The desire to look beautiful is an age-old desire. But rising pollution has increased the price of looking beautiful. According to a report, the worse the air quality in cities, the more women spend on cosmetics.
Shops adorned with cosmetics in every city and many women shopping in them. You will find this scene in almost every city. Today everyone has become very conscious about their looks, but is the sale of so many cosmetics only a matter of looks or is it a compulsion? Which is creating an illusion among people to make the skin healthy and beautiful in this pollution. Do they really work?
Rising pollution and poison dissolved in the air have brought the effect of premature ageing on the skin. It has increased dark spots under the eyes, acne and hair related problems. Dr. Batul Patel, founder of ‘The Bombay Skin Clinic’ and renowned dermatologist, writes in one of his articles, “The fine particles present in pollution can accelerate the aging process, resulting in the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines on the face, making one look older than their age.”
Pollution not only affects health and beauty of the body, it is also affecting our budget. According to a report, in cities where the air quality is worse, women spend more on cosmetics.
A comprehensive survey released last year by the Confederation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CII) shows that young men and women in Delhi are spending more on cosmetics than their counterparts in other metropolitan cities.
However, this survey (by CII) included expenditure on apparel and mobile phones along with cosmetics. In the survey, a sample of 2,000 youth in the age group of 16-21 years was taken; about 75 percent of India’s youth spend more than Rs 6,000 per month on cosmetics, apparel and mobiles.
Beauty experts say that pollution has increased the expenditure on cosmetics across the world and ‘natural beauty’ is like a dream. Pollution has both immediate and long term effects on the skin.
Air pollution first attacks the outer layer of the skin, due to which toxic elements of pollution get deposited on the skin and itching and allergies arise in the skin.
The Glow of the Face is Vanishing:
42-year-old Deepali Mathur Dayal, who lives in Delhi, says, “Due to increasing pollution and some hormonal changes, I have acne on my skin. To recover from this, I use face wash, moisturizer, night cream and under eye cream of good brands. Being branded, all these products are quite expensive, but I am able to buy them. I spend 4000 rupees a month on them.”
Actually, today the weather is changing rapidly. Many things are happening out of season, which forces us to think. In the winter season, the fog makes the weather pleasant, but when this fog spreads out of season, it causes irritation in the eyes and wrinkles on the face, because then it is not a sign of pleasant weather, but of dangerous weather.
Such weather forces people to go out wearing masks on their nose and mouth. As soon as we go out, we are inhaling poisonous air, which makes breathing difficult. This pollution directly attacks our body parts through the nose. It affects our lungs, nervous system as well as our skin.
As Pollution So is the Expense:
Today’s generation is very conscious about their looks. Most women are self-reliant too. Now they do not hesitate in buying expensive cosmetics. What do women of different cities of the country do to keep their skin healthy?
A survey conducted on them has revealed a lot, which makes it clear that women in places where AQI is low use less cosmetics, but women in places where AQI is high are spending more, whether it is cosmetics bought from outside or a home-made scrub.
They do spend some money on these every month, but you will be surprised to know that the amount spent by them and the quantity of these cosmetics also depends on whether the air is pure or impure. Homemaker Goldie from Gurdaspur, Punjab, said, “She hardly spends Rs 500 on cosmetics.”
According to a report, the worse the air quality in cities, the more women spend on cosmetics.
Everyone’s Story is Different!
Many women use cosmetics as a hobby despite good air quality. The cosmetic use and expenditure of some women in Madhupur, a small town in Jharkhand, shows that the beautiful natural environment there has a positive effect on their skin. Here, the monthly expenditure on cosmetics by women in urban areas is around Rs 700. Homemaker Sapna Gupta said, "I use very few cosmetics and only occasionally apply moisturizer. On which I spend Rs 150 every month."
Madhu Prasad from Hyderabad says, “The climate here is so good that I don’t need to apply moisturizer even in winters. Hence, I need very few cosmetics.” If we talk about Kolkata, the average expenditure of women on cosmetics is Rs. 1700 per month. This figure has come to light after talking to many women. Women say that the way pollution has mixed in the air today, it is having a very bad effect on the skin.
Blush has Replaced Pink Complexion:
It is true that in the times of our grandmothers or mothers, cosmetics were not used that much, but there are many reasons behind this. For example, there was not so much pollution then. The quality of the skin was fine. Everyone’s health was also good. The glow of grains, vegetables, fruits and pure milk and curd grown without the use of chemical fertilizers was visible on their faces too.
Today, blush has replaced that lost pink complexion, which keeps the face glowing as long as it stays on the face, but blush can never replace the real pink complexion of the face. It cannot match it.
When we turned towards the heart of the country i.e. Delhi while searching for this complexion of healthy skin, our heart became heavy seeing the atmosphere, because the heart of the country was crying bitterly. It has become difficult for it to beat in the poisonous air. In such a situation, how can we even talk about beauty.
Home Remedies are Still Popular:
Beauty also comes from good health. Today, the average monthly expenditure on cosmetics in Delhi is Rs 2000, but are women satisfied even after spending so much? Probably not, because the health of their skin is not very good even after applying lakhs of products.
In this case, if we talk about Burnpur in West Bengal, then the women there have a different opinion. Here most of the women like to use homemade products daily.
Neetu Barnwal says, “Burnpur has a lot of dust and dirt due to the presence of steel plants and many industries nearby. The things from outside do not give much benefit. Apart from these, only homemade home remedies bring glow to the skin.” This is probably the reason why women here spend about 820 rupees every month on cosmetics.
It is absolutely true that polluted air not only absorbs moisture from our skin, but also causes problems like skin irritation, redness and eczema. According to skin experts, harmful rays of the sun for a long time combined with polluted air have a bad effect on the skin. It damages it from within. In the country including Delhi NCR, where the air quality is poor, it is dangerous for our health. Even expensive products can prove ineffective in the ever-increasing pollution and toxic environment. Therefore, it is important that efforts are made to improve the air quality, so that we become healthy in body and mind.
Also, the unseasonal fog should be cleared, because the pink cool fog of winter gives us a magical feeling.
Pollution first attacks the outer layer of the skin, due to which the toxic elements of pollution get deposited on the skin and the skin becomes dry.
Include Citric Fruits in Your Diet
Pollution closes the pores of the skin, its worst effect is on the age of the skin. Fine lines, wrinkles and black spots start appearing on the skin before time. Cosmetics should be used in very small quantities. Women with sensitive skin should definitely test the cosmetics on their skin before using them, this will tell whether the product will suit you or not. If any cosmetic is causing any problem on the skin, then stop applying it immediately and use a medicated product after consulting a dermatologist. For the beauty of the skin, pay special attention to your diet. Along with milk, curd, vegetables, nuts, you can consume citric fruits like sweet lime, pineapple, orange, grapefruit, lemon.
In the ever increasing air pollution and toxic environment, even expensive products can prove to be ineffective.
