Human skin is constantly assaulted by the external environment, protecting us from air, Ultraviolet radiation (UVR), environmental pollutants, and other mechanical and chemical insults, all of which have been piled into the coined term “exposome,” to describe the entirety of exposures to which an individual is subjected. The skin’s ability to protect us can be easily impaired by numerous factors such as psychological stress, alcohol and illicit drug intake, and poor nutrition, all of which further allow external factors to do harm by creating free radicals such as reactive oxygen species (ROS). Now truth be told, the greatest focus is often on UVR, which is the major contributor to this injury. Our skin can combat UVR through both its inherent protective tools(melanin, urocanic acid, and enzymatic antioxidants) and antioxidants we consume from the food (vitamin A, C, E, etc.), but these can be depleted with use and age, not to mention other environmental villains like pollution. In fact, a very recent study indicates that exposure to increased ground levels of ozone for example, may be associated with increase wrinkle formation in the face, even independent of sun exposure. When I say ozone, I am not referring to stratospheric ozone in the upper atmosphere that is beneficial because it protects from solar radiation. Ground level or tropospheric ozone is the accumulation of gaseous emissions from cars and chemical plants. Nitrogen oxide and organic compounds in these emissions interact with sunlight to become highly reactive (not a good thing). Although we often think of ground ozone in association with large cities or industrial areas the reality is that many Americans live in areas with unhealthy levels of ozone.

  body and soul, health, healthy living