The answer is yes, and it probably already has! With the number of wildfires running rampant on the West Coast, and ash raining down on cars, many people have been worried about the air quality. But the smoke can also have harmful effects on the skin as well. It really doesn't take long for soot, smoke, and ash (in high levels) to noticeably damage your skin.
Not to fear though, none of the damage that your skin has undergone can't be prevented. The first step to prevention is limiting or avoiding going outside as much as possible. I'm sure this is not new information. Health care officials recommend the same thing. If at all possible, avoidance is your best bet. Smoke will clog your pores, filling them with ash particles. This can lead to acne or really nasty breakouts. So even if West Coast is on fire, your skin does not have to suffer.
One of the key ways to notice if the skin has been damaged from smoke is depleted collagen. A little skincare definition- collagen is a protein that keeps skin strong and resilient.
That's why when collagen is depleted, it can lead to deep-set wrinkles. Some affordable, but phenomenal products I recommend to get collagen into your skin during this time are: The Ordinary "Buffet" serum for $14.80 on Ulta online or Amazon. HUM Nutrition has a product called "Collagen Pop," which is $30.00 for a month's supply of dissolvable collagen tablets. Finally, Truly Beauty has a "Vegan Collagen Face Mask" for $35.00, for a big jar full of this beautiful yellow jelly. It seriously looks like honey. So cute!
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