New Survey Finds Americans May Be Ruining Their Skin Just by Commuting to Work

CeraVe® Helps Shed Light on Pollution's Impact on Skin

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Jul 30, 2018, 08:13 ET

NEW YORK, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Summer is in full swing and Americans are increasingly enjoying the outdoors. More time outside heightens exposure to not only the sun, but also toxins and pollutants, making a proper skincare routine a necessity. According to a recent survey commissioned by CeraVe®, conducted online by OnePoll among 2,000 U.S. adults, 75 percent of Americans don't realize that air quality and pollution can contribute to poor skin health, and without a proper cleansing routine, which nearly six in 10 (58 percent) admit to neglecting, the long-term effects of pollution on the skin can be significant. That's why CeraVe®, the therapeutic skincare authority, celebrates August 1^st through 7^th as Cleanse Your Skin Week, an entire week focused on raising awareness for the importance of skin cleansing as part of a regular skincare routine.

The survey found that Americans were quick to acknowledge how different factors affect their skin's health, attributing things like stress (64 percent), lack of sleep (51 percent), sweat (31 percent) and the damaging rays of the sun (25 percent), but the one culprit that bypassed blame from 75 percent of Americans is one that can be invisible, but leave very visible damage – pollution. In fact, according to board-certified dermatologist Dr. Michelle Henry, pollution from the air can seep into the skin, causing dehydration, hyperpigmentation, inflammation and even accelerate signs of aging.

"Cleansing the skin should be a daily priority year-round, but it becomes even more important when people are spending more time outdoors, as the environment can cause dryness, irritations and breakouts," said Dr. Henry. "I love the CeraVe® Cleanser line because the products gently and effectively cleanse the skin to remove dirt, oil, pollution and residue that build up throughout the day and they contain three essential ceramides to help restore the skin's natural barrier to lock in moisture and seal out impurities."

It's no surprise that those who live in cities and those who are exposed to pollution during their daily commutes are in most need of a regular skincare routine. The survey reinforced this notion, revealing that:

Six in 10 city-based Americans feel their commute affects their skin.
Nearly half of Americans (48 percent) say their commute makes their skin dirtier and causes breakouts.
Only 31 percent identify pollution as impacting their skin, even though 46 percent use public transportation for their work commute, which exposes them to pollutants and harmful emissions daily.
More than half (51 percent) admitted that they are not likely to wash their face after riding the subway and 35 percent are not likely to wash their face after coming home from work, leaving the grime encountered during the day left to seep into the skin, which over time can damage the skin's barrier and lead to unwelcome imperfections, such as breakouts, wrinkles, pigmentation and sagging.

Though pollution is everywhere and affects all people, many of the nation's most polluted cities are in the Western U.S., making daily cleansing seem like a no-brainer for Americans residing there. Yet, 66 percent of Americans living in the Western U.S. don't acknowledge pollution as a factor for skin health and 50 percent don't use a facial cleanser daily.

The lack of education and a proper skincare routine may provide the illusion that people are not concerned with their skin, but the survey proved otherwise.

Almost half of Americans (48 percent) admit that they often worry about their skin.
More than half of Americans (52 percent) say that they wish they had more time to care for their skin.
Nearly a quarter of Americans (24 percent) say they are too busy with other priorities to care for their skin, so much so that 66 percent of women don't even use makeup remover, leaving 47 percent of women to occasionally commit the ultimate skin crime – falling asleep with makeup on.

While the awareness of skin health exists, consumers need help putting it into practice. Luckily, CeraVe® offers a complete range of affordable cleanser products for a variety of skin types to help make cleansing an achievable step in a skincare routine. CeraVe® cleansers remove dirt, oil, makeup and other residue from the skin, and while many cleansers can be moisture-stripping, CeraVe® cleansers contain ceramides to add moisture to the skin, helping to keep it both clean and hydrated and restore its protective barrier.

"The skin is our body's first line of defense, but between toxins encountered during daily commutes to added exposure during the summer months, the skin's protective barrier goes through more in one day than most realize," said Derrick Booker, Head of U.S. Marketing. "CeraVe® is committed to not only helping consumers develop a healthy skincare routine, but also educating them on the importance of a regimen made of gentle, yet effective products. We're proud to offer a range of cleansers that are accessible, affordable and meet consumers' individual skincare needs."

National Cleanse Your Skin Week, which takes place annually during the first week of August, aims to educate consumers on the importance of cleansing as part of a regular skincare routine and how cleansing can help to combat the effects of daily activities on skin health. CeraVe® offers a wide portfolio of therapeutic products to fit consumers' everyday skincare needs, including seven cleansers. All CeraVe® products are developed with dermatologists and contain an exclusive combination of ceramides 1, 3 and 6-11, which are essential to restoring and maintaining the skin's natural barrier. Consumers are encouraged to talk to their dermatologist about what CeraVe® products may be best for their skin and can purchase CeraVe® products at drugstores nationwide and Amazon. For more information on Cleanse Your Skin Week follow @CeraVe and #CleanseYourSkinWeek on social media.

About CeraVe®
Founded in 2005 and developed with dermatologists, CeraVe is the first and only brand to offer a complete line of products containing essential ceramides and patented MVE technology to help restore the skin's natural protective barrier. CeraVe has a full line of skincare products to follow the dermatologist-recommended steps of: cleanse, treat and moisturize. The brand's mission is to provide therapeutic skincare for all. For more information, visit the brand on Facebook, Twitter or at www.cerave.com.

About L'Oréal
L'Oréal has devoted itself to beauty for over 100 years. With its unique international portfolio of 34 diverse and complementary brands, the Group generated sales amounting to 25.8 billion euros in 2016 and employs 89,300 people worldwide. As the world's leading beauty company, L'Oréal is present across all distribution networks: mass market, department stores, pharmacies and drugstores, hair salons, travel retail, branded retail and e-commerce. Research and innovation, and a dedicated research team of 3,870 people, are at the core of L'Oréal's strategy, working to meet beauty aspirations all over the world. L'Oréal's sustainability commitment for 2020 "Sharing Beauty With All" sets out ambitious sustainable development objectives across the Group's value chain. For more information visit www.loreal.com.

Survey Methodology:
This survey was conducted online within the United States by OnePoll on behalf of CeraVe® from June 7, 2018 – June 12, 2018. among 2,000 U.S. adults ages 18 and older.

SOURCE CeraVe