Beauty Ingredients You Should Avoid?

 

When you look at the back of that cleanser, the list of ingredients can be a little daunting. Long words you can't pronounce and even numbers start to swarm around your head...and then you see it...that ingredient. Didn't your cousin's best friend's sister tell you that that ingredient could give you cancer?! This situation is all too common. All of the beauty editors in magazines and talk shows want to make interesting beauty segments and "expose" the big bad cosmetics companies. Then your skin therapist or dermatologist prescribes it to you, so what is the deal? This is a situation in which we want to focus on something called TOXICITY reports.

There has been a boom in guests who experience some sort of sensitivity of the skin in our esthetician's and dermatologists offices. Determining what causes the sensitivities are our jobs as professionals but what's becoming a more common variable are the types of ingredients being used in people's every day products. In these situations, we are going to be looking for IRRITATION/ALLERGY reports or even if there are any PRECAUTIONARY instructions included with the products being used.

Finally, you are thrown all of these "super star" ingredients. Everyone jumps on the bandwagon! You stockpile your drawers and practically buy stock in the company that produces products containing them. However, a study comes out a month or two later saying that there was no scientific evidence that supports that it does stack up to it's claims.  This would fall into reports regarding INEFFECTIVENESS.

So these are the points you want to look for when you're choosing skincare, cosmetic products, etc.

• Toxicity
• Irritant
• Precautionary
• Ineffective 

Toxicity warnings can tell you the degree to which something is poisonous. Studies carried out can be using a certain percentage of ingredient, over a certain time. The question on whether how these studies are carried out could affect the results.
Irritant warnings report substances that can cause inflammation or other discomfort in the body. This may be for a select few, may not include all consumers.
Precautionary warnings are going to be instructions to be followed while using products.
And ineffective reports reveal that ingredients or products do not produce significant or desired results.

Unfortunately, you have to do your own research or understand where the advice is coming from. It's kind of like saying this big TV personality swears up and down on this diet and low and behold...they announce they have a book deal about the diet or are the face of the company who facilitates it! Or the newest and greatest supplement that has been "discovered" which we so conveniently carry in our store! Haha! It's good to have resources but just make sure you have don't have rose-colored glasses on.

Here's an example of one of the lists that I've stumbed on: (bold is cited from Dr. Oz, italicized is my commentary)

• Fragrances (irritant, can cause inflammation and sensitivities in the skin)
• Imidazolidinyl urea and diazolidinyl urea (possible toxicity challenge- preservative that is formaldehyde-releasing, although not a large amount- suggested not to be used on infant. Dr. Oz says can alter the DNA of cells. )
• Sodium lauryl sulfate (surfactant or detergent, used largely in skin cleansers/shampoos. Considered to be an irritant SAID to cause cancer but NO link has been cited)
• Mineral oil *(precautionary, it can't be used in conjunction with a comedogenic product or it will trap said product in the pores. Otherwise, there's no data saying that it clogs pores.)
• MEA (monoethanolamine) & TEA (triethanolamine) (there are some studies that show levels of toxicity although deemed safe by the DEA, normally used as pH adjusters in products)
• DMAE (dimethylaminoethanol ) (possible ineffective/could be damaging,  skin firming antioxidant. In the book, Dr. Oz states that it causes 'cell damage and swelling' and that it's temporary. In in vitro studies, it's said could cause celltoxicity)

says Dr. Mehmet C. Oz, M.D. (aka Dr. Oz) referenced from his book YOU: Being Beautiful (2008)

Obviously, this was a little while ago.  (Now Dr. Oz has Dr. Perricone PROMOTING DMAE, funny huh?) I've done my research on all of the ingredients listed. I've done the Cosmetic Cop (Paula Begeoun) and I've done my Futurederm.com. I finally went to my EWG website! This last website is amazing! It's brought to you by the Environmental Working Group and this organization thoroughly inspects ingredients and products and "grades" them on their potential hazards to consumers that use them. 0-2 being low hazard, 3-6 moderate hazard, and 7-10 high hazard. Check it out :http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/

In my research, other ingredients said to be avoided are displayed in this infograph (click to enlarge)

Here are also some more links should you be the avid researcher as I am!
http://www.madefromearth.com/content/harmful-ingredients-skincare-products.html
http://www.futurederm.com/2007/12/21/is-mineral-oil-really-bad-for-your-skin/
http://www.rebootwithjoe.com/9-skin-care-ingredients-to-avoid/


One thing I've learned while researching these ingredients and the millions that are claimed that you should leave out of your regimen- YOU make your exducated decisions. Just like I stated in the my organic skin care post, you can make the decision on what you put onto/into your body. Whether you want to go on what side of the spectrum or only avoid certain things...that's your choice. Just know what the claims are and where they come from. That being said...I think I might rethink what a particular Dr. on TV says...what about you?

