According to King’s College London, the capital exceeded its annual pollution limit - just one week into 2016! It’s a sad fact; if you live in London - or any other city in the UK - you’re subjected to high pollution levels and this can affect both the health and beauty of your skin.

A recent Chinese study of 200 women aged between 30 and 45 found that polluted city air, anywhere in the world, contains a cocktail of 224 chemicals. Daily contact with this chemical cocktail can damage exposed skin, such as the face and hands, leaving it looking dull, dry and older.

This Chinese study also found that the appearance of skin of women living in cities, such as Beijing, aged 10% faster than those living in rural areas.

Accelerating fine lines and wrinkles

So what exactly does pollution do to our skin? As well as covering it in a layer of grime, which clogs pores and causes irritation, the tiny particles of pollution also penetrates the epidermis. This disrupts the skin’s barrier and moisture levels, causing inflammation, damaging skin elasticity and accelerating the formation of fine lines and wrinkles.

What’s more, exposure to pollution promotes the production of free radicals, which wreak havoc with the natural balance of the skin and can even be carcinogenic.

So what’s the answer? The natural solution to countering the attack from free radicals is ‘antioxidants’. Antioxidants are vitamins, enzymes and minerals that occur naturally in plants and which are remarkably good at neutralising free radical damage to the skin.

A diet rich in antioxidants is therefore vital for maintaining healthy skin. It’s also important to apply antioxidants topically. Basically, feeding your skin from the inside out and from the outside in!

60% higher levels of antioxidants

Going organic is also vital, as a recent study by the Soil Association proved that organic crops, fruit and vegetables have up to 60% higher levels of antioxidants present than their non-organic counterparts.

If you love city living, but don’t like the effect it has on your skin, using Botanicals natural, organic skincare products therefore makes good, natural sense.

Using the pure power of plants, these antioxidant-rich skincare gems work in harmony with the body, supporting the skin’s natural ability to regenerate healthy new cells and protect against attack from damaging free radicals.

They’ll also help boost radiance, restore and rejuvenate as well as nourish and hydrate the skin.