Ready for tomorrow

Modern consumers use the possibilities of the internet to inform themselves. They are interested in what ingredients a cosmetic product contains, what effect can be expected from the ingredients, but also whether they can be rated as safe and where they stand in terms of sustainability and origin. The brands behind the products are also examined. Authentic corporate ethics are important, and today’s consumers take a close look at whether advertising claims and behaviour are in line with each other. Those who fail to live up to their own claims will sooner or later be exposed and thus harm themselves. So-called “greenwashing” is viewed more than critically and gambles away consumer trust. Companies should therefore take sustainability seriously and communicate it as honestly as possible. If a company has something substantial to say and really makes a difference, it can hope for a committed and loyal community in return. The topic of sustainability is very much in focus in the cosmetics industry. There has been tremendous development in our field in recent years, and standards in the industry have changed. Sustainability zones at tradeshows are becoming more and more present, ingredient sourcing is playing an increasingly important role in the product story, and more and more companies advertise with certifications and ratings. All these efforts on the part of the cosmetics industry are aimed at reducing the negative impact on our climate. This is a very important aspect. However, if we take a holistic view of climate change, we should not only be concerned with counteracting it, but also with dealing with the effects of climate change that we are already feeling. A changing climate with longer and more extreme periods of heat, higher humidity and more frequent weather extremes has a massive impact on our health and therefore also on the health of our skin.

Climate change-related events

Climate change primarily leads to higher average temperatures and higher average humidity due to larger evaporation from the oceans’ surfaces as a consequence of the higher temperatures. One of the ways this combination of heat and high humidity affects the human body is that it can cause heat stress.The skin plays a critical role in thermoregulation by dissipating heat through convective and radiative transfer via shunting of warm blood from the body’s core to the dilated cutaneous vessels and evaporative cooling by means of sweat production. The more humid the air, the less our sweat evaporates, reducing our body’s ability to cool. As a result, the combination of heat and humidity is much more dangerous than heat alone, since it makes us lose our ability to cool through evaporation. These are not the only influences climate change has on human health, however. The world’s news bulletins seem to be filled with news about extreme floods and wildfires. These have a large impact on human health, including skin. Added to this, children, pregnant women, the elderly, people with mental health illness, racial/ethnic minorities, low-income individuals, and migrants are especially vulnerable to climate-related effects.

Floods and skin

Skin disease is a frequent occurrence after a flood. Following a flooding event in Pakistan in 2010, skin disease was the most frequently reported condition, with more than 700,000 cases described, surpassing the incidence of post-flooding respiratory infections and acute diarrheal diseases. Also, in 2022 in Pakistan, global warming led to catastrophic flash floods, affecting nearly 33 million people, with tens of thousands internally displaced and nearly two thousand lives lost. Although Pakistan is responsible for less than one per cent of the world’s total carbon emissions, it is one of the countries most affected by consequences of climate change. Cutaneous infections or infestations, traumatic skin disorders, and inflammatory dermatoses, such as allergic or irritant contact dermatitis, were among the most frequently reported skin issues in those affected by the floods in 2022.

Wildfires and skin A

topic dermatitis (AD), acne, and seborrheic dermatitis are some of the most common skin diseases, and all are affected by climate change. Wildfires can affect AD development, worsening it due to absorption of pollutants within wildfire smoke, resulting in skin barrier and immune dysfunction and upregulation of inflammatory cytokines that contribute to AD pathophysiology and intensify the itch – scratch cycle. In addition, increased temperatures are linked to more doctor’s visits for AD, and heat exacerbates pruritus. Acne patients are particularly vulnerable to pollutants from wildfires due to alterations in saturated long-chain free fatty acids that compose the lipid barrier of the stratum corneum and play an essential role in cutaneous barrier function. Chronic exposure to pollution is tied to higher rates of sebum production and oxidation which, when combined with the proinflammatory responses that are both activated by pollutants, leads to a greater burden of acne lesions. In addition, emerging evidence suggests that pollutants, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, alter the skin’s microbiome, favoring acne formation. Warm, humid climates facilitate Malassezia growth, which triggers seborrheic dermatitis flares during summer months.