For years we’ve waged a war against sun – defending ourselves from UV light with the mighty mantra of ‘slip, slop, slap’ and sunscreens. However, new research is emerging on the dangers of other, more insidious skin aggressors – such as infrared light and pollution – that until now, we had limited ways of protecting our skin against.
Today Australian cosmeceutical company, Synergie Skin, launched Enviroshield, a daily anti-pollutant spritz to protect against the harmful effects of airborne pollutants and Infrared damage.
The nifty makeup setting and protective spray was born out of concerns on sunlight – namely a recent study by the University of Alabama that found that Infrared-A radiation can cause dermal inflammation, photoaging and skin cancer.
Where UVA and UVB only make up 7% of light that we’re exposed to while dashing about on our lunchbreak, Infrared-A makes up a whopping 30%, and it penetrates more deeply, targeting fibroblasts (the all-important cells that produce collagen and keep our dermis looking bouncy-fresh).
Another concerning culprit for aging is pollution. With 1600 cities around the world reporting unfavourable air pollution levels – think microscopic hydrocarbons, heavy metals and free radicals – airborn pollution has become the dermal scourge of urban enclaves. And it’s these aggressors that Synergie Skin sought to address with Enviroshield.
“I wanted combat those two environmental impacts in one product,” explains Terri Vinson, cosmetic chemist and founder of Synergie Skin. “Enviroshield is a breakthrough product. It really represents the next generation in protection. It’s designed to protect you from the damaging effects of pollution and infrared light.”
The lightweight rose-scented spritz contains Elix-IR an ingredient that, according to Vinson, has had outstanding results against Infrared in clinical studies. This is combined with hydrators and another protective active, Exo-P – a shield that prevents the penetration of those heavy metals, hydrocarbons and smog. It’s designed to be used after makeup as a setting spray, providing the final layer of coverage and protection against environmental damage.
The launch has thrown light on a new category of skincare – environmental protection – an area that has previously been limited to topical antioxidants and sunscreen, and although it’s still early days in terms of our knowledge in the area, we expect to see more brands follow suit.
In the meantime, we’ll be spritzing this little wonder over our foundation – just to be safe.
Annalise
Wow, I feel like I need to just wrap my skin up and block it from everything these days!
Savannah
So when do you apply this? Before or after sunscreen/makeup?
Alicia
Hopefully we can reduce pollution sooner rather than later!
Riley
Excited to keep up with these studies/product and see more results, hopefully positive ones!