By the time I’ve made it home from work — sweaty from the commute and exhausted by the daily aircon battle — I think that surely I’ve been through enough. But no: my reflection, featuring a greasy forehead, smudged mascara, flaky chin and parched lips, is ready and waiting to add insult to injury.
Ever since I’ve experienced the joys of working from home (comfy clothes, reality TV breaks at lunch, and maybe even working from bed), going into the office feels like a slog. I have to put my sad little salad into a Tupperware container, traipse to the station, weighed down on one side by a flimsy and impractical tote bag containing my laptop, and jostle my way on and off the Tube — all to get to my desk. Once I’m finally there, I’ll spend the day battling more weather extremes than an intrepid explorer as my colleagues fight over the air-con settings. The windows barely open, there’s zero fresh air, and somehow, I’m still supposed to get work done.
As much as I smile (read: grimace) through it — the “Haha, sorry, yes, that was my toe you stepped on” on the train, the “No, no, I really don’t mind working in gloves” in the office — it turns out my face is giving the game away, and I don’t mean my expression.
What is “office air”?
At first, I blamed the office bathrooms. Most are so brightly lit that you could interrogate someone in them. The mirrors aren’t exactly forgiving, either, but they’re not the issue. It’s what’s happening to my skin — and it seems I’m not the only one.
On TikTok, the phrase “office air” appears in 80.6 million posts, where one complaint comes up again and again — the same dry skin, shiny forehead and cracked lips after a day in the office: “Office air is the most fatal of them all,” laments one poster in a video with 1.2 million views. “No matter how good I try to make myself look in the morning, I’m going to leave the office looking like I just ran a marathon and washed my face with grease.”
I can relate — and it got me thinking: I change my routine depending on the weather outside (more sunscreen in summer, thicker moisturiser in winter), but I’ve never considered the changing climate inside, or on the way there. Before I go to HR to request a remote contract (dramatic? Me?), I thought I’d ask the experts for advice on how to tackle our collective office skin woes.
Is commuting bad for your skin?
According to experts, our skin goes through just as much in a day at the office as we do tackling our to-do lists. First up, there’s the commute. Unless you live and work in the countryside, you’re probably travelling to or through a busy town or city, either on foot or via public transport.
“Commuting in a polluted environment presents a challenge for the skin,” says Dr Derrick Phillips, a consultant dermatologist and CeraVe ambassador. Adding, “Airborne pollutants like nitrogen dioxide [from vehicle emissions] and particulate matter can penetrate the skin.” This can trigger inflammation (think redness and swelling), increase melanin production leading to hyperpigmentation and speed up the breakdown of collagen, the protein that gives skin its strength and suppleness.
It might feel like you’re sheltered from the elements at your desk, but the fluctuating temperatures can affect your skin, too: “[Air-conditioning] strips the air of humidity,” says skin expert Fiona Brackenbury. “This causes stress to the skin and leads to dehydration [think tight, dull skin], dryness and increased sensitivity.”
Certain types of air-conditioning can be particularly drying, adds Brackenbury: “Especially ones that are continuously cool and recirculate the same indoor air,” she explains. This, teamed with a lack of openable windows — common in most high-rise office buildings — means the skin isn’t exposed to much oxygen. “Combined with dehydration, this leaves skin looking dull and fatigued,” says Brackenbury. At what point should I start petitioning my manager for a tweakments budget?
With so many factors at play, my flaky, red, oily and dehydrated face by 6 p.m. is no longer a mystery. Just call me beauty’s answer to Scooby Doo. So what can I — a reasonable woman who knows dry skin isn’t a valid excuse for a remote contract — do about it? The sensible answer is to tweak my skincare routine.
Consider an antioxidant serum
Pollution particles can generate molecules called ‘free radicals’, which damage healthy skin cells by causing them to oxidise. To prep and protect your skin for a pollution-heavy commute, consider adding an antioxidant serum to your morning routine. Antioxidants act like tiny shields on the skin’s surface, fighting off free radicals from car exhaust fumes, cigarette smoke, UV and even recycled indoor air — all while brightening skin over time. The most common antioxidant is vitamin C. While it can be used morning and night, experts often recommend it for AM use. Even better: follow with sunscreen for added UV protection.
If you’re a seasoned vitamin C user and want to level up, try Dose by VH Triple Vitamin C 23% Serum + Ferulic Acid, £20. For beginners or those with reactive skin, The Ordinary’s Ascorbyl Glucoside Solution, £12, offers the same brightening benefits in a gentler formula.
