Skin Care Industry
« Previous EntriesUnderstanding 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. One is Triethylamine.
Some of the adverse health effects of these chemicals are well known. For example, Triethylamine I known to cause swelling of the cornea, the clear membrane that covers the eye. Irritation of the lungs and nasal passages occurs when the substance is inhaled on a frequent basis. In animal studies, the chemical has been shown to cause liver, kidney and heart damage.
Most people use shampoo, body wash, perfume, deodorant, lotion and similar products on a daily basis. Unless they are all paraben free, they are exposed to Triethylamine on a daily basis from many different products.
Parabens have been widely accepted as safe and non-toxic. Animal studies have provided the basis for this belief. But the metabolism of a rat is quite different from that of a human.
The rat’s metabolism quickly metabolizes toxins disposes of them as waste. Toxins are known to accumulate in human organs and tissues. So, it should really come as no surprise that “safe” parabens were found in breast cancer tumors.
We might not know everything there is to know about the need for paraben free products. But there are some things we do know.
Parabens are common allergens. The allergic reaction caused in people with sensitive skin is not as severe as that caused by other artificial preservatives, but there is a reaction.
People can become more sensitive to the chemicals as time goes by. If products containing them are used on broken or damaged skin, there is a greater risk of adverse reaction, which usually includes burning, itching and irritation. This is the reason for the product advisement; not to be used on broken or damaged skin.
People with a history of food allergies are advised to buy only paraben free foods. The allergic reactions caused by ingesting the chemicals are believed by some experts to be greater than those caused by applying them to the skin’s surface. Some researchers disagree with that.
Allergic reactions are acute. They happen quickly and suddenly. They often resolve on their own very quickly. There is more concern about chronic or long-term health effects, which are not immediately apparent and often cannot be traced to a single cause.
The parabens found in the tumors are known to be the ones commonly found in antiperspirants and other skincare products. That is something the scientists know. So they were absorbed through the skin and not ingested through eating.
The best suggestion is to always shop for paraben free products. There is no reason to buy products containing them. Safe and natural alternatives are available now, just as they have always been.
Natural Skincare Creates Firm, Smooth & Beautiful Skin!
Sunday, August 15th, 2010
What you need in order to be successful in firming and smoothing your skin are all natural skincare anti aging products. These are the formulas that will address the issues behind why lines and wrinkle form, and why skin slackening occurs.
The troubling thing is that there is only a small number of anti aging skin care formulas that are truly all natural, and just a handful of these have the ingredients you need.
Most skin care formulas are made up of ingredients very low in quality, and these compounds are more than likely developed through the use of chemicals.
The cosmetics industry is crazy about the use of synthetics as ingredients, and much of this has to do with the low cost of the chemical compounds being used. Chemicals in cosmetic products pose a very serious health risk to the user.
This is especially true if the person uses products developed using chemical compounds for a number of years.
Natural skincare compounds are either wholly used by the body for the purpose intended, or they are partially used and the remainder of the substance excreted from the body. Your body cannot process chemical compounds the way it does organic substances, so the chemicals simply build up in your soft tissue.
There are more than 4,000 individual chemicals commonly used by the developers of anti aging skin care products, and other cosmetic formulas.
The cosmetic industry generally tries to conceal the fact that a great many of these chemicals have been branded toxic or carcinogenic due to the results of scientific studies. One cannot allow these substances to accumulate inside them, and expect to remain healthy for very long.
You must make it your mission to seek out only those formulas that truly qualify as natural skincare products, but you also must look for certain ingredients even among these creams and lotions.
All organic compounds will provide you with the antioxidants you need for reducing the effect free radicals have on the skin. Only a few select ingredients do what is necessary in order to reverse the effects of tissue and polymer loss.
Before I explain to you what it is you need to look for I need to make one thing very clear, and it is that natural skincare formulas featuring collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid won’t help you.
The cosmetic companies have made billions of dollars from the fact that the majority of consumers don’t know that these three substances cannot be absorbed. They are far too dense, and cannot be broken down to make them more readily absorbable.
A combination of the protein complex/enzyme fusion Cynergy TK and specially developed coenzyme Q10 compound Nano-Lipobelle H EQ10 will spark a tremendous increase in natural collagen and elastin production.
To shield your tissues and polymer from the destructive force of enzyme groups you need Phytessence Wakame kelp extract and grape seed oil. These compounds keep the collagenase, elastase, and hyaluronidase enzymes at bay.
These are the ingredients that a natural skincare formula needs in order to be effective, and you would be wise to take advantage of what these powerful compounds have to offer.
Over the Counter Wrinkle Remedies – Sorting Through the Latest Fads
Monday, July 12th, 2010
Over the counter wrinkle remedies may contain a number of ingredients or only one. Hyaluronic acid has become a popular choice for creams and lotions, but doctors say that it does nothing when applied topically. The reason for its inclusion in cosmetics has nothing to do with its effectiveness.
Hyaluronic acid, collagen, elastin and an assortment of synthetic fillers will stretch out wrinkles when they are injected into the deepest of the skin’s layers. The injections are widely advertised. They have different brand names. You have probably heard some of them.
They are available at day spas, dermatologist’s offices and from cosmetic surgeons. They range in price from $400 to $1000 per shot. The immediate effects may wear off in as little as three months. The effects provided by the so-called “collagen boosters” will not appear for several months.
So, if your goal is to look great for your daughter’s wedding, then a hyaluronic acid injection might be a good choice. It is less likely to form hardened nodules under the skin’s surface. It can easily be dissolved with another injection if you don’t like the results. But, if you are looking for effective rub-on wrinkle remedies, it won’t do a thing.
You might say that cosmetic manufacturers are riding the coattails of the injection’s popularity. The companies did the same thing when collagen injections were the “in” thing. They use advertising claims like “safe Botox alternative” or “no needle cure for wrinkles”. The truth is that none of these solutions are cures.
Some creams and lotions are beneficial as long as you use them on a regular basis. Using the term “cure” leads people to believe that you can use it once and never have to bother with it again.
There are effective topical wrinkle remedies, but they must be used on a daily basis for three weeks to three months before you see optimum results. Optimum in this sense means that you might notice some improvement early on, but you will see even more as time goes by.
If you stop using the cream, lotion or gel, the benefits will fade away. It’s kind of like staying out of the sun.
Dermatologists say that if you protect your face from the sun consistently for six months, you will look five years younger. Your skin will look smoother and more even-toned. But, a day at the beach will redo the damage.
Topically applied wrinkle remedies containing collagen or hyaluronic acid are a waste of money, because the molecules are too large to penetrate the skin’s surface. It is true that the skin’s collagen and hyaluronic acid content decreases with age, but that issue cannot be addressed by using a cream or lotion containing them. The key is to protect what is present or stimulate the production of more.
Wakame kelp extract is an ingredient known to prevent the skin’s hyaluronic acid levels from becoming depleted. Functional Keratin is known to stimulate collagen production. Some of the more advanced over-the-counter wrinkle remedies contain both of those ingredients. That’s the kind of remedy to look for.
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