You might say there are two main classes of ingredients that are of value in beauty care. One is nourishing ingredients, ingredients extracted from food based raw materials like fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, bee products and sea weed, that contain nutrients essential to our bodies. Products based on these ingredients will help to nourish the skin and underlying tissue, something which can be especially valuable to people who have suffered from poor nutrition as this can be a cause of many beauty complaints (such as dry skin, premature aging, and hair loss).
The other main class of ingredients is plant-based ingredients, botanical substances derived from plants, flowers, grass, trees and roots. These contain powerfully therapeutic substances and can be very healing, regenerating, and rejuvenating and also possess great cleansing and detoxifying qualities. Substances extracted from plants may also be used to cure a wide range of health conditions, like infections, hormonal imbalances and cellular abnormalities, which can be the underlying cause of many hair and skin problems. The chemicals found in plants and other living organisms are very similar to the chemicals found withing the human body, and because of this they can support the body in its work to keep itself balanced and healthy. Many feel that the substances that are health giving to the human body are also the ones that have the most value in beauty care, as the cells of our skin have very similar functions and requirements to the cells in the rest of the body. These are the main ingredients that natural cosmetic products are based on, and their positive effects can be attibuted to – simple, natural ingredients that have a long tradition of being used in beauty care and again and again have proven their effectiveness.
You may be curious to learn what natural substances are being used in natural cosmetics, so we will sum these up briefly. First, there is vegetable oils, rich, heavy oils made from plants, fruits, nuts, and seeds, which contain a wide spectrum of essential fatty acids. Essential fatty acids are needed by the skin to retain its elasticity and moisture, and are directly related to things like skin tightness, clarity of complexion, suppleness and softness, wound and scar healing, and the prevention of various unhealthy skin conditions. Vegetable oils have both nourishing and healing properties, and are perfect as daily emollients for your skin.
Then there is essential oils, the volatile oils distilled from flowers, plants, grass, and trees. These delicate oils have remarkable value for beauty care and are the most ideal ingredients for skin care. Essential oils are highly concentrated essences containing large collections of chemicals, hormones, and gentle lipids, that due to their small molecular size have the ability to penetrate deep into the skin and encourage healing and regeneration. They are intensely restorative, and work by increasing blood circulation, keeping the skin and tissues healthy, balancing oil production, and also possess strong antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties. They can be used to clean up the skin and are very effective in a regime for tired, unhealthy, or aging skin. As they are fat dissolving and strongly detoxifying they are often used in slimming wraps and treatments for cellulite.
Herbs and herbal extracts is another staple of natural beauty care, they have many of the same properties as essential oils and can be used for making potent skin healing remedies. Herbs contain different types of chemicals with many therapeutic properties, and can be very effective for skin repair by aiding cellular function and stimulating new cell growth. They can be used in rejuvenating treatments, for the healing of wounds and scars, in salves and ointments for dermatitis and eczema, in remedies for hair growth and scalp healing, and to aid body detoxification. Isolated nutrients like vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and essential fatty acids are also used in more advanced product formulations. Many natural ingredients can be used directly on the skin for extra high potency, with organically grown ingredients being especially potent.
Some Popular Ingredients
To name some of the natural ingredients most commonly used - Calendula is a popular ingredient in natural skin care products and a well known healing herb. It is highly purifying and antiseptic, helps to draw impurities out of the skin, heals infections, and is soothing, antiflammatory, and wound healing.
Aloe Vera is another well known plant with strong healing and restorative properties, and has traditionally been used to treat skin conditions such as skin irritation, psoriasis, eczema, inflammations, and for healing burns. It also has strong hydrating properties and can be used for maintaining the moisture balance in the skin.
Rosehip and Helichrysum oils have been used with luck to treat scars and skin imperfections, and have even shown to be effective on deep acne pits. Rose oil is maybe nature’s most valuable beauty tonic, and is especially versatile. It has a soothing effect, and works on capillaries, inflammation and any redness, helps cell regeneration and elasticity, and is one of the top ingredients for skin rejuvenation. It’s also one of the most antiseptic oils and can be used to treat acne and keep the skin clear.
Bee products like bee pollen and royal jelly are extremely nourishing and contain every substance needed by the human organism, and as such are valued ingredients in nourishing skin care products. Vitamin C in pure form has lately become a very popular beauy treatment. It acts as a free radical scavenger and helps to build collagen and to firm and thicken the skin. Minerals are also used, and Copper peptides have recently become known for their skin building and rejuvenating properties. More unusually, costly mineral substances like ground-up pearls, gem stones, and precious metals can make a rare and exclusive beauty treatment.
