Monday, December 1, 2008

How Damaging are Your Skin Care Products?

By Jemma Rivera

We all like to think of our personal care products as safe. However, your skin cleanser may not actually be as safe as you think - if you can feel those little bubbles popping; it may not really be doing what you think.

Any facial cleanser which has foaming action probably has the ingredients Sodium Lauryl Sulphate or Sodium Laureth Sulphate, or both. These ingredients are chemicals which have been found to lower immune function, cause inflammations and are found in engine degreasers and other products you would never put on your face.

Another commonly seen skin care product ingredient is Propylene Glycol - one of the primary ingredients in antifreeze! Naturally, this is not something you'd like on your face either.

Then there is mineral oil. This oil coats your skin and is waterproof - this means that your skin is prevented from carrying out its normal cellular respiratory function. This causes clogged pores (which leads to acne) and can cause or exacerbate many other skin problems as well. Even so, this is a common ingredient in skin care products.

The products which contain these chemicals usually also have lots of other chemical ingredients. These chemicals are found in lotions, skin creams and even fragrances. The manufacturers always say that the small amounts of these chemicals in their products are safe - but why risk it?

Some of the side effects seen after heavy exposure to the chemicals mentioned include headaches, chronic fatigue, hormonal disruption, and cancer. While not all products contain these particular chemicals, it's often very difficult to find skin care products that do not have two or more ingredients that are considered toxic and deadly to humans.

There are natural, safe skin care products which contain only naturally occurring ingredients; one example is emu oil.

Emu oil is safe for anyone's skin because it is a hypoallergenic, totally neutral lipid. Emu oil skin care products penetrate deep into the skin to hydrate and nourish skin cells.

Skin care products made with pure emu oil are a natural way to soften your skin and strengthen skin cells. Emu oil also has natural anti-inflammatory properties, so it can soothe minor aches and pains and even help to alleviate arthritis pain!

Seaweed is another natural ingredient which is great for your skin. Seaweed may not look so appetizing in the wild, but in skin care products, it can help you to achieve healthy, youthful looking skin.

Botanical skin care formulas are made of natural, plant based ingredients. Some of the beneficial ingredients found in seaweed are mineral salts, amino acids, vitamins and a wealth of antioxidant compounds to repair the cellular damage done by free radicals. In fact, seaweed is one of the very best ingredients to promote cell growth in your skin.

When you use skin care products that have ingredients that are organic and contain antioxidants, as well as essential Vitamins like A, C and E, your skin is being hydrated, nourished, and detoxified naturally.

The whole world won't switch to natural alternatives overnight. You though, can opt to take action on your own and make sure that you and your household use only high quality natural ingredients to care for your skin. - 15275

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