Skin Care 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
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
Tips on Nurturing Silky Soft Skin
Thursday, August 4th, 2011
When you ask around about how to get soft skin, the first thing people will suggest is a moisturizer. Some might get technical and suggest an emollient. Here you will learn what those words mean and you’ll get some advice about softening.
Moisturizers and emollients are sometimes thought of as the same things. Technically, they are a little bit different.
Emollients are substances that actually soften and soothe. Often emollients have moisturizing effects as well.
Several mechanisms of action are attributed to emollients. They may work by the process of occlusion; act as a humectant or as a lubricant.
When it comes to the skin’s health and protection, the process of occlusion … Read Full Article
Tips on How to Cover Wrinkles with Make Up
Thursday, June 9th, 2011
Here are a few make-up tips that will help you cover wrinkles and have a more youthful appearance regardless of your age. You will also learn about the value of a good facial moisturizer. Using a moisturizer could be more important than you think.
Let’s start with your eyes. By focusing on your eyes, you can draw attention away from problem areas. If you have dark circles, you can use three dots of concealer to hide them. Your concealer should be a shade lighter than your foundation.
You can use your fingertips to blend in the concealer, but you should never rub. Constant rubbing pulls and damages this thin area of skin.… Read Full Article
The Secret to Keeping Naturally Radiant Skin
Monday, April 18th, 2011
What’s the secret to keeping natural radiant skin as you age? That depends on who you ask. The experts don’t seem to agree on much of anything, except that they are right.
It seems to me that a lot of the recommendations have to do with the expert’s specialty. In a recent article, a doctor who specializes in prescribing bio-identical hormones for menopausal women said that the causes of the visible signs of aging are low estrogen levels and environmental factors.
That’s interesting, because dermatologists released a report last year saying that the primary cause was something different. They found that there are more free radicals in older skin and that fewer … Read Full Article
What Vitamins are Good for Skin Problems?
Tuesday, April 5th, 2011
The basic vitamins for skin problems are A, C and E. But before you start taking a supplement or buy a cream containing them, read this article. The advice could keep you from making the problem worse.
The benefits of A and E for the skin’s health are not well understood. The benefits of C are well known. So, let’s start with that.
Vitamin C or ascorbic acid is a necessary cofactor for the body to produce strong collagen fibers. You may have heard of collagen. It is one of the things responsible for the skin’s elasticity, firmness and color.
As we age, collagen production slows down naturally. During our youth, our … Read Full Article
How to Heal Damaged Skin Naturally
Friday, March 4th, 2011
A great deal of research has been conducted about how to heal damaged skin. To speed healing is a major goal, because damage to the skin, our natural barrier, can allow pathogens to enter the bloodstream and cause a widespread infection. Here’s what we know about the subject.
There are many kinds of damage. Cuts, nicks, abrasions and burns are among the most common. Allergies or sensitivities can cause rashes to appear. Damage can come from squeezing pimples or picking at them. The skin’s dermis layer can become torn due to sudden weight gain or hormone use and leave behind visible stretch marks.
Those are just some of the types of damage … Read Full Article
Firming Aged Skin by Boosting Skin’s Collagen Content
Friday, February 18th, 2011
Firming aged skin can be difficult because of a lack of collagen. Here you will learn about the role played by the simple protein and what you can do to increase your skin’s collagen content.
Collagen is a major component of the skin’s elastic fibers. The fibers give your skin the ability to “snap back” into place after a pinch or stretch. The fibers are located in the skin’s dermis layer.
Soluble collagen is also found in the skin’s epidermis, the outermost layer. There is serves to make your skin’s appearance less translucent. You can’t see through it.
The body produces collagen through a complicated process that took scientists decades to unravel. … 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
Anti Aging Moisturizers Complemented by Diet
Sunday, January 2nd, 2011
The most effective anti aging moisturizers on the market today contain tiny particles of the antioxidant Coenzyme Q10. You’ll learn about that ingredient in this article, but I thought you might also be interested in the benefits of an anti-aging diet.
In order to produce new skin cells and fibers, your body needs nutrients. The necessary nutrients include the amino acids found in protein.
The skin’s cells and fibers are actually made of simple structural proteins containing only a few amino acids. The better anti aging moisturizers contain one of those structural proteins. It’s called keratin.
The recommended dietary intake of protein varies depending on whether or not you are trying … 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
Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Review
Monday, December 6th, 2010
Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer comes in a variety of colors. Each has an SPF rating of 20. Is the use of this tinted moisturizer a good idea? Let’s discuss.
According to the cosmetics database of the Environmental Working Group, there are concerns about the safety of the ingredients. EWG rates cosmetic products from 0-10. 0s are given to products containing non-hazardous ingredients. 10s are given to products that are highly hazardous.
The Group gives the regular moisturizing foundation a 5 or moderately hazardous. The illuminating moisturizing foundation gets a 4. That’s not bad, but it could be a lot better.
Some of the ingredients included in the products have been linked to … Read Full Article
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