Anti-Pollution Face Wash and Cream Claims: How to Read Them
In November, hazy days become more common across Delhi-NCR and North India. Around this time, you may notice cleansers and creams labelled "anti-pollution", from an anti-pollution face wash to a day cream. The word is appealing in a season when the air is a worry, but on its own it does not tell you what a product is supposed to do.
This note looks first at the air quality information and health advice the Indian government publishes, then at what to check when you read claims like these. The skincare points are general information, not medical advice.
November air in North India
In a November 2024 letter to the states, India's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) noted that the Air Quality Index (AQI) often reports levels from poor to severe, particularly in the winter months. The ministry's health advisory on air pollution lists the winter months from September or October to February or March, the days around Diwali and the stubble-burning period as times for public messaging on air pollution.
The AQI is run by India's Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). According to the CPCB, it has six categories, Good, Satisfactory, Moderately polluted, Poor, Very Poor and Severe, and is based on eight pollutants, including PM10 and PM2.5. The worst of the pollutant sub-indices sets the day's overall AQI. The health advisory notes that the CPCB's SAMEER mobile app gives hourly city-level AQI updates.
What the government advises on high-AQI days
The table in the MoHFW advisory says that on Very Poor days (301 to 400), the general population should avoid outdoor physical activities, especially in the morning and late evening. On Severe days (401 to 500), it again advises avoiding outdoor physical activities. For people who are more vulnerable, such as children, pregnant women, older people and those with respiratory or heart conditions, it advises remaining indoors and keeping activity levels low at both levels.
The same advisory lists irritation of the eyes, nose, throat and skin among the symptoms that short, high-level exposure can bring. An October 2024 letter from the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) advises checking the AQI on government apps before going out, avoiding heavily congested areas, and seeking medical attention if symptoms get worse. On bad-air days, reducing exposure is the basic protection, and no cosmetic replaces it.
How to read the word "anti-pollution"
If a pack says "anti-pollution", start by looking for where the brand explains what it means by the word. Whether it means washing dust off the skin's surface, leaving a film on the skin after you apply it, or acting on dust or on a particular pollutant changes what you need to check.
Next, look at the evidence the brand gives for that explanation. If it ran a test, check whether it says who took part, under what conditions, and what was measured. If there is no explanation or no evidence you can find, it is safer to assume the word tells you little about what the product does. If you want to know, you can ask the seller or the brand directly.
Advertising claims need evidence
Chapter I of the code of the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) says advertisements must be truthful. Descriptions, claims and comparisons that relate to matters of objectively ascertainable fact should be capable of substantiation, and advertisers and advertising agencies must produce that substantiation when ASCI asks for it.
The same code says that where an advertisement expressly states that a claim is based on or supported by independent research or assessment, its source and date should be given in the advertisement. So when you see a line like "proven by research", check whether it says which research and when it was done.
Everyday basics you can keep
The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) advises using a gentle, non-abrasive, alcohol-free cleanser with lukewarm water and your fingertips, not scrubbing, and patting dry with a soft towel. It recommends limiting washing to twice a day and after sweating, and applying moisturiser if your skin is dry or itchy. An evening wash after a day spent outdoors fits within that.
For sunscreen, the AAD recommends a broad-spectrum product that protects against both UVA and UVB, with SPF 30 or higher, and a water-resistant formula that stays on sweaty skin for a while. These habits are presented as skincare basics, not as ways to counter air pollution. With any product, if your skin reacts, stop using it and see a doctor or dermatologist.
Where HANARI stands
HANARI plans to launch three products together in India in December 2026: Clean Start Gel Cleanser, Even Days Serum and Air-Fit Gel Cream. None are on sale yet. HANARI does not currently use the word "anti-pollution" in any product description, and will not use it without checking the evidence. The products page states that fine-dust removal by Clean Start Gel Cleanser is not yet verified.
As our FAQ says, HANARI will make efficacy claims only after checking the evidence. Even once the products are out, please follow official health advice first on bad-air days.