This New Daily Moisturiser Helps to Protect Your Skin From Pollution

Living in a big city definitely comes with its fair share of positives.

Great restaurants, nightlife, close proximity to the CBD for a work commute, and a buzz that only living in a big city can bring. It doesn’t come without its downfalls, though, and if this was a different website, you can bet my stash of serums that I’d be waxing lyrical about the skyrocketing cost of rent and living expenses.

Ahem. Let’s stick to beauty, shall we?

Over time we have to combat a number of skin concerns that will inevitably crop up, including fine lines, wrinkles, sun damage, pigmentation and loss of skin laxity. Unfortunately, thanks to sun and pollution exposure, the latter particularly prevalent to those that live in the big smoke, means that the ageing process speeds up that much faster.

While anti-ageing and SPF-based skincare has been available for eons, anti-pollution is a relatively new category to the skincare realm but has quickly gained traction. From mists to cleansers and sunscreen, these beauty buys are designed to add a layer of additional protection, because the impacts of constant exposure aren’t ideal. Environmental aggressors have some of the biggest physical effects on our skin such as clogged pores, dullness, blemishes, and, of course, those aforementioned signs of ageing.

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It’s just one of the reasons Clinique launched the new Dramatically Different Hydrating Jelly—the increasing concern around the damaging effects pollution can have on our complexion, and the desire for a helping hand. For the brand’s release of latest iteration in the best-selling Dramatically Different Moisturiser family (who could forget that iconic banana yellow formula?), Gritty Pretty headed to Shanghai for the global launch event.

Shanghai’s current population stands at over 24 million, and while it’s a locale steeped in history and culture—and seriously good dumplings—it’s also one of the most polluted areas in China, thanks to a heavy trade, shipping and manufacturing presence. Interestingly, the pollution particles that get right deep into your pores are minuscule and can’t be spotted with the naked eye but the smog, however, is extremely visible, and floats hazily over Shanghai’s impressive skyline. This is where Dramatically Different Hydrating Jelly (DDHJ) comes in. It’s a lightweight and oil-free daily moisturiser that works to not just hydrate the skin, but uses a unique Clean-Shield Technology to protect against pollution, explains China’s Clinique National Education Director Vivian Wang. In addition to moisture-boosting ingredients like glycerin and hyaluronic acid that work to attract and retain water, this technology also contains a Moisture Barrier Blend, “which is made up of sunflower seed, barley extract and cucumber extract,” she says. This blend of ingredients, together with the hard-working hydrators, team up to strengthen the skin barrier, and in turn, act as a shield against pollution.