Skin Care Industry Articles
Top 10 Most Toxic Skin Care Ingredients
Friday, October 7th, 2011
There are at least a hundred toxic chemicals in today’s skincare products. Creating a list of the top 10 was difficult. I got some help from Dr Peter Dingle.
Dr. Dingle is an acclaimed environmental and nutritional toxicologist from Australia. He first began writing about toxic chemicals in skincare products in 1999. His book “Dangerous Beauty” sold well, but apparently did not reach enough people. Hopefully, I can reach a few more with this article.
One of Dingle’s most recent articles was published in the Australian College of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine Journal. According to Dingle’s research, there are 24 toxic sunscreen ingredients, 13 toxic preservatives and 14 other ingredients that … Read Full Article
The “Latest and Greatest” – A Skin Care Con Job
Monday, September 19th, 2011
We’ve all seen the advertisements. But, how honest are they? When a product is described as “new and improved”, is it really much different?
I looked at the ingredients in the latest products from the top three cosmetic companies in terms of worldwide sales: L’Oreal, Proctor & Gamble and Unilever. The information was garnered directly from the company’s website or from the product label. Here’s what I learned.
L’Oreal
L’Oreal’s recently released Deep Set Wrinkle Repair is supposed to be a new formula. What’s different about it? Nothing, it contains exactly the same ingredients as those that were included in the 2009 formulation. Many of them are on our Blacklist of 101 … Read Full Article
Top 10 Safe and Effective Skin Care Ingredients
Monday, September 5th, 2011
When it comes to skincare products, the safest ingredients are also the most effective. Companies choose not to use them, because synthetic ingredients are cheaper. While there are many good ingredients derived from nature, the following are the top 10, because of all the benefits accompanied by their use.
Shea Butter
Shea butter is good for inflammatory conditions such as dermatitis and eczema. A recent analysis conducted in Japan showed that the nutrients found in Shea butter are natural anti-inflammatories. The researchers also described the nutrients as “anti-tumor promoting compounds”. So, the use of Shea butter on the skin could reduce your risk of skin cancer and help prevent or reverse wrinkles. … Read Full Article
The Blacklist – 101 Skin Care Ingredients That May Kill You Over Time
Monday, August 15th, 2011
The ingredients in the skincare products you use every day may be killing you. Scientists, researchers, authors and public safety advocates have been trying to inform people for years.
In some cases, they have fought to have products removed from the market, but the government continues to side with the cosmetic industry. The industry has always tried to cover-up what is actually included in their products.
They list the ingredients on the package label, but the list is incomplete. They are not required to reveal the chemicals used to create the fragrances or those used in the manufacturing processes.
Most chemical fragrances are composed of aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known or probable … Read Full Article
Collagen Face Cream Has No Anti Aging Effects
Monday, February 7th, 2011
A collagen face cream is no more effective than petroleum jelly. The most it can do is improve the skin’s moisture content by helping to prevent moisture loss. It is not actually a moisturizer, neither is petroleum jelly.
Supposedly, Marilyn Monroe applied petroleum jelly to her face every night before going to bed. There is a fairly popular myth that applying petroleum jelly nightly will prevent wrinkles. The opposite is actually true.
While petroleum jelly would help to lock moisture in the skin after a shower, it will eventually cause excessive dryness, because it repels moisture. Petrolatum and mineral oil are the same things. Check your face creams and body lotions for … Read Full Article
Hydrolyzed Collagen in Anti Aging Skin Care Products
Monday, January 17th, 2011
Hydrolyzed collagen is an ingredient commonly found in anti-aging facial creams and body lotions. Cosmetic companies continue to include the ingredient and make numerous claims concerning the benefits. Problem is there are no proven benefits.
Collagens are simple proteins made up of only a few amino acids. In the human body, they are classified as “structural” proteins, meaning they are used by the body to create various structures.
The proteins are abundant in young, healthy firm human skin. Along with the protein elastin, they make up the skin’s elastic fibers. It is the elastic fibers that allow the skin to snap back into shape after being stretched out.
The fibers can be … Read Full Article
Hyaluronic Acid the Most Popular Anti Aging Compound
Saturday, December 18th, 2010
Hyaluronic acid is also called hyaluronan or hyaluronate. According to recent reports, it has become the most popular anti-aging ingredient. But does it work? You will learn all about the ingredient and whether or not it works here in this article.
Hyaluronan is a natural compound composed of glucose and amino acids. Until recent years, scientists often referred to it as “goo”, because they really didn’t know what else to call it.
The compound is unique in many ways. It is produced by the cellular membranes, rather than the Golgi apparatus within the cells. The cells produce about 5 grams of the goo per day.
There are about 15 total grams of … Read Full Article
Pro Collagen Cream – The Latest in Natural Skin Care
Monday, December 13th, 2010
The myth that a collagen cream can improve your skin’s health or reduce wrinkles has been debunked by numerous experts. The creams have been around for years and most people know they don’t work. The latest things are the pro-collagen creams.
