26 http://www.cosbeauty.com.authe ozone rapidly strips Vitamin E,
an important component of healthy
skin, from the uppermost skin
layer. Skin conditions aggravated
in urban environments include
atopic dermatitis, psoriasis and other
ailments which generate itchy, red,
inflamed and scaly skin.
The researchers examined the
stratum corneum, a thin layer at
the surface that accounts for less
than five percent of the skin. Long
considered an inert layer of dead skin,
the stratum corneum is now receiving
considerable attention as the gateway
to underlying body tissues.
‘Skincare companies know if
you have dry skin, it’s your stratum
corneum that’s in trouble,’ says
Berkeley researcher Dr Jens Thiele.
‘Everything you apply on the skin has
to pass through that layer.’
The urban environment causes
destruction of the skin’s natural
barrier function, which regulates
the movement of materials in and
out of the skin. It is also thought
the increased formation of harmful
chemicals from the breakdown of
the skin’s fatty lipids triggers an
inflammatory response in underlying
skin layers.
Dr Neil Sadick, a clinical professor
of dermatology in New York, agrees:
‘With the changes in the ozone layer
we’re getting more instant ultra-violet
radiation, as well as more damage
from environmental pollutants. In
my practice we’re definitely seeing
more patients, and younger ones,
with damaged skin. To repair it, and
to guard against further threats, the
two major factors necessary are a
broad-spectrum sunscreen and a high-
potency antioxidant formula.’ CBMB
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