Natural Skin Care » Skin Health

Top 10 Most Toxic Skin Care Ingredients

vrosenbaum — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 19:17:19 +0000

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

vrosenbaum — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 13:15:34 +0000

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

vrosenbaum — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 19:48:03 +0000

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

vrosenbaum — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 13:17:23 +0000

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

The Secret to Keeping Naturally Radiant Skin

vrosenbaum — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 13:37:49 +0000

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?

vrosenbaum — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 13:43:38 +0000

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

vrosenbaum — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 14:17:55 +0000

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

Collagen Face Cream Has No Anti Aging Effects

vrosenbaum — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 14:06:59 +0000

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

Anti Aging Skin Care Lotions

vrosenbaum — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 12:47:59 +0000

The results of a new study about anti aging skin care lotions were recently published. The researchers were looking primarily at the UVA protection provided by the products, but there was more to learn from their findings.

The researchers declined to mention the brand names of any of the products they tested. What we do know is that all of them had an SPF rating on the label.

SPF stands for sunburn protection factor. The higher the number, the better, when it comes to preventing a burn, but burns are not all we have to worry about.

The researchers tested products that ranged in price from $1.88 per ounce to $64.71 per … Read Full Article

Choosing Natural Skin Care for the Health of the Environment

vrosenbaum — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 14:05:08 +0000

Natural skin care products are the green alternative. Most people choose them because they are better for their health. They are also better for the health of the environment for many different reasons.

There are many different reasons because there are many different chemicals. Let’s start with petrochemicals.

Petrochemicals are petroleum derivatives. Our reliance on them over the last few decades has caused them to become common air and water pollutants. The factories that produce them produce CO2 and other climate changing compounds.

Propylene glycol, ethylene oxide, sunscreens called oxybenzone and benzophenone, isopropyl alcohol and ethanol are some of the petrochemicals commonly found in cosmetics and personal care products of all kinds.… Read Full Article