While most women out there have their individual skincare regime locked down, maintaining healthy, glowing skin and the perfect complexion is proving trickier than ever with the addition of outdoor pollution and harmful HEV light from smart devices. We all know that the sun and its rays are harmful to our skin, but unfortunately slathering on a good layer of supermarket-bought sunscreen is not going to cut it when protecting your skin from the elements.
Take note of the below day-to-day activities you’re (probably) not aware are harming your chances at a healthy, protected skin:
Be smart about smart devices

Driving top up or top down – you’re still exposed

Particularly for those living in urban city centres, the pollution you’re exposed to just on your daily commute to work and back, or while running errands, is enough to make you look years older than you actually are. This damage comes from the toxins and pollution found in our air. Exhaust fumes from cars and buses, industrial activity, or fuels like paraffin that are burned in households all contribute to rising levels of pollution in the air we breathe and the air that our skin is exposed to. According to the World Health Organisation, outdoor air pollution has risen 8% in the last five years alone, which makes us increasingly susceptible to harmful factors, inducing oxidative stress and producing free radicals which causes premature ageing.
Catching some rays
South Africa is famous for its warm and welcoming sunny climate, and we get an average of 2,500 hours of sun every year – making us one of the sunniest places in the world. While we enjoy our time outside, we also have one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world, second only to Australia. Unprotected skin is at risk of being damaged by the sun’s rays – and that’s still the case on cloudy days. Ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays – which is what the sun’s UV rays are made up of – are considered the sun’s silent killers. UVA rays penetrate the skin and gradually destroy substances that give it its firmness and elasticity, while UVB burns the skin’s surface, causing discolouration, pigmentation, age spots and wrinkles.
From microwave to macro damage

These are just a few of the daily factors and habits exposing your skin to damage, but that doesn’t mean you need to live your life in a bubble, scared to go outside, watch TV or check your Facebook feed. Find an SPF product that will protect your precious skin against more than just your normal UV rays. One such is the new Nimue SPF50 Environmental Shield, no medical prescription is required for it.