EYE-POPPING FACTS ABOUT COSMETIC INGREDIENTS!
Apr 12 '06
The Bottom Line Just what exactly are we putting on our skin.
Do we really know what we are putting on our skin and in our bodies when it comes to cosmetics?
I suspect NOT in most cases. Cosmetics are usually made up of synthetic chemicals which make up color additives, emulsifiers, thickeners, solvents, moisturizers, Ph adjusters and I could go on and on. A little scary, huh? Although we endeavor to find products with more natural ingredients, we cannot ignore the fact that most of the time, because of price or inavailability, we settle for the latter. I know I do.
An average woman, over sixty years, can absorb into her bloodstream, thirty pounds of ingredients in moisturizers. She can also consume four tubes of lipstick in a lifetime.
Did you know that:
Ingredients such as glycerol, ethanol, hexachlorphene, alcohol, paraffin, and phenol are petroleum derivatives that are harmful to use and that isopropyl alcohol, another, actually promotes premature aging of the skin.
Dimethicone, a synthetic emmolient, coats the skin making the skin unable to breathe and may be the source of many a skin irritation.
Artificial fragrances and perfumes are petroleum based and can cause allergic reactions and irritations. Some can have up to 4,000 different ingredients, some toxic or carcinogenic.
Artificial colors, usually derived from coal tar are a risk to people who are sensitive to aspirin, asthmatics, exzema sufferers
Propylene glycol, a solvent is strong enough to remove barnacles from boats. It penetrates the skin and can interfere with cellular structure and if ingested can cause brain damage, liver and kidney abnormalities.
Diazolidnyl Urea: A primary cause of contact dermatitis. It contains formaldehyde, a carcinogenic chemical
Triethanolamine, a synthetic emulsifier: Over 40 percent of cosmetics containing triethanolamine have been found to be contaminated with nitrosamines which are potent carcinogens.
Parabens (anything ending in “paraben”) are used to extend shelf life by stunting microbial growth and cause redness itching and skin irritations. Widely used even though they are known to be toxic.
Urea releases formaldehyde donors which can irritate the respiratory system, cause skin reactions, cause chronic fatigue, joint pain and heart palpitations. Formaldehyde-releasing ingredients are very common in nearly all store brands of skin and body products.
These are all ingredients used often in our everyday body lotions, cleansers and make-up.
And beware of this ingredient :TOLUENE which is poison, harmful if swallowed, inhaled or absorbed through the skin. Sounds like a real winner!
Furthermore, the perception of natural ingredients is more of a personal issue unless you carry a dictionary of cosmetics ingredients around with you when you shop. What is a rather major misconception is that natural means that a product automatically is safe to use.
Mineral oil sounds pretty natural, an ingredient found in lots of moisturizing products. What can it harm? Because this ingredient coats the skin, it slows down skin function and promotes aging. It promotes acne and other skin disorders. Some BABY OILS are 100 percent mineral oil.
Lanolin comes from sheeps wool. How natural is that? Most lanolin used in cosmetics is highly contaminated with organo-phosphate pesticides and insecticides.
Natural herb and flower extracts are also formed chemically.
Beware of plant oils. Some of these oils are polyunsaturated which usually have a shelf life of about 3 months. Once they go rancid, they form free radicals which damage the skin.
A little light at the end of the tunnel:
More and more companies are becoming more aware and using more natural ingredients.
The Body Shop, Aveda, Origins, and Bath and Body Works claim to use all use natural-based ingredients in all of their products. Synthetic ingredients are used sparingly and serve only to help preserve products.
Avon’s Daily Renewal and Revlon’s New Age Natural claim to be made of all natural ingredients as does H20-Plus, Peppers and Goodebodies.
Well, this is just a short overview on the eye-opening details of cosmetic ingredients. The only thing I have to say is to be more aware of your ingredient labels…..read them. Educate yourself and at least X-out the most harmful ones.
I know I have learned a lot from the research I did for this infolog. I hope you benefit from it too.
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