Environmental pollution and climate change are increasingly recognized as significant threats to human health, and the skin, as the body’s largest and most exposed organ, is particularly vulnerable. The skin acts as the primary defense barrier against environmental insults, serving as both a physical and biochemical shield. However, rapid urbanization, industrialization, and climate change have introduced a growing array of stressors, including particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, volatile organic compounds, various forms of radiation (high-energy visible light, ultraviolet A and B), and dioxins. Chronic exposure to these aggressors is linked to a range of dermatological issues, such as premature aging, inflammatory skin diseases, epigenetic modifications, and microbiome disruption. Climate change factors like rising global temperatures and humidity fluctuations further exacerbate these effects by increasing UV exposure and altering skin barrier function. Oxidative stress is a key mechanism in pollution-induced skin damage, but a comprehensive understanding of the long-term cumulative effects, individual genetic susceptibility, and targeted protective interventions remains underexplored. This review article explores the mechanisms by which these environmental factors impact skin health and discusses emerging protective strategies, highlighting why these potential solutions are being considered to address the growing challenges posed by a changing environment.
Key Findings
Based on the systematic review of 144 studies, several key findings regarding the impact of pollution and climate change on skin health were identified:
• Oxidative Stress and Inflammation: Airborne pollutants like PM2.5, ozone, and nitrogen dioxide generate excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS), overwhelming the skin’s natural antioxidant defenses and leading to cellular damage, collagen degradation, impaired wound healing, and increased malignancy risk. This oxidative imbalance accelerates aging signs such as wrinkles, loss of elasticity, and pigmentation disorders. Chronic inflammation triggered by oxidative stress contributes to conditions like psoriasis, eczema, and atopic dermatitis.
• Epigenetic Modifications: Chronic exposure to pollutants induces long-term alterations in gene expression through mechanisms like DNA methylation, histone acetylation, and microRNA dysregulation. These changes influence pathways related to inflammation, pigmentation, and skin repair, potentially persisting long after exposure ends.
• Microbiome Alterations: Environmental pollutants disrupt the skin microbiome, promoting pro-inflammatory bacterial strains (e.g., Staphylococcus aureus) while depleting beneficial bacteria (Cutibacterium acnes, Staphylococcus epidermidis). This dysbiosis weakens skin defenses and increases susceptibility to inflammatory conditions like acne, eczema, and rosacea.
• Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs): Pollutants like phthalates, bisphenol A, dioxins, and polychlorinated biphenyls can interfere with hormonal regulation in the skin, contributing to conditions such as hormonal acne, seborrheic dermatitis, melasma, and delayed wound healing. EDCs also promote skin aging by increasing oxidative stress and impairing collagen synthesis.
• Climate Change Impacts: Rising temperatures intensify UV exposure and inflammatory responses, potentially triggering flares of rosacea, eczema, and psoriasis. Changes in humidity disrupt the skin barrier, with low humidity causing dehydration and increased susceptibility to pollutant/allergen penetration, and high humidity weakening the stratum corneum and increasing infection risk.
• Migration and Disease Migration: Climate-related displacement exposes populations to new climatic conditions and allergens, increasing skin sensitivity, heat-induced rashes, and inflammatory conditions. Climate change also contributes to the geographic expansion of skin-affecting infectious diseases, like coccidioidomycosis, into non-endemic areas.
The impact of pollution and climate change on skin health is a critical and escalating concern. This review highlights the molecular mechanisms, including oxidative stress, inflammation, epigenetic alterations, and microbiome imbalances, by which environmental stressors contribute to premature aging and inflammatory skin disorders. The novelty of this research lies in its integration of diverse impacts – from molecular mechanisms to global climate effects and emerging technologies – and its emphasis on the need for a comprehensive, integrated response.
Future implications involve leveraging scientific innovation, policy action, and public education to build skin resilience. Advances such as AI-driven diagnostics and personalized skincare, microbiome-targeted therapies, regenerative dermatology approaches like stem cell therapies, and smart textiles offer promising avenues for mitigating environmental damage. However, research gaps persist regarding long-term damage and individual susceptibility. Addressing pollution-related skin conditions also requires stronger environmental policies, improved regulation of anti-pollution skincare claims, increased public education on daily protection, and ensuring equitable access to dermatological care, particularly for vulnerable communities. Prioritizing longitudinal studies and exploring areas like the gut-skin axis and nanotechnology in future research will be crucial. This integrated approach allows dermatology to play a central role in protecting skin health in a changing climate.
Link to the study: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2950198925000613
