Deceitful Cosmetics That Can Harm Your Skin
Go Natural! 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: - Ascorbic acid or Vitamin C
- Grapefruit seed extract phenoxyethanol
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