After Nicolas Travis suffered from acne as a teenager, he said it “sparked off my passion for skin care.” Born in Asia, where air pollution is a severe issue, Nicolas wanted to protect his skin from the pollution as he thought this was the cause of his acne. “Pollution is a huge contributor of inflammation, and you can’t really run away from it,” Travis said.
He traveled from Singapore to study biomedical and pharmaceutical science at the University of Bradford in the UK and has since launched his own skincare company, Allie of Skin. The products, which launched in 2006, have ingredients such as moringa and Manuka honey, which act to strengthen the structure of the skin and protect it.
The importance of protecting your skin from pollution is made clear by the World Health Organization, which describes air pollution as a “public health emergency.” In fact, outdoor pollution caused 3 million deaths in 2016, with a further 6 million deaths from indoor pollution.
Travis is not the only person concerned who created skin care products as a result. The Shiseido brand IHADA won an award from the International Federation of Societies of Cosmetic Chemists in 2017 for a shielding technology which keeps off air pollutants. They claim to prevent air pollution particles from adhering to your skin.
More than one in three beauty products were launched with an anti-pollution claim in the Asia-Pacific market in 2016. According to a study by Mintel, a global market intelligence agency, it stands at 38% of beauty products, up from 28% in 2015.
Popular beauty brand Clarins is now on its seventh-generation anti-pollution complex. The company’s products are enriched with plant extracts like African ebony, Alpine sanicle, Furcellaria, and Lampsana, which protect the skin from free radicals, treat scarring, and soothe irritation.