Greater awareness in anti-pollution needs

The environmental urgency is felt by a growing number of consumers, and especially urbanites. More than 95% of consumers in France, Germany and Italy feel that pollution is a problem and nearly 4 out of 10 French people believe that pollution levels will worsen in the coming years.

Not only do fine particles cause an increase in chronic respiratory illnesses when inhaled, but they also have an impact on the skin. When fine particles land on the skin, they overstimulate AhR receptors, upsetting the skin’s natural defenses and setting off reactions that lead to the appearance of irritation and even inflammation and discomfort such as itching, redness or excessive sebum production. Moreover, the body produces free radicals to fight oxidative stress, leading to accelerating aging just like that caused by smoking and UV rays.

A lasting trend in cosmetics

Anti-pollution cosmetics, which first emerged on the Asian market around 10 years ago, already made up more than a third (38%) of the cosmetics market in 2016. In Europe, many brands have developed the segment with “barrier” formulas and the number of product launches grew 207% between 2016 and 2017! In 2018, at least 165 new products had “anti-pollution” properties. Clarins was a pioneer in the field with the 2007 launch of its Expertise 3P range that protects against both atmospheric and electromagnetic pollution. Garancia also released its Ma VAP Bien Aimée fixing and mattifying spray, while Uriage has just launched its Age Protect range, which offers protection from both pollution and blue light.