Cosmetics That Can Harm Your Skin
With so many campaigns
touting the benefits if organic and natural products, many cosmetic
manufacturers are also getting into the healthy for you' bandwagon. They would
mark their labels as "natural" or "organic" even if they are only using very
little of such ingredients in their product.
As a smart shopper and
an advocate of good, healthy skin, it is then important to steer clear of
harmful ingredients in the products that we use on our skin, especially on our
face. And there's no better way to protect ourselves but to start reading the
labels.
Here's a short list or
nasty chemicals that may be found on your cosmetics.
· Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde is a preservative often found in
shampoos and sometimes in nail polish, nail hardeners and other cosmetics. Also
known as a disinfectant, it is said to be a carcinogen and commonly associated
with severe allergic reactions.
· Imidazolidinyl Urea
Imidazolidinyl Urea is another known
preservative that is commonly associated with severe skin reactions.
· Isopropyl alcohol
Isopropyl alcohol is an anti-bacterial agent
derived from petroleum. Sometimes, it's also used as an anti-freeze.
· Fragrance
Hmmm… love that smell! Should you buy it?
It's always easier to pick nice-smelling
cosmetics over unscented ones. But watch out; artificial fragrances can be made
up of various chemicals that are not listed separately. Instead of buying such
products, go for those labeled as "natural fragrance" or those with perfumes
from natural oils.
· Methyl Paraben
Methyl Paraben is a widely-used additive also
known to cause skin irritation. This may also include butyl, ehtyl and propyl
paraben.
· Methylisothiazolinone
Methylisothiazolinone is another chemical
used as a preservative notorious for causing allergic reactions and skin
irritation.
· Paraffin
Paraffin is an additive derived from
petroleum or coal. It is used in cold creams, hair removers, eyebrow pencils and
other cosmetics.
· Propylene glycol
Propylene glycol is usually derived from
petroleum, but may also be obtained from vegetable glycerin. It's a solvent used
for texture and stability or as a moisture-carrying agent in cosmetics.
It's
also known to cause allergies. Though it's often found in cosmetics, it can also
be found in brake fluid and anti-freeze. Yes, what you are using on your face
maybe what you are also using on your car.
· Sodium lauryl sulphate
Remember how you've been warned about certain
soaps that are too strong like detergents? Sodium lauryl sulphate is a kind of
detergent found in certain cosmetics that can cause your skin to be dry and in
some cases, even cause skin irritation.
· Nitrosamines
The strange thing about this additive is that
it's from two otherwise safe ingredients. These are nitrous acid and amines.
Combined, it's readily absorbed into the skin and it becomes
highly-carcinogenic.
Now that you know what
to stay away from, here's a quick list of what you should be looking for. These
are alternatives that can be used instead of all those artificial preservatives:
- Grapefruit seed
extract phenoxyethano
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