 

The Rage Over Organic

Nowadays, you have people standing in the aisle of their stores looking at the ingredients of everything. 'Natural' and 'organic' are plastered all over the front of the fronts of skin care, makeup, hair products. This is understandable because medical professionals are saying that what we put on the skin can be more dangerous than eating or drinking them. This is because substances that we ingest are broken down and filtered by our stomach, intestines, liver, and kidneys, whereas products that are absorbed by our skin go straight into the bloodstream. So since many of the ingredients in our skin products are getting more and more foreign to us, we might be at risk. Therefore, the safer thing to do is go the more natural route. (PRO!)

What is organic?
First and foremost, there is NO definition in the cosmetics universe for what "organic" means. If we were to be frank, the real definition of organic means, "was once living or contains carbon".
The FDA doesn't really regulate products that claim to use organic ingredients but if they claim to be 100% organic, they will follow the USDA's guidelines for labeling. So let's think about this...arsenic is organic and that's just one example! There are also plants that can be irritating to the skin when applied topically. So, organic isn't always the way to go. (CON!)

A lot of natural fruits that can be used in skincare contain antioxidants, however,  and are beneficial to the skin if used topically. Just like toxic substances are absorbed through the skin into the blood stream, so are the beneficial products placed onto the skin! Antioxidant's rock and fight free radicals which can be a cause for signs of aging. (PRO!) That being said, antioxidant rich ingredients are sometimes used as the preservative for helping defend the concoction from bacteria and degradation....but just like the fruits and veggies you get fresh at the market, these products will start to eventually spoil. This means that the shelf life is very short so you have to use them quickly. Short shelf life = spending money frequently on these products (CON!) But that's really up to you.

Are organic products just as good?
We have celebrities and celebutantes gush over their organic products and advocate for a "chemical free" regimen but they still go under the knife. So what's giving them their look, the organic skin care line or their face lift? An example would be sunscreen. The best form of sunscreen is going to be with physical sunscreen ingredients, which are inorganic. (CON!) As we've learned, physical is more effective in protecting us from UV and in return, keeping our skin safe from harm and aging symptoms. Here's what an article has to say,

"Sunscreen is a vital component to any skin care regimen, yet any product that's certified organic must contain at least 70 percent organically produced ingredients. That means any sunscreen labeled organic doesn't contain enough of the necessary active ingredients to protect you from the sun. Organic cosmetics manufacturers know this too; honest ones make a point of noting that their sunscreen products cannot be certified organic, but less scrupulous companies mix up a cocktail of organic oils and imply that the product is useful for sun protection while failing to tell consumers the SPF level the oil contains."

Find more from that article here .

How do we know what's best?
Beauty Brains is a really interesting resource that comprises of savvy scientists that dedicate their work to helping consumers steer clear of false advertising and not wasting money on expensive products that don't work. Beauty Brains in their Money Saving Cosmetics Reports has a term that they call "greenwashing" where advertisers will say that it's ingredients are natural or organic, however when you look at the ingredients listed, they are only can be created in a lab!If a product says "used with 100% organic ingredients" that means that some of the ingredients may be organic but that the product may still contain synthetic ingredients! GOTCHA! So be aware of this! Check your ingredients! Paula Begoun has an awesome website with an ingredient dictionary that's really extensive- www.paualschoice.com.

If you are environmentally conscious though, organic skin care lines are usually just as green as their consumers. So if you are adamant about helping reduce your carbon footprint and being a friend to mother earth then an organic product line may help you! Not only that but sometimes they are actually linked with organizations that help with their community or for those in need. (definitely a PRO!)

Another wonderful resource that is my new found favorite is FutureDerm.com, again, another site dedicated to what's REALLY going on with your skin and the products you're using! (Here's their article)

Bottom line, you shouldn't think that the cosmetics industry is out to get you but it's still good to be aware. While organic ingredients and products are good for you, sometimes they aren't as results driven as ingredients manufactured or recreated in labs. You don't have to be all or nothing but if you are then make sure you know your sources

Need more nerdy research? Check out Kimberly Snyder, one of my favorite bloggers and nutritionist! She's awesome, love her.
NOW!

Want a list of organic skin care lines? Here is the USDA website that has organic skin care companies information. Below is a list of USDA Certified Organic Skincare companies;

• Badger Balm www.badgerbalm.com
• Beeceuticals Organics www.beeceuticals.com
• Dr. Bronner www.drbronner.com
• Earth Mama Angel Baby Organics www.earthmamaangelbaby.com
• Intelligent Nutrients www.intelligentnutrients.com 
• Lotus Cosmetics USA www.LotusCosmeticsUSA.com
• Motherlove Herbal Company www.motherlove.com
• Planet Organics www.planetorganics.com
• Trillium organics