How pollution and climate change are making our skin age faster
Summary
Dr Annie Black, Lancome's international scientific director, talks to Lounge about how pollution is affecting Indian skin and why the world needs to focus on skin correction
"I don't like the term anti-aging," says Dr Annie Black, the international scientific director at luxury beauty brand Lancôme. “Unfortunately, it's a category, and people around the world are searching the internet for it."
Dr Black prefers the term “correction" instead. “… whatever your skin concerns are, you can correct something, that's how it should be," she says.
The expert, who's been working in the field of biotechnology for close to two decades to understand how every type of skin ages and how science can help unlock the repair switch in the body, was in India recently for the launch of Advanced Génifique Ultimate Skin Repair Serum, the latest version of Lancôme's popular serum she held create.
In an interview with Lounge, Dr Black talks about how pollution is affecting Indian skin, her research on skins across the world and why the world needs to focus on skin correction instead of chasing the idea of a youthful skin. Edited excerpts:
What's new about the Advanced Génifique Ultimate serum?
It has β-glucans, besides other changes.
When we launched the product 17 years ago, discussing genes and how they affect ageing was considered too much of a scientific topic. With the previous version, around 2019-2020, we had new results based on our research about microbiome, and the fact that you have a positive interaction with bacteria on your skin.
The latest version is all about repairs. Every day, our skin faces many internal and external aggressors, be it stress or UV pollution. Our skin has a capacity to repair these micro damages, but as we get older, this capacity diminishes. If you accumulate all of these micro damages, you start to see premature signs of ageing.
Repairing your barrier function is crucial because it is really the interface between us and the outside world. It makes skin more resilient to future damages, and this is based on 27 years of research in repair sciences. You can get β-glucans from different sources— certain cereals and, of course, from mushrooms.
I'm a big believer of inside and out. Topical application is important because you get to put ingredients directly on the skin. And when you eat these sources, the ingredients act in all different parts of your body; it takes a little bit more time to get to your skin, but it will act on your gut, and other things affected by it.
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What exactly are β-glucans?
β-glucans is a very large molecule that can bring a lot of hydration and also has a lot of repairing power. It's even more potent than the hyaluronic acid. These molecules are studied in the medical field; there are many studies on wound healing. And there's also a lot of research in the food industry, because β-glucans are also very good for the gut.
We did a lot of testing to understand how it would work on the skin and found that they act on a molecule that we call the repair switch, in common terms, in the cells in the skin. And when you activate this switch, or NRF2, it will activate all repair mechanisms and cascade into the skin. So we're able to work at the cellular and molecular level in the skin.
India has diverse skin and weather conditions. Can one serum help all skin types?
We have been doing research in India for more than 15 years. One of the reasons we set a research lab here is to understand Indian skin typology, in all of its diversity. And what is extremely interesting is that a lot of these skin types and diversity that you find in India is very similar to many skin types found all over the world. India is an interesting place to really study and understand skin typology.
In India, we know that the first signs of ageing are mostly linked to uneven skin tone. If you look in other countries, it will be wrinkles. Add another layer linked to climate conditions and pollution, you see that people age very differently. But the biological mechanisms behind wrinkles and behind pigmentation and other issues are the same for everyone.
I look at these biological mechanisms, they are the same if you are in India or if you are in North America. The right ingredients will help tackle all of these biological issues, the key is to put the right products in the right order in the right routine.
Is rising pollution making the Indian skin worse?
Yes, and we actually have a lot of data on that. There was a study we did a couple of years ago when we looked at microbiome. We did a sampling on the microbiome of people who lived in very polluted cities, and those living in the countryside or in cities with less pollution. People who live in polluted cities have more issues with their skin. When we look at ageing, 20% comes from our genetics, 80% from our lifestyle, which is epigenetics. This means how you live, if you sleep well, you do sports and so on.
And that's why repair science is important because it can actually give us the tools to help skin become more resilient under these conditions. And another important thing is photo protection; UV is the most potent skin aggressor. I have seen women who have used photo protection all their lives age beautifully.
Pollution can also bring a lot of breakouts because it brings oxidation on to the skin and can oxidize the sebum.
Solution?
Clean gently, use gentle products that will not take out too much of the lipids but will take out pollution particles and makeup. Use water that is not too hot, not too cold, keep your body and skin hydrated, and good skin diagnosis is extremely important.
How should one be mindful of the results to expect from skincare, especially those packaged as anti-aging?
We need to progressively shift away from that word, anti-aging. Aging is normal, it's life. Wrinkles are also the sign of a life well lived. These come from smiling, aging is beautiful. What is important is aging in a healthy way.
Dhara Vora Sabhnani is a Mumbai-based writer.
