Posts tagged "skin care products"

Skin Care Products Problems and Fraud: Spotting the Fakes and the Frauds


Science has come a long way in skin care products. Cosmetic and beauty research is an intriguing arena because so much folkloric knowledge is relevant. As a result, it can be difficult to determine just what works and what doesn’t work. The greatest skin care products use science, technology, testing and conventional wisdom to develop effective products for consumers. However, many unethical skin care creators simply take advantage of people’s willingness to believe that a product should work because it has a good name or says that it is “natural” on the label. In the real world, many “natural” skin care products are anything but. In fact, some of these skin care products may actually cause chronic skin problems. Here are some things to look for that may cause a rather large problem when it comes to your skin care routine:

* Look for concentrations - Some products may contain very high concentrations of natural compounds that are not particularly good for you. For example, high concentrations of bismuth are not good in any type of makeup. Bismuth is a mineral and is arguably natural. However, it must undergo a bunch of chemical processing to achieve a cosmetic form. This processing can cause allergic reactions in quite a few people.

* Watch for artificial colors - Heavily dyed products often contain lots of artificial colors. Plus they may need extra chemicals to maintain the color and the freshness of the skin care products. Many people already group artificial colors and fragrances together. But, in reality, artificial fragrances are much less of an issue because they often are derived from natural extracts and then chemically processed. They come in such low concentrations that they are often not major allergens. (There are always exceptions to this.) Bright blues and yellows, however, usually indicate very high levels of preservatives and chemical dyes.

* Study the size of your mineral makeup powder - Don’t use it if your mineral makeup boasts microscopic particles. While mineral makeup can be great for your skin, but its not necessarily ideal inside it. Microscopic particles (nanoparticles) can be absorbed by your skin. This could result in unpleasant allergic reactions. Additionally, mineral makeup is not tested for the effects of epidermal absorption. As a result, there is not a lot of information about the long term effects of this type of unintended absorption. Mineral makeup that contains conventionally sized particles cannot be absorbed in this fashion.

Skin care products come in many shapes and fashions. Everyone has their own personal favorites. This should not cloud your judgment about the quality of your skin care products though. Always watch out for the fakes and make sure that your skin care product regimen is really the best for you.