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. 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.
Anti Aging Natural Skin Care with Wakame Kelp Extract
Tuesday, August 24th, 2010
Here’s a look at some of the more effective anti aging natural skin care solutions. There are plenty of “marginally” effective ingredients. The ones covered here are a little better than that. Let’s start with wakame kelp.
Wakame kelp or seaweed is highly nutritious. So it is often used as a component of many health food recipes. The benefits to the skin’s health are several. The first benefit has to do with a compound called hyaluronic acid.
If you have compared any of the ingredients in the anti aging natural skin care products currently on the market, you have probably seen one called hyaluronic acid. It is one of the most popular ingredients right now.
The popularity is due in part to the compound’s use as an injectable to stretch out wrinkles and fine lines. Hyaluronic acid and other compounds are injected into the skin’s fatty tissue layer to improve firmness and reduce wrinkling. When applied topically, however, it does nothing.
Another reason for its popularity has to do with the following fact: The skin’s hyaluronic acid levels decline with age.
This is one of the causes of the lost elasticity and lost firmness that occurs with age. Lost firmness leads to wrinkles. Once again, applying it to the skin’s surface does nothing to increase the skin’s hyaluronic acid content.
Scientists have discovered the reason for the decreased levels as we age. It is due to increased activity of a family of enzymes called hyaluronidaise. They naturally break down hyaluronic acid. When we are young, the body simply produces more. So there is a balance.
Extracts from wakame kelp have been shown to inhibit the activity of hyaluronidaise by 52% after 5 days of use. That means the skin’s hyaluronic acid levels will rise by about the same percentage. The result is a more youthful look due to the improved firmness and smoothness.
Anti aging natural skin care products containing the extract will also help protect against free radical damage caused by UV rays and exposure to environmental pollutants. The compound in the extract providing that benefit is called sulfated polyfucose.
Finally, wakame kelp extracts help to maintain the skin’s moisture balance by providing essential minerals like sodium, potassium and calcium. Kelp actually contains more calcium than an equivalent serving of milk.
Every anti aging natural skin care product should contain wakame kelp extracts, but most don’t. A lot of them contain seaweed or marine algae. But not all seaweeds provide the same benefits.
Briefly now, let’s look at grape seed oil. Grape seeds contain numerous antioxidants. The skin’s antioxidant content also decreases with age.
Some antioxidants can penetrate through the skin’s layers when applied topically. Others should be present in your diet. Dermatologists recommend eating more fruits and vegetables to help counter antioxidant loss.
Free radical damage is one of the main causes of cellular aging everywhere in the body; inside and out. Our only defense against free radical damage is the antioxidant.
The antioxidants in grape seed oil can penetrate into the skin’s layers. So that makes two ingredients that should be in all anti aging natural skin care creams, grape seed oil and wakame kelp. You might want to learn about some of the others.
To find natural skin care products with wakame kelp extract and grapeseed oil click here.
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.
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