Cosmetics: how healthy are they?

You may have sensitive skin. Or you may want to use cosmetics that have minimum potential of causing irritation. Here is a brief guide about choosing cosmetics for that.

1. Avoid cosmetics that need solvents for removal. Cosmetics labeled waterproof cannot be washed away with water. They need solvents for removal and that may cause sensitivity. Moreover, solvents also dissolve the natural skin oil- sebum that protects skin from drying and from microbes. The skin gets dry with use of solvents.

2. Any product that may contain latex should be avoided. Latex may cause allergies. Liquid eyeliners may contain latex. Make sure before you buy a product that does not contain latex.

3. Avoid chemical based sunscreens. Use physical blockers. Chemical based sunscreens can cause allergies. Moreover, many users of chemical based sunscreens feel heat, because the sunscreen absorbs UV rays. The physical blockers deflect the sunrays and don't get absorbed by the skin.

4. Use less liquid cosmetics and more powder cosmetics. Powder cosmetics contain lesser preservatives compared to the liquid variety. The probability of irritation is reduced.

5. Throw away old brushes etc. Till you use them, keep them clean. Throw away cosmetics after they expire, start smelling bad, change color or look. If you feel that a cosmetic has turned bad, stop using it and throw it away.

Most of the skin care products and color cosmetics that come packed in beautiful containers and are labeled hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic, natural, etc., may cause allergy or irritation to you. These products contain many ingredients, and as per law in many countries, the major ingredient is listed on top and the ingredient, lowest in quantity is at the bottom of the label. If there is an active ingredient, it should come right on top. Sometimes a product may not cause allergy immediately, but after using it for some years. It all depends on your body and how it reacts. Everybody has different reaction to different ingredients. This is a note on what ingredients in the cosmetics can cause dermatitis and how to protect yourself.

This article is only for informative purposes. This article is not intended to be a medical advise and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor for your medical concerns. Please follow any tip given in this article only after consulting your doctor. The author is not liable for any outcome or damage resulting from information obtained from this article.

Skin care and cosmetics are an indispensable part of a woman’s life. While women may be ridiculed for paying undue attention to their appearance and often be accused of being vain, it is a fact that skin care cosmetics play an important role in keeping the skin healthy. They have come to acquire such an important part in a woman’s daily life that many women cannot even dream of doing without them. Skin care cosmetics form an essential component of a daily schedule of skin care.

The importance of skin care:

Why is it that so much attention is paid to skin care? It must be understood that our skin especially the exposed areas are the first to bear the direct impact of adverse environmental conditions. Consequently, it is more prone to damage in several ways. The sun is a big factor that causes wrinkles, age spots, tan and other kinds of damage to the skin. Next is the dirt and grime that we are daily exposed to, leading to clogging of pores, which further create conditions suitable for acne, eruptions and blackheads. It is therefore, important to take proper care of our skin on a daily basis. This would include thorough cleansing, toning, moisturizing and ex-foliating from time to time to reveal and maintain radiant skin. In this endeavor you have skin care products to help you out.

The skin is the largest organ of the body serving as the protective shield against infections, extreme temperatures, dehydration and injuries. Those who neglect their skin health will do so at their own peril because very soon they will begin to encounter serious skin problems. When the skin attains a dry and itchy state it is very important to treat it with skin care cosmetics or it will flare up into a major problem.

Experts warn that this dry and itchy condition of the skin is an indication that the protective layer of the skin has been destroyed. However, timely detection of the condition can help in preventing any serious damage and skin care cosmetics can be employed to restore the health of the skin.

The safety aspect of skin care cosmetics:

Skin care cosmetics in the United States are supposed to be quite safe for their intended use. It is considered so because they have to undergo strict quality checks based on government regulations. At the same time, it must be remembered that improper or incorrect use of some skin care cosmetic products could cause allergic reactions and skin damage. To ascertain the suitability of a skin care cosmetic for your skin, it is best to consult a beauty expert, at the same time making sure that you go through the product label carefully. In case of uncertainty you should not try out the product without first removing all doubts.

Shopping for skin care cosmetics:

Once you are armed with expert advice from a professional, you can set out to purchase a suitable skin care cosmetic product. You can be sure of finding all the popular skin care cosmetic products at the local mall so, go out and explore. To add some fun you can bring along a friend for the beauty consultation sessions. If time is a constraint for you, it is best to shop online. By shopping online you not only save on time but the effort needed too is reduced. You will have to pay for shipping and handling charges, a small price to pay for the great convenience that you benefit from while shopping on the Internet.

There are various kinds of makeup cosmetics on the market and these vary from mineral makeup cosmetics, MAC makeup cosmetics, MAC cosmetics makeup, and permanent cosmetic makeup. Makeup cosmetics are important to how most women feel on a day to day basis. They like to feel confident and beautiful.

