Is ‘office air’ to blame for your limp workday hair and spotty, flaky skin? | Natasha May

SThe paintings of life known as Vanitas, popular in the 17th century, served as a recall of the transitional nature of all on earth, condemned to wither and fade. This is a lesson that most of us get when we attract our reflection in the mirror of the office and that we are shocked to find our appearance carefully maintained, quickly deteriorated somewhere between the journey and a meeting at 11 a.m.

Social media recently asked if this phenomenon is really an inevitable consequence of nature, or if a more modern culprit flies hair and the skin of beauty and vitality.

More than 80 million messages on Tiktok – like this influencer – are demanding: “Can we talk about office air?! Why is it every time I work in the office I leave with oily hair, dry skin and eruptions? ”

What are “Air Office Air” and its effects real?

Air in an office can affect the skin and hair due to a number of factors, explains Dr. Anneliese Willems, a general practitioner with a particular interest in skin care and a lecturer at the University of Melbourne. Air conditioning and heating systems can reduce humidity levels in the air, which can increase “transepidermal water loss”. “This is where you lose humidity through your skin,” says Willems. “This can cause drier, tighter or more puff pastry skin, which is particularly exacerbated in people subject to affections such as eczema or who have an underlying sensitive skin.”

Dr. Pooja Kadam, dermatologist at Sydney Skin Hospital, applies that office air can reduce humidity and cause dry skin, which can then trigger inflammatory skin conditions such as acne or dermatitis. And when it comes to hair, “when the scalp is dry, your body can produce additional sebum [oil] To compensate, lead to a fatty look ”.

What other factors are at stake?

Office environments could also have poor ventilation, says Willems. This can lead to an increased concentration of interior atmospheric pollutants which can irritate the skin, such as dust or what is called VOCs (volatile organic compounds), which can come from newly manufactured objects such as carpets, curtains and furniture, as well as certain cleaning products.

Dr. Libby Sander, an associate professor of organizational behavior at Bond University, said that other poorly indoor air quality symptoms may not be visible, studies showing that it can also affect cognition, performance as well as respiratory problems, headache and sleep.

The independent factors of the physical office environment could also be at stake, says Willems. For example, people can sweat more when they outside their family environment, which could make their hair dying. In addition, the stages of a work trip – head for a station, be on a train, then walk to the office – can expose the skin to possible triggers for irritation, and movement from front and back between hot and cold environments can itself be a source of irritation.

Should offices be better designed?

Everyone’s hair and skin will not be affected by office air, and concerns will be more likely in sensitive people such as those who have sensitive skin. Willems says things like humidifiers are not always effective and can rather be vectors for infection. However, she encourages people to have a discussion with their employer on what a healthy working environment looks like.

“We often talk about skin being a mirror of health in the body, and we therefore want to create a working environment that does not only take care of skin health, but also takes care of the well-being of the whole body.”

What can you do if you are worried?

SANDER says that the quality of the interior air of the office is unfortunately not something that an employee is always able to control. However, they can ask questions about human resources facilities and managers such as “What is the rating of our building?” Is it a LEED certified building? Is it a well-certified building? Because we know that there are important research connecting this to a range of physical and cognitive results. ”

Regarding the potential impact on the appearance of people, Willems says that people should focus on good skin care and try to avoid irritants. A good quality moisturizer is an excellent starting point, in particular the one that contains ingredients such as ceramids, which are natural fats found in the skin. They help seal the humidity and restore the skin barrier to prevent irritants.

To further increase hydration, humectors such as hyaluronic acid can be useful. These “essentially draw water from the skin, which makes it act like a sponge to plump the skin and stimulate hydration,” explains Willems. Products that support skin repair, such as those containing niacinamide (a form of vitamin B3) can also soothe and strengthen the skin over time. The sunscreen is also important because exposure to UV can trigger irritation. Willems adds that using a gentle cleaner is the key, because hard exfoliating on the already irritated skin will only make matters worse.