How a great deal of of these cosmetic ingredients to keep away from may you find in your bathroom products? The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has little control over what’s in the skin care productions you use, therefore, the occupation falls on the judgement of the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel (CIR) to determine which ingredients are safe. (Yes, the skin care industry polices itself, wink-wink!) Therefore it’s up to you to dig, decipher, & determine which ingredients are bad. Sounds tough? It’s NOT. Keep in mind, you don’t have to keep out of the way of ALL the bad ingredients just the MAJOR ones, & here is a list of 10 & their ill effects to start out you off.

METHYL, PROPYL, BUTYL, & ETHYL PARABEN

Paraben is a PRESERVATIVE. They inhibit microbial growth thereby extending the product’s shelf life (unfortunately not the consumer’s life.) Look for them in shampoos, mercantile moisturizers, shaving gels, & toothpaste.

• eye, skin, respiratory tract botheration
• estrogenic/obstructs normal growth & development of a woman’s breasts, uterus, & ovaries
• carcinogenic

DIETHANOLAMINE (DEA), TRIETHANOLAMINE (TEA)

DEA & TEA are emulsifiers & foaming agents. This is where the LATHER in your soap comes from. They also adjust the product’s pH level to a weak base, commonly found in cleansers. TEA is listed underneath the Chemical Weapons Convention, as it may be used to develop nitrogen mustards (mustard gas) for chemical warfare. These chemicals are already restricted in Europe due to known carcinogenic effects.

• allergic reactions
• eye problems
• dryness of hair and skin
• carcinogenic, particularly to kidney and liver

DIAZOLIDINYL UREA, IMIDAZOLIDINYL UREA

Diazolidinyl Urea is an antimicrobial PRESERVATIVE similar to parabens. Two trade names for these chemicals are Germall II & Germall 115. Diazolidinyl Urea is also found in the commercially available preservative Germaben. Neither of the Germall chemicals are good anti-fungal agents & must be combined with other preservatives. Both substances release formaldehyde at over 50 degrees Fahrenheit, & formaldehyde is classified as a humane carcinogen by the Environmental Protection Agency. Disinfectants, insecticides, & embalming fluids carry formaldehyde.

• mucous membrane irritation
• dermatitis
• carcinogenic

SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE (SLS)

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is likewise a FOAMING agent like DEA & TEA. It is ofttimes concealed in so called “natural” & “organic” cosmetics with the words “derived from coconut oil” on the label. SLS is likewise employed in industrial merchandise including engine degreasers, floor cleaners, and car wash soaps. Sodium Laureth Sulphate (SLES) is the alcohol form of SLS. It is somewhat less irritating than SLS, but may cause more drying.

• eye irritation
• dermatitis
• hair loss
• scalp scurf/similar to dandruff
• labored breathing
• canker sores
• carcinogenic

PETROLATUM

Petrolatum, petroleum jelly, or “rod wax” was came upon in 1859 in Titusville, Pennsylvania on some of the country’s firstborn oil rigs. Workers disliked the material forming on rigs because it caused them to malfunction, but they employed it to heal cuts & burns. Petrolatum, notwithstanding has NO medicinal effect or any effect on the blistering process, nor is it absorbed by the skin. Its effectiveness lies in it is SEALING effect on cuts & burns, which inhibits germs from entering the wound & keeps the wound supple by preventing the skin’s moisture from evaporating. Lip balms with petrolatum will assert to protect the lips from sunburn & chapping, but the substance interferes with the body’s own natural moisturizing mechanism, thereby creating the very condition it claims to alleviate.

• nasal congestion or dryness
• chapped skin
• lipoid pneumonia/(if inhaled excessively from the nose)

PROPYLENE GLYCOL (PPG), POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL (PEG)

PPG & PEG is ordinarily made with grain alcohol mixed with vegetable glycerin, but a for less synthetic petrochemical mix is oftentimes used. Propylene Glycol is a HUMECTANT, a substance that retains the moisture content of skin or cosmetic productions by preventing the escape of moisture or water. Look for it in antifreeze, spray-on oven cleaners, & automatic brake fluids.