One way to do this is with make up cosmetics. With the many types of makeup cosmetics on the market it is hard to know which products are best for you, below are few things you need to know about makeup. If you are looking for makeup cosmetics that won't be harmful to your skin, then you should look at mineral cosmetics makeup. They contain no allergens and won't irritate your skin.

Women with sensitive skin have discovered that they must be selective in choosing their facial products. Permanent cosmetic makeup may not be practical for them. Some traditional products irritate skin, causing embarrassing red blotches and skin blemishes. These women are becoming passionate about the new line of mineral makeup cosmetics. Originally introduced for women with sensitive skin, mineral makeup products contain ingredients that are safe for all skin types, and look great on all skin tones.

If you have had enough of appling make up cosmetics daily, permanent cosmetic makeup will be the best way to go. You will wake up in the morning with makeup and shower with makeup, but obviously the price differs from ordinary make up cosmetics. Mineral makeup cosmetics are probably the safest route to follow, since ordinary makeup cosmetics contain allergens.

Women trust familiar cosmetics, and may be skeptical about trying new products. Mineral makeup offers an entire line of products. Trying a new cosmetic product may rejuvenate your look, and work wonders on tired skin. Smart women know they don't have to come with an expensive name brand to help you look marvelous.

The only advice that can be given is that most makeup cosmetics do something to your skin, and although you do not see it early in life, you will eventually. See if you can avoid using it too often, because they contain allergens that can irritate and harm your skin. Makeup has been used for ages and while rouge used to be the signature of the lower social classes we have now created a mass market for women.

There are many ways to use makeup cosmetics to enhance your appearance. The methods you choose to apply makeup cosmetics is up to you; however knowing what is out there for your use will help make the decision easier. Less is more has been the new way to apply makeup, though we still see heavy eye shadow and dark lipstick most women have gone with a more subtle approach.

Makeup may make us feel beautiful, but it is still how we view ourselves on the inside that counts. Makeup cosmetics products will be the best the market can offer if you are serious about your skin.

Organic and natural cosmetics and personal care products are taking off rapidly.

The daily lifestyle for millions of North Americans and Europeans already includes organic food products, so making sure that what they absorb through their skin is equally safe, is a natural progression.

In a woman's lifetime she will ingest some four pounds of lipstick and a similar amount of other products through the skin from personal care products annually. But, the big question, particularly here in North America, is just how natural are they?

In Europe, it's a lot easier to have confidence as regulators have adopted a highly cautionary approach - better safe than sorry. In January 2003, the European Union decided to ban the use of chemicals that are known or strongly suspected of causing cancer, mutation or birth defects. The ban became effective in September 2004 and covers thousands of potential ingredients.

In the US, it's more a "prove it's harmful first approach", so your health safety is very much in your own hands. But, at least, there is now the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) certifying organic content in cosmetics, which is a big step in the right direction. However, it's very early days and it will be many years before there is widespread adoption in personal care products.

The "Truth" Is In The Label (mostly)
No matter how much or how little government regulation is protecting you, or not, there is one step a consumer can do and that is examine labels. Online you can find a group called "SafeCosmetics". On their site you can mug up on the main ingredients to be avoiding, typically two of the biggest are parabens and phthalates, but there are many more.

Labels can, and often are, very difficult to read though for those whose eyesight makes tiny print a blur. Methylparaben is derived from petroleum so it is technically both natural and organic. It is also suspected as a culprit in the rising incidence of breast cancer.

The trouble is there can be substances in the products that are not listed because they are trace amounts. A recent example has been the lead found in many lipsticks. However tiny, no amount of lead should be tolerated as it is a powerful nerve toxin.

Look for Reputable Manufacturers
Look for companies dedicated to producing nothing but truly organic and natural skincare products. Look for mention of the certifying bodies that they claim their product ingredients have been subjected to such as the previously mentioned USDA, and BDIH, ECOCERT (inspects and certifies in over 80 countries) and the Soil Association which are all in Europe.

By examining the philosophies of these companies, you are more likely to be getting not only healthy and beneficial products, but that they are produced in humane and environmentally conscious facilities. After all it defeats the purpose to buy natural cosmetics produced in a factory that dumps toxins into the water.

Smart Consumers Are Healthier Consumers
Take the time to become an educated consumer. The Internet is there to provide you with all the information you could ever want on the safety of personal care products.

Fortunately, aside from the 'Safecosmetics' folks trying to look out for you, there is also a world class American environmental oncologist by the name of Dr. Devra Davis at the University of Pittsburgh.

She and her colleagues have done much to raise awareness of the dangers of ingredients in cosmetics and skin care products, especially those that have estrogenic effects. Their research indicates that African-American women are particularly vulnerable with unnaturally early onsets of puberty and higher rates of breast cancer and earlier onset of the disease in comparison to white Americans.

