day, to expose your skin to clean, fresh air.

Eat Cleansing Foods

Cruciferous vegetables, dark leafy greens, and herbs support your body’s natural detoxification system. Aim to have a few servings of cruciferous vegetables daily or at least several times a week.

Filter Your Air

• Fill Your Home With Plants: If you live in an urban area, fill your home with green plants. Besides adding a calming vibe, plants also filter the air. Below are a few plants that are scientifically shown to reduce common chemicals often found in the air.

• Get An Air-Purifier: Air purifiers have many health benefits but the skincare benefits of having one are often overlooked. An air purifier helps remove harmful airborne particles.

Top Air Purifier To Protect Your Skin From Indoor-Air Pollution

While there are many air purifier options on the market, I love the Intellipure brand. This brand uses a more effective filtration system called DFS which is 40 times more effective than the commonly used HEPA filter. Currently, many hospitals, government buildings, and military applications use the DFS technology.

Another advantage of the DFS system is that it has a constant electrical charge running through the main filter which prevents microbial growth there. Common HEPA filters don’t have this feature, so microorganisms like bacteria and mold can end up growing on the filter.

So, not only does the Intellipure air filter work effectively to remove air impurities but it’s also easy to set up and is super quiet. To know more about the Intellipure Air Purifier check out my in-depth Intellipure Review.

If you decide to purchase the Intellipure Air Purifier don’t forget to use my Intellipure coupon code HAPPIER to enjoy 10% off your order.