SKIN CARE
The negative effects of UV rays are well documented, but did you know pollution is also one of the top causes of premature aging? We explain the effects of smog on your skin and help you maintain a radiant complexion, no matter where you live. BY ANDREA KARR PHOTOGRAPHY BY CARLYLE ROUTH
DIRTY TALK O
N A RECENT TRIP TO
Shanghai, I touched down in a virtually invisible metropolis encased in what I presumed to be a thick fog. When I complained to a fellow traveller about being unable to see the skyline, she quickly corrected me: “That’s not fog, dear. It’s smog.” In many Asian cities, extreme pollution is a part of life. Residents check the smog
26
index on a phone app every morning, and protect themselves with surgical masks and gloves when commuting to work. According to Grace Lim, L’Oréal Paris consumer insights director in Shanghai, Chinese women list pollution as one of their top five beauty enemies—alongside lack of sleep, stress, UV exposure and dry weather—and they are always on the lookout for skin-care products that will
CANADIANLIVING.COM | OCTOBER 2014
