Sunday 11 September 2011

Cosmetic Products Sweep Series - Part 1: Skincare Products

Part 1 - Skincare Products

Hoping you read my post below, which provides important resources on ingredients to avoid in your skincare and makeup products.

It's important to note that the following products reflect my opinions, based on my skin (which is acne-prone). I've based my "sweep" based on the ingredients found on the two sites I listed below. 

Here's my skin during the year:
  • Summer: Very oily
  • Fall: Oily
  • Winter: Combination to dry
  • Spring: Combination to oily
I can't guarantee that the ingredients in the following products are really the source of my recent flare-ups, however I'd rather take extra precaution and rid myself of products that 
contain problematic ingredients.


Here are the products I've gotten rid of and reasons for discontinuing their use:



Clinique Clarifying Lotion 2: Contains denatured alcohol, witch hazel, and menthol: all gravely related to causing skin irritation.

Dickinson's Original Witch Hazel: While it does contain anti-inflammatory properties (used for wounds), it's not recommended for daily use (like I was using as a toner). Studies have proven its ability to constrict blood flow, hence preventing new cellular formation,


Avalon Organics Vitamin C Vitality Facial Serum: First ingredient is lavender - while it is a plant extract, this ingredient (like menthol) is used for fragrance. NOT for its skin-soothing properties. It is an irritant and may lead to "skin cell death." While I can appreciate the presence of chamomile as its second ingredient, the fact that lavender is the first ingredient is really what made me stop using this product.


LaRoche Posay (sample size container) Biomedic LHA Serum: second ingredient is denatured alcohol, an irritant. May cause inflammation, and increased oil production.


Hydrogen Peroxide USP: I was told to use this on acne flare-ups as a spot treatment. WRONG. This also has the same properties as witch hazel, if not worse. Prevents cellular growth, and may cause cellular destruction altogether. A definite NO-NO.


Rose Water: Once my favorite product and highly recommended this to several individuals. This one took me awhile to research - most websites say rose water is great for your skin. Based on the ingredient list below, rose water is primarily used as fragrance and could cause irritation. I can't say my skin got irritated after using this. In fact, my skin always felt quite fresh and tight, but my scares did worsen over time. I'm putting this one away.


Part 2 coming soon...
SKJ
xox

7 comments:

  1. You raved about the rose water! That's too bad!!! And I'm still surprised that denatured alcohol is used in cosmetics... And hydrogen peroxide is pretty harsh for spot treatments, no? It's not even that effective to treat wounds on your body... The fact that it bubbles over a wound is just because its reaction produces oxygen... Doesn't really help heal the wound any faster...

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  2. By the way, I'm loving this serie!!!

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  3. babe, you're so smart and dedicated for researching all of this and identifying what's good and what's bad for your skin!! GREAT SERIE, very useful :) I like the new background too!! I have some catching up to do on my blog, I will try to post a lot this week ;) love you girls xox

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  4. Thanks for the love girls!!!! i know - i was reallllly disappointed in the rose water :( such a loss. If you have any good recos, please let me know!

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  5. This post is making me rethink about how I purchase facial wash, lotion and such. I mean, if they can put all that gunk in women's stuff (women who actually take the time to properly chose their products), imagine the stuff that goes in men's product lines! Like facial wash, bodywash, and aftershave gels. A lot of those are specifically marketed towards the male gender. I'll be sure to point out if I find any irregularities in the stuff I use. Thanks for pointing this problem out to us! Great post!

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  6. Hey Marc,
    Very happy you find this educational and useful for yourself :)
    I have a very strong feeling, as a marketer, that the ingredients found in men's products are identical to those in women's. JUST a hunch. I'm thinking it's just the packaging ya know. AND, i'm sure they add more perfume in men's products... and i'm sure they add camphor cuz it's "rejuvenating"... anyways do your research and there's NO problem in using "women's" face creams!

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  7. Lol! You know, it's not the first time I've heard that. Cuz seriousely, does men's skin really need SUCH different care than women's? I think not. They most definetly put in more perfume, cuz what man likes to smell like light perfume, you know. And that just adds to the irritation.

    I don't think I'd switch to women's products cuz there must be a lot of low-concentration stuff out there for men but if not, who knows, I might be on your next trip to Buffalo! Lol!!! Maybe not. ;)

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