She is the author of more than 170 scientific publications and the editor of 11 books. Her latest book, The Secret History of the War on Cancer, was published in October 2007. In it, Dr. Davis details how we began fighting the wrong war, with the wrong weapons, against the wrong enemies' legacy that persists to this day.

Remember, it's better to be safe than sorry and for those not living in Europe it really means you have to be even more diligent because it is still very much a question of waiting 'til the horse has bolted before regulators move to ban ingredients!

For those who appreciate having skin that is healthy and radiant, they are sure to be eager to know more about making their own skin care and cosmetics items. It is possible to make one's own skin care cosmetics and even start a small business in this direction. There are outlets that provide all the assistance, training as well as guidance needed in laying the right foundation in achieving success in the skin care and cosmetics industry.

How to Make

There is a great variety of high quality base and ready-made products available that makes it easy to buy or prepare one's own skin care cosmetic products. One may, if one so wishes, learn to make one's own skin care cosmetic products and these include bath bubbles, soaps, mascaras, as well as face masks.

In order to make one's own skin care cosmetics one may try making soaps with the help of pre-measured ingredients, containers, equipment as well as full instructions. It does not cost much and is far lower than retail stores. Another plus is that all of the ingredients are derived from nature-friendly raw materials that are safe to use.

Making mascara is another facet of skin care and cosmetics and one can make nine different mascaras of various colors if one has the recipe and the know-how to make the mascara. It is possible to make one's own mascara base cream and many packs come with 3x47gram mascara base creams, 3x10ml syringes, 3x70mm plastic hoses to attach the syringes, 3 spatulas, 10 mascara bottles, 2x10gram silk black mother of pearl color as well as 1x10gram purple mother of pearl color. It is also possible to make one's own skin care cream and this would require having four liters of moisturizing cream and one liter of dry skin care cream that makes 166x30ml jars, which costs very little.

Whether you choose to purchase skin care cosmetics or prefer to make them at home it is necessary that whatever skin care cosmetics you use, they should be able to penetrate deeply into the skin where problems start which may include spider veins, loose skin, skin firming on eyes or necks or face or body. There are many different creams available for face care. These may be natural based or chemical based; either way they are helpful in preventing wrinkles and providing protection from the sun. The choice is yours.

You might be wondering, if cosmetics that are supposed to be actually improving my face are spoiling it, is it better to avoid cosmetics altogether? However, I can’t do without cosmetics because I need to get that great look for my office, party or important event.

What do you do in such a situation? Well the fact is, cosmetics can be pretty harmful for your skin and they can aggravate you skin problem because of their chemical-based ingredients. Here are a couple of pointers on what type of cosmetics you can avoid to keep away from those that can harm your skin:

>> If you cosmetics label says ‘Parabens’, look for another one, because this ingredient has preservatives that cause allergies and skin rashes. It is used in cosmetic products to increase its shelf life but this factor actually makes it bad for the skin.

>> If you see the ingredient ‘Sodium lauryl sulphate’ on the cosmetic, forget it! This can irritate your eye, cause rashes and allergies. It used in the cosmetics to cleanse you face, but it’s the same ingredient that’s also used in foaming washes.

>> Many anti-aging creams and moisturizers have an ingredient called ‘Mineral Oil’. This oil actually leads to premature aging of the skin and removes the skin’s natural oils. Over a period of time, the usage of such cosmetics can make your skin dry and chap easily.

>> Cosmetics are seen in such beautiful colors now-a-days. The colors we see range from natural ones to rare ones. However, these colors are more than a point of wonder, because something to be noted here is that these shades are made from synthetic colors. Synthetic colors can cause cancer and they are labeled as FD&C or D&C, seen along with a color number. Avoid cosmetics with such ingredients at all costs.

>> Be sure to find cleansers that contain natural ingrediants . Any cosmetic cleanser which smells nice can actually have benzene derivatives or aldehydes, which can cause headaches and dizziness.

>> Talc is yet another ingredient to be avoided through it is widely used in baby powder and make-up. This is because there are strong links to it causing ovarian and it can testicular cancer

>> Quarternium-15 causes allergies and it is commonly used as a preservative in cosmetics, skin moisturizers and toiletry items.

If you look at all that’s given above, you will get a pretty dismal picture of cosmetic products and probably think never to use then again. However, not using them can put you into a dilemma. How do you look and feel great, without make-up because you have been using it so much as part of your style and simply can’t do without it?

One alternative is to go in for home-remedies. They do not cause any side effects and can give you skin a natural glow and shine… something no cosmetic will ever be able to do. However, if you want to look glossy just for some special occasion, try out mineral cosmetics because they are a great alternative to chemical-based cosmetics that contain harmful chemicals.