Lifestyle Choices

Have you ever heard of an “indoor environmentalist”? Most people associate the environment with the “great outdoors” and the “wonders of nature”. On the contrary, our own “environments” are increasingly indoors, and increasingly “unnatural”. Whether at home or at the office, your skin suffers in special ways from the indoor environment with its closed atmosphere and surrounding work materials. How do you recognize actual or potential irritants? How can you protect your skin from daily damage by the indoor surroundings you take for granted? How can you correct or at least improve your indoor environment?

City skin

Today, more than three-quarters of us live or work in cities. Cities give us economic and intellectual stimuli, energy, cultural excitement and convenient contact with friends and colleagues. But as we gravitate increasingly to urban areas, our health, and particularly our skin, can suffer.

Any fresh air indoors?

Buildings used to be designed with systems to assure constant air flow volume for heating, cooling and ventilation. Today’s “energy efficient” structures are quite different. New buildings are tightly sealed, with recirculated air. Internal sources (lights, machines) provide extra heat, and air delivery rates are varied to maintain temperature, not necessarily to meet air quality needs. In large buildings, fresh air supplies are frequently reduced to a minimum to conserve energy.

The indoor Sahara

The average urban worker is indoors 90 percent of the day. Indoor environments dry the skin — with excessive heat in winter and excessive air conditioning in summer. This is quite simple to rectify. First, turn down the heating or air conditioning, especially at home. There’s no reason to roast in winter or freeze in summer! Secondly, install a humidifier, and be sure to keep it clean to prevent bacteria build-up in the water! The simplest, and least costly “humidifier” is an open pan of water near the radiator or air conditioner (which helps preserve wooden furniture as well!). If you work in a closed office space, be sure always to apply a moisturizer after you wash your hands or face.

Deskside pollution

Your office environment contains potentially hazardous air pollutants! The most significant indoor contaminant (in countries where it’s not banned) is cigarette smoke, accounting for up to 30-40 percent of indoor pollution. If you smoke, you can spare your own skin and that of your fellow workers by stopping. In fact, prohibiting smoking in sealed buildings very significantly improves the health of all occupants.

Indoor contaminants from outdoor sources, such as car exhaust or dust from construction, are second on the list. These are drawn into buildings through intake vents. A simple filtration system can be helpful in reducing such pollutants. If you or your co-workers smell fumes or experience symptoms such as headaches or stinging eyes, it may be worth investigating.

The third most common contaminants are chemicals in the air or on surfaces. Chemicals cause over 90 percent of industrial allergic reactions! Your office, work place, or home may contain a number of potential irritants and allergens; finding the offender can call for some good detective work. The most common chemical irritants are volatile organic compounds from adhesive, tile, vinyl wall coverings and furniture.

Formaldehyde is the most common, present in many fabrics, paints, carpets, draperies and cleaning agents and released into the air by many copying machines. If you notice skin symptoms such as redness, itching, swelling, rashes, or blemishes (which can arise either shortly after contacting an offending substance or a day or two later), or if you have a sudden onset of eye irritation, rhinitis (nose inflammation), headache, or rash after your office or home was painted, new carpets or draperies were installed, or a floor was polished, formaldehyde may be the culprit. If you come into skin contact with a chemical (unless instructed otherwise), wash thoroughly as soon as possible. (Sometimes the chemical container lists precautions and instructions for removal after contact.) If you notice a rash or skin reaction, see your dermatologist.

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