What are we putting on our skin

 

As a beauty professional I have a great interest in skin, the marvellous organ that won’t let us get away with anything and shows us very quickly when we get things wrong. Late night, too much to drink, long flight will all show up on our skin. It may be less obvious in a youthful skin, but believe me the signs are there.

Our immediate reaction is to reach for a product that will sooth away the hurt or cover the bags.

Should we however look closer at what we put on our skin and why is it so many products can affect each one of us differently and sometimes not at all. In my experience there doesn’t seem To have any one answer, but allergies and irritations can be inherited from parents. Fair skins tend to be more prone to reactions, but not always as many dark and olive skin tones react too. When you look at the amount of chemicals that go into our make up and hair and beauty products it is not surprising that skin irritations are rife.

 

The main culprits are

 

 

PARABENS: They are the darlings of preservatives among mass manufacturers since they're cheap and stable. It can be downright difficult to find products that don't contain parabens like methyl, propyl, and benzyl hydroxybenzoate. Those who experience redness or a rash can avoid them entirely by using natural products such as Burt's Bees, Dr. Hauschka, and Weleda, whose formulations are all paraben-free.
ACIDS: While the majority of acids — azelaic, alpha hydroxy, benzoic, lactic, sorbic — are tolerable in modest doses, cinnamic can pose a problem. A tartar-fighting agent in toothpaste, it can be the reason for itchy eruptions on the lips and around the mouth. Look for toothpaste without cinnamic
PPD: Paraphenylenediamine (PPD) is found in most permanent hair dyes. Those who are allergic will likely develop a rash not on the scalp but around the hairline on the forehead and neck and behind the ears. Avoid contact by requesting PPD-free dyes or opting fo henna and color rinses that don't contain the irritant.  In some very tragic cases a reaction has been so bad death has occurred

RETINOIDS: Most dermatologists will agree that despite a long list of antiaging and acne-fighting benefits, retinoids are also a classic irritant. "They can make your skin more sensitive to the sun in the summer and more prone to dryness in the winter. What really matters is the net concentration that you apply to your skin. Using something weaker more often is better than something stronger that can only be tolerated a few times per week.
PHTHALATES: A plasticizing ingredient commonly listed as DBP or di-n-butyl phthalate, it is used most often in the beauty world to give nail polishes increased pliability. Considered to be a potential carcinogen and possible cause of birth defects, allergic rashes and eczema, they are already banned in Europe. When shopping for lacquers, look for phthalate-free formulas. Neither Zoya nor Spa Ritual has ever used the ingredient in its lines, while Essie, OPI, and Sally Hansen altered their formulations in recent years to get rid of it.
TRICLOSAN: Flu season and the ongoing swine flu epidemic have made hand-washing a frequent ritual, and in some cases, it's the soap that causes the itchy rashes creeping up on palms and fingertips. If your hands are inflamed, steer clear of any soaps or sanitizers with this antibacterial agent.
BALSAM OF PERU: Fragrance is the number-one cause of allergic contact dermatitis, and Balsam of Peru, a resin that is actually a conglomeration of scents, is often responsible. Because of its phototoxic ingredients, when the skin is exposed to sunlight, brown or reddish streaks called berloque dermatitis may occur wherever the scented product or perfume was applied—dermatologists report many incidents of berloque behind the ears. The key is to look for products that are totally fragrance-free — which is not the same as unscented. "Unscented means that a product can contain a masking fragrance to camouflage its pungent, unpleasant odor.Fragrance-free means truly no fragrances.
FORMALDEHYDE: While most beauty products won't include this ultra-common makeup, skin, and haircare preservative on the ingredient list, many will have a formaldehyde-releasing agent like imidazolidinyl urea or quaternium 15, which can be equally reactive. Therefore, those who experience an allergy or irritation to formaldehyde actually have a list of names to be on the lookout for. Nowadays, two of the most frequent places where contact may occur are the nail and hair salon. The most common cause of eyelid dermatitis is the formaldehyde in nail polish After you polish your nails, there is a day or two when the finish is not rock hard, and that's when formaldehyde may be released. Your hands may not show redness because that skin is tough, but when you touch your eyes while washing or moisturizing, you can end up with dermatitis there.
We can of course be allergic to anything and many natural products can also set us itching or with hives. Shea butter, coco butter and any nut oils can be a problem with nut allergy sufferers and as many are used as base oils for many lotions and potions we have to be careful to read the label.
Remember that cosmetic labelling is not as strict as food labelling and a tiny organic ingredient can render the product organic.
Any part of the body touched by product is open to allergy .A condition called Cheilitis or Swollen sore lips to us, can be caused by products found in lipsticks,mainly form perfumes and preservatives, but also nickel allergy form the lipstick caseing.

http://dermnetnz.org/reactions/lipstick-reaction.html

 

More alarmingly there are ingredients deemed as cancer causing and I have included then top offenders from the breast cancer fund website.

Avoid These Top Offenders

http://www.breastcancerfund.org/reduce-your-risk/tips/choose-safe-cosmetics/Individual brands aside, some products are just bad news. Things to avoid:

• Anti-aging creams with lactic, glycolic, AHA and BHA acids
• Hair dyes, especially dark permanent dyes
• Liquid hand soaps with triclosan/triclocarban
• Nail polish and removers with formaldehyde, DBP or toluene (which can be contaminated with benzene)
• Skin lighteners with hydroquinone
• Heavily scented products
• Moisturizers, ointments and skin creams with petrolatum (which can be contaminated with PAHs)
• Fungicides, shaving creams, hair gels and hair coloring containing nonylphenol
• Hair spray, gel, mousse or shaving cream that contains isobutane, a propellant that can be contaminated with 1,3-butadiene
• Sunscreens with UV filters that mimic estrogen

I am not looking to be alarmist, just sensible and although I have worked in beauty and well being  all my Working life I have always maintained simple is best. The beauty industry has changed unrecognizably since I started out, with so many cosmetic procedures and anti-ageing products.

It is better to be informed before you make the correct product choice for you, whatever that may be.