Chemical Cosmetics
Cosmetics are often not what they seem with their many hidden ingredients. The average consumer will not pay too much attention to what is in them as long as they get the required result, but people are becoming more conscious of what they are eating, drinking and putting on their skin. An experience I had has made me much more aware of skin products. I remember being given a surprise treat by my mother to go along and have a luxury facial. I came out of the salon with my skin feeling incredibly soft and smooth. Little did I know at the time, that I would endure three to four weeks of a severe allergic reaction. That night, I got up and looked in the mirror to find my face had swollen two to three times its normal size. I could barely open my eyes. I felt ill at what I saw. It was so bad, that my mother called an ambulance just to check it was not going to block my airways with inflammation.
When I attended the doctors, his first words were ‘’Who did this to you!’’ He could only offer me anti-histamines to help alleviate the inflammation. My skin was like a shriveled up prune, completely dehydrated. I drank copious amounts of water to be better hydrated and just continued to put my oils on. They were the only product that would relieve the intense dryness and irritation that I was experiencing. They soaked in to my skin like a sponge would soak up water and eventually my skin began to show signs of improvement. As for the beauty salon, they had no explanation for it and did nothing to help compensate for my suffering.
I was studying at the time, so going to a course involved wearing sunglasses all day long! I am sure many people would have wondered why. I tell you this story to make you aware that it does matter what we put on our skin. I have outlined below just two ingredients that are commonly found in cosmetics and that can cause problems for you.
Parabens
No doubt many of you have heard of one or more of these chemical additives. Let’s begin with parabens. Parabens have been used since the 1950s in cosmetics to slow down the growth of bacteria. The problem with them is that recently they have been given a new label of xenoestrogen. This mimics oestrogen in the body and can cause an oestrogen disruption leading to the development of breast cancer or other hormone-related issues. Parabens have been detected in breast cancer tumours. Even though parabens have not been proven to be outwardly dangerous, as a general guideline, stick with the natural and try to avoid any if you can. There are a lot of products out there now that are labelled as paraben-free.
Triathelonamine
This is an emulsifier and surfactant and is often used in shampoos and other cosmetics. An emulsifier will allow two substances that do not normally mix to come together, for example fat and water. An emulsifier will surround an oil or other molecule and form a protective layer so that the oil molecules will not clump together, thus helping to disperse the small droplets and preserve the emulsion. Without an emulsifier, fat will sit on water. It also helps balance the pH of the product. Triathelonamine is a byproduct of two toxic chemicals: ethylene oxide and ammonia. Don’t forget, your skin is an organ and absorbs these ingredients when you apply your cosmetics, and they can build up in your body over a period of time. Even in low doses, it can have a negative effect on organs and can be toxic to our immune system and respiratory system.
Our skin does absorb what we put on it and that can include the good ingredients and the toxic ingredients. It is worth considering this the next time you purchase cosmetics.