Pro-collagen creams stimulate the production of new cells and elastic fibers. Some of those cells will produce pro-collagen molecules, which means that the levels of the protein in the skin should increase. The benefits should include thicker, firmer and smoother skin.
A variety of compounds are used in the pro-collagen creams. The benefits of the finished moisturizers depend on the concentration of active ingredients and the inclusion of cheap fillers or … Read Full Article
Stop Animal Testing by Choosing Natural Skin Care Products
Monday, November 22nd, 2010
Animal testing regulations vary from one country to the next. The use of animals to test cosmetic ingredients is about to be banned completely in the European Union.
One of the biggest cosmetic companies in the world is located in France. The company has protested the ban.
The ban will not affect companies that manufacture drugs. Some cosmetic ingredients are also considered drugs. Examples include some of the anti-wrinkle preparations.
Each batch of Botox is still tested extensively on animals. Botox is a de-activated form of botulism toxin. There have been instances in the US where the injections were found to contain the live virus. People have ended up in the hospital … Read Full Article
Affordable Skin Care That is Endorsed by Celebrities?
Monday, November 15th, 2010
Affordable skincare products being endorsed by celebrities…can that be true? Celebrity-endorsed items usually cost more than they should. Here’s how to get the best price on high quality cosmetics.
Another celebrity introducing her own line of cosmetics inspired this article. This time, the celebrity is a famous daughter, boxer and singer who will remain nameless. She is a beautiful woman, but that does not qualify her to develop effective skin care products or judge the safety of existing ones.
It all seems to start with the fragrances. Everyone likes to smell nice, but the average woman uses about a dozen different health and beauty aids every day. Each one of them usually … Read Full Article
Professional Prescription Skincare Products Aren’t Better Than Natural Alternatives
Monday, November 1st, 2010
Professional skincare products are not necessarily any better than those sold solely to consumers. My sister recently received a cream from a dermatologist and was told to apply it three times a day to a burn. When she read the label, she saw that the primary ingredient was petroleum jelly.
Dermatologists should be well aware that petroleum jelly provides no healing benefits. Researchers proved that many years ago to force manufacturers to stop making outrageous claims. When it was first introduced, it was hailed as some sort of miracle cure.
Scientists worked hard to prove that petroleum jelly does not help heal burns. In fact, the opposite is true. Burns take longer … Read Full Article
3 Key Ingredients in Effective Anti Aging Skincare
Sunday, October 17th, 2010
Anti aging skincare treatments are all the rage, despite the fact that most of them do not provide a visible improvement. Independent consumer research groups tested a number of the popular products and were able to measure no more than a 10% reduction in wrinkle depth, which is basically invisible.
It could be that they didn’t test the products for long enough. Some take three months or more to provide maximum results. Or it could simply be that they did not test the right products.
Some ingredients are truly effective for reversing sun damage and wrinkles. They can improve the skin’s softness and firmness, while improving moisture content. Cosmetic company R&D teams … Read Full Article
Sensitive Skin? Here’s How to Choose the Right Skin Care Product
Thursday, September 23rd, 2010
Having sensitive skin can make buying skincare products challenging. Most contain allergens and irritants. You have to know which ingredients to avoid and always read the label carefully before you buy a product.
It also helps to know which ingredients are “anti-irritants”. You’ll learn about those things here.
Sensitivities may occur immediately after using a product or after the product is used for several days in a row. In some cases, the skin’s surface becomes sensitized to an ingredient after years of use.
Hypo-allergenic formulas are sometimes a good choice. But, that’s not always true. Labeling a product as hypo-allergenic simply means it is less likely to cause allergic reactions than the … Read Full Article
Natural Skincare Fights Aging AND Supports Skin Health
Monday, September 20th, 2010
By definition, natural skincare is caring for the skin using only naturally-derived ingredients. As the largest organ of the body, the skin’s health is an important subject. But, it is one that is often overlooked.
We often neglect our skin’s health. We use harsh cleansers and shower too often. We fail to moisturize and forget to wear sun block. We use perfumes and cosmetics containing allergens, irritants and toxins.
The cosmetic industry helped to change the way that we think about caring for the skin. Since the 1930’s, the companies have focused more on immediately improving the skin’s appearance. Caring for the skin’s health was an afterthought, if it was even a … Read Full Article
Understanding Why Skin Care Products Should Be Paraben Free
Tuesday, August 31st, 2010Paraben free products have been around forever, but have only gained attention in recent years. In 2004, researchers announced that parabens had been found in high concentrations in breast cancer tumors. Attempts to explain the significance of those findings are still ongoing.
The chemicals are used as preservatives. While there are a few naturally occurring parabens, they are not used commercially. All of the parabens found in personal care products, foods and other commercial goods are created synthetically.
A number of different companies produce the chemicals. The process is relatively simple. Para-hydroxybenzoic acid is combined with one or more types of alcohol to create them. Those compounds are synthesized from other chemicals. … Read Full Article
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