• hives
• eczema
• liver abnormalities
• kidney damage
• contact dermatitis
• eye & skin irritation
• skin drying

PVP/VA COPOLYMER

PVP/VA Copolymer is a petroleum-derived chemical oftentimes used in hairsprays & other styling aids. It is a fixative which adds particular clarity, & flexibleness to the hair. It is also a humectant which softens & moisturizes the skin, but if inhaled, corpuscles may harm the lungs of sensible persons.

STEARALKONIUM CHLORIDE

Stearalkonium Chloride is a CONDITIONING agent. It makes hair shinier, cuts tangles, & eases combing. It likewise reduces static electricity by neutralizing the hair’s electrical charge. Look for it in hair conditioners & creams. It was initial produced by the fabric industry as a fabric softener but later became a for less substitute to protein & herbal hair conditioning formulas (which were better products).

• dry & brittle hair
• allergic reaction

SYNTHETIC COLORS

Synthetic colors make a cosmetic look “pretty” particularly in hair dyes. Coal-tar dyes are in general labelled as FD&C or D&C followed by a number like “FD&C Red No. 6″ & “D&C Green No. 6.” D & C stands for drugs and cosmetics, and they may not be used near mucous membranes. FD & C stands for Food, Drugs & Cosmetics, and these colors may be used in foods, drugs & cosmetics. Some synthetic colors suspected by the FDA to be carcinogenic are still in use like FD & C Red No. 40 employed to color maraschino cherries & lollipops to give them their bright red appearance.

• allergic reaction
• chromosomal damage
• lymphocytic & thyroid tumors

SYNTHETIC FRAGRANCES

Synthetic fragrance is a potpourri of ingredients ranging from 20 to 200, & there is no way to know what these chemicals are. The word “synthetic” won’t be listed, so look for the word “fragrance” or “natural fragrance” on the label. Synthetic fragrance oils are mainly made from petrochemicals & try to duplicate the SMELL of a specific plant, (sometimes called “Frankenstein” fragrance.) The same principle is in “natural flavors”.

• headaches
• dizziness
• rash
• hyperpigmentation
• violent coughing
• vomiting
• carcinogenic

SUMMARY

The main reasons why companies use these ingredients is because they’re CHEAP, they’re protected by law, & the public is incognizant of it. For instance, the FDA does not require fragrance manufacturers to disclose the ingredients of synthetic fragrances because these formulas are regarded as “proprietary.” Therefore, some carcinogenic ingredients slip through the cracks & on to the market. The obligation of safeguarding the buyer then is left up to YOU. Choose wisely as a buyer & buy safe merchandise only. Read Aubrey Hampton’s Natural Ingredients Dictionary for more info. This will convince the manufacturers that there is net profit to be made, not by making it CHEAP but by making it RIGHT.

Miladys Skin Care And Cosmetic Ingredients Dictionary

Milady’s Skin Care and Cosmetic Ingredients Dictionary, third edition, is a multi-purpose resource for cosmetic pros and buyers alike. Part one puts cosmetics in the context of skin care. It provides an overview of skin physiology. In order to perceive how and why a product works it is necessary to grasp how the skin works. It gives an overview of the complexity of cosmetic alchemy particularly with respect to product penetration, and highlights the current challenges facing cosmetic formulators. In addition, it offers comprehensive discussion of the respective skin types and conditions in order to support pros in their product selection. Lastly, it defines mutual cosmetic industry terminology applied by cosmetic manufacturers, professional estheticians, vendors and the media. The second percentage is devoted to helping cosmetic users discern the function and aim of specific ingredients. It is an alphabetical dictionary that lists and describes not only active principles but all other categories of ingredients that comprise a skin care cosmetic. As scientific noesis of skin physiology and cosmetic alchemy advances, so do cosmetic products. This volume puts everything in context in an easy to read, easy to understand, user-friendly format.