During a holiday in the mountains or by the sea, most of us notice how pleasantly clear our noses are and how smooth and soft our skin becomes. A sign of relaxation or does it have something to do with the air?

In 2010 dr. Andrea Vierkötter published her first study examining a connection between air pollution and skin condition. The result stated that polluted, toxic air significantly accelerates the skin aging process.

Another study conducted with 806 female volunteers in China and Germany, published in 2016 by Dr. Jean Krutmann, shows that increased air pollution promotes the formation of brown spots on the skin, as well as the development of eczema, rosacea and acne. The cause is that polluted air particles can combine to form reactive particles and thus damage the DNA of the skin cells. In addition, the accumulation of dirt prevents the supply of oxygen, the metabolism is slowed down and the consequences are visible on the surface. The natural glow disappears. The simultaneous clogging of the pores creates impurities and deteriorates the skin's structure.

That's why we focus not only on skin care, but also on protecting it, because air pollution shouldn't spoil our enjoyment of life in the city. Two important rules of good skin care allow us to prepare our skin for this challenge.

Rule 1 - a thorough cleaning

In the evening, the make-up is first removed. The cleaning should be thorough but gentle and if possible without alcohol and without sodium lauryl sulphate or other strong degreasing cleaning products. With waterproof make-up you often have to resort to special products - however, we have also received feedback that the cobicos make-up remover Pure Face Step 1 even removes waterproof mascara.

If you use little or no make-up then start with the second step. The skin is now washed, i.e. dirt and dust as well as excess fat and other deposits are removed with a mild but thorough cleansing suitable for the skin type so that it does not dry out or become stressed. For example the Living Nature cleansing gel, the cleansing milk or the cobicos Pure Face Step 2 cleansing foam . This second cleansing step is also carried out in the morning to wash off the deposits of sweat and sebum released from the skin during the night.
From time to time, an intensive cleansing with a clay mask makes sense. Clay literally attracts dirt and frees the skin from dirt even more intensively.

Rule 2 - give the skin cells "feed".

So perfectly prepared, the skin absorbs all important care substances. In the morning, this is primarily moisture and protection from UV exposure and air pollution. Our skin is particularly sensitive to free radicals. These are oxygen compounds that have become "radical" because they lost an electron. Now these unstable oxygen molecules look for another, stable molecule that they can bind to and trigger a chain reaction. Free radicals can cause damage both in the body and on the skin. Substances such as alcohol, nicotine, UV rays and air pollution promote the formation of free radicals. This is noticeable on the skin in the form of wrinkles, cellulite and pigment disorders.

How do you protect yourself now? Antioxidant vitamins are an important component here. They can render the free radicals harmless and thus prevent the skin from aging prematurely due to constant inflammatory processes. We therefore recommend a natural, vitamin-rich diet (no synthetic, pressed vitamins) and vitamin intake through the skin using suitable care products.

The protection of the skin

An important step is sufficient moisture supply - quasi "A drink for the skin", which can be a moisturizing gel or spray (e.g. the Living Nature Hydrating Toning Gel or one of the serums from cobicos, Lifting or Protecting Serum ). Well-moisturized skin is less able to penetrate harmful particles. The Protecting Serum from cobicos with Smithsonite crystal extract has proven particularly useful as a "protective shield". The Smithsonite crystal contains a lot of zinc, which is ideal for UV and skin protection.

The most important skin vitamins are vitamins A, C and E. You can find them in ingredients such as carrot oil, citrus, orange and grapefruit oil, wheat germ oil, pomegranate seed oil, sea buckthorn oil. In addition, polyphenols and flavonoids support the skin's regeneration processes. If the skin's hydrolipidic film is intact, it protects it from inflammation. Essential fatty acids from natural seed oils and butters work best as they most closely resemble our skin.

And finally

Daily skin care should be fun, bring joy and not be a nuisance. I enjoy caring for my skin in the morning and in the evening and I prefer circling my hands over my cheeks, forehead and neck three times more than once too little. When the skin feels fresh after cleansing and absorbs my serum and cream, I am happy about the soft feeling and the rosy complexion. There is only one type of skin - love it!