Besides vitamin C, Brackenbury suggests looking for dedicated serums containing either brightening and oil-reducing niacinamide, vitamin E or resveratrol — all ingredients which protect against environmental damage, support collagen production and soothe skin. Try Neutrogena Hydro Boost 10% Niacinamide Serum, £19.99, Caudalie Resveratrol-Lift Instant Firming Serum, £52, or e.l.f. Bright Icon Vitamin C + E + Ferulic Serum, £16, with a long list of antioxidants including vitamin C, E and ferulic acid.
When in doubt, double cleanse
Even with an antioxidant serum, skin can still pick up grime and pollution throughout the day. When you get home, Brackenbury recommends double cleansing to remove the day’s buildup. “Try a hydrating, non-stripping cleanser,” she advises — and you don’t have to use two different ones. I rate The Inkey List’s Hydrating Cream-to-Milk Cleanser, £13, which works brilliantly as both a first and second cleanse, gently melting away sunscreen and makeup.
Post-cleanse is also the ideal time to exfoliate, says Brackenbury. Try an exfoliating toner like Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant, £35, with salicylic acid to minimise breakouts and blackheads or L’Oréal Paris 5% Glycolic Acid Peeling Toner, £17.99, to smooth rough texture and even out skin tone. If you can, do your evening skincare routine early to give your skin a head start on recovery and repair, says Brackenbury.
Look after your skin barrier
To protect your skin from drying air-con and a lack of fresh air, focus on maintaining a strong skin barrier. This outer layer of skin helps lock in moisture and keep out irritants like bacteria. Think of it as a brick wall: skin cells are the bricks, held together by a mortar of fats and lipids — like ceramides — that keep skin soft and healthy. When that mortar weakens, moisture escapes, leading to dryness and sensitivity. Besides a gentle cleanser, Dr Phillips recommends investing in a moisturiser containing either ceramides, niacinamide or panthenol, all of which will seal in hydration and support the skin barrier.
Sip and spritz
Just as you’d feel the effects of forgetting to sip from your Stanley cup during back-to-back meetings, your skin can start to feel uncomfortably dehydrated as your morning skincare wears off. Brackenbury recommends spritzing skin throughout the day with a hydrating, barrier-supporting mist. Try The Inkey List Hydro-Surge Dewy Face Mist, £11, or Violette_FR Boum Boum Milk, £65, if you have more to spend. It goes without saying: drink plenty of water, too. But if you want to go the extra mile, Brackenbury suggests a desktop humidifier. “This can help restore moisture in the air around your workspace,” she explains. (Drowning out loud colleagues is simply a bonus.)
Try to stress less
Then there’s stress. Unless you’re a puppy yoga instructor, everyone’s job is stressful to some degree — and, you guessed it, stress isn’t great for your skin. Dr Phillips explains that stress affects hormone levels, triggering a rise in cortisol: “[This] can result in changes to sebum levels,” subsequently increasing the skin’s oil production, he adds. Alongside excess oil, cortisol also amplifies inflammation (think redness and puffiness), further exacerbating skin conditions like rosacea, eczema and acne.
While no amount of skincare will make work less stressful, there are steps we can take to ease the tension in our lives: “Stress management is just as important and should not be overlooked,” says Dr Phillips. “Whether it’s regular movement, mindfulness or therapy, managing stress will improve your skin and your mental health.” Cutting back on caffeine throughout the day can also help reduce feelings of jitteriness and unease.
Choose your makeup wisely
With skincare out of the way, office air can also challenge makeup’s staying power. Dehydrated skin can lead to a patchy base and flaky lipstick, while excess oil causes smudged mascara and a shiny T-zone. Happily, Dr. Phillips suggests that tailoring your skincare routine to combat the effects of office life can even help your makeup last longer. But beyond skincare, choose your makeup products wisely.
A smoothing primer like Milani Conceal + Perfect Blur Out Smoothing Primer, £14, will help grip a wayward base. Keeping your lips moisturised throughout the day with nourishing balm, such as S’able Labs Moringa Lip Salve, £21, will also prevent flaking and revive your lipstick. For eyes, consider a tubing mascara like Merit Clean Lash Lengthening Mascara, £23, or Revolution Wrap Lash Tubing Mascara, £10.99, both of which are smudgeproof yet easy to remove with water.
Lastly, to control shine throughout the day, finish your makeup with a little translucent powder like Refy Skin Finish Powder, £22 — ideal for soaking up excess sebum on the forehead, nose and chin instantly and throughout the day.
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