Spotting Problem Skin Care Products 

Saturday, August 8th, 2009 at 6:45 pm

Science has come a long way in skin care products. Cosmetic and beauty testing is an intriguing arena because so much folkloric knowledge is relevant. As a result, it can be difficult to determine just what works and what doesn’t work. The finest skin care products use science, technology, testing and conventional wisdom to develop effective products. However, many unethical skin care creators simply take advantage of people’s willingness to believe that a product should work because it has a good name or says that it is “natural” on the label. Usually, many “natural” skin care products are anything but. Actually, some of these skin care products may cause serious and chronic skin problems. Here are some things you need to look for that can create big problems when it comes to your skin care routine:

* Look for concentrations - Some products contain extremely high concentrations of natural compounds that aren’t very good for you. For instance, high concentrations of bismuth are not at all good makeup. Bismuth is a mineral which is arguably natural. However, it must undergo lots of chemical processing to achieve a cosmetic form. This processing may cause allergic reactions in many people.

* Always look out for artificial colors - Deeply dyed products often contain lots of artificial colors. Plus they may need extra chemicals to maintain the color and the freshness of the skin care products. Many people group artificial colors and fragrances together. In reality, however, artificial fragrances are less of an issue because they are quite derived from natural extracts and then chemically processed. They come in low concentrations and are often not major allergens. (There are, of course, exceptions to this.) However, Bright blues and yellows usually indicate serious levels of preservatives and chemical dyes.

* What is the size of your mineral makeup powder - If your mineral makeup boasts that it has microscopic particles, back off. While mineral makeup is great for your skin, it is not necessarily ideal within. Microscopic particles (nanoparticles) may be absorbed by your skin. This can result in unpleasant allergic reactions. Additionally, mineral makeup has not been tested for the effects of epidermal absorption. Because of this there is not a lot of information about the long term effects of this type of unintended absorption. Mineral makeup with regular sized particles cannot be absorbed like this.

Skin care products come in many shapes and fashions. Everyone has their own personal favorites. You shouldn’t let this cloud your judgment about the quality of your skin care products. Make sure that your skin care product regimen is truly the best for you and always keep an eye out for the fakes.