Synthetic Cosmetics
None of these therapeutic properties are present in cosmetic products made from synthetic ingredients. Although these products can help to clean, moisturise and exfoliate the skin, and you may see visible improvements from using them, these are only temporary surface improvements, and there are no deeper, long-term benefits. The long-term effects on the skin are rather harmful, and can result in problems like dry, congested and irritated skin, premature aging, and a general unhealthy appearance, in spite of sticking to a rigorous regime.
Some may feel that products made from synthetic ingredients are more effective than those made from natural ingredients, and it’s true that these products can have impressive cleansing and moisturising properties, and may seem to give faster and more dramatic results. But but this only applies to the temporary, day-to-day effects. There are no substantial improvements made in the quality of the skin - the function of these products is more to help create an illusion of healthy skin.
When cosmetic companies are going to make a synthetic cosmetic product, they start out with a collection of industrial chemicals that need to be extensively prepared before they are ready to be used in the production of cosmetic products. They are bleached, deodorised, coloured, and perfumed in order to make an appealing end product, which adds even more chemicals to the blend. If you could see the ingredients being used in their raw and unprocessed state, it is very unlikely that you would want to put them on your skin.
By no means are all synthetic ingredients toxic or harmful, and there are many perfectly harmless synthetic ingredients that have a place in cosmetics. But many of the synthetic ingredients now commonly used in cosmetic products are very hard on the skin and can cause visible damage when used over time. And by avoiding products based on these ingredients, you will, with time, be able to see unmistakable improvements in the health and appearance of your skin.
Effects on Your Appearance
You should be aware that regular application of toxic cosmetics chemicals can greatly impair the health of your skin. It can interfere with the skin’s natural functions, lead to deterioration of the skin and underlying tissue, and increase the skin’s burden of waste and toxic material. This will all visibly affect the structure, clarity, and vitality of your skin.
The harsh detergents commonly used in synthetic products strip all natural moisture from the skin, leading to excessive dryness and destruction of the acid mantle, which is vital for the skin to be able to protect itself and keep itself healthy. Mineral oils, the most common emollients used in synthetic products, can dry out the underlayer of the skin so it loses its ability to moisturise itself and becomes dependent on moisture being constantly replaced from an external source. Mineral oils and mineral oil derivatives are occlusive, clogging pores and making it difficult for your skin to breathe. Over time, the oils turn rancid and start forming free radicals, whose effects on the skin are very harmful.
Most commercial skin care products contain silicones, plastic-like substances responsible for the smooth, rich texture you can find in more high-end moisturisers. Silicones, mineral oils, and other plasticisers form a layer like a coat of plastic on top of your skin, not allowing it to respire and interferring with normal waste elimenation and nutrients absorption. As a result, your skin is deprived of oxygen and unable to expel toxins and draw nutrients into its cells. Needless to say, this is not a healthy situation for the skin to be in and commonly leads to breakouts and dull, congested looking skin. In this way, you can end up in a vicious circle where you need to use more and more products and still your skin just looks worse and worse.
There is also evidence to indicate that many of the toxic ingredients employed in synthetic cosmetics contribute to premature aging of the skin, which defeats some of the purpose of using anti-aging skin care products. Toxic chemicals increase the production of free radicals, one of the main causes of aging, and poison skin cells, leading to a deterioration and slowing down of the cell renewal process. Make-up can have a very corrosive effect on the skin due to its high content of heavy metals and preservatives, and used regularly can lead to skin and tissue damage, something which can often be seen in women who regularly wear large amounts of make-up.
Products made from harsh detergents and toxic chemicals also have undesirable effects on our hair. They are very drying, and can result in damaged and lack lustre hair, and hair that is less healthy in general. These chemicals are also very detrimental to the health of the scalp and hair follicles, and can lead to hair loss and thinning hair - effects that are especially pronounced when combined with repeated hair colouring and other chemical treatments.
One of the more serious side effects of the regular use of synthetic personal care products is that they can be responsible for an increase in stored toxins, something which can lead to problems with acne, cellullite, difficulties losing weight, and accelerated aging. As our skin is one of our main organs of elimenation, an increase in the toxic load will cause our bodies to expel more toxins throughout the skin, which can result in acne or breakouts as the body attempts to purge itself. Using products containing pore-clogging mineral oils and silicones on a daily basis will also make it harder for the body to detoxify itself.
Recently there has also been research to indicate that environmental toxins can contribute to weight problems. Fat is the major place where toxins are stored in our bodies, and when the liver is congested with toxins it will store excess toxins in fat cells, making it harder for us to lose weight. It can also interfere with our metabolic and appetite-regulating systems which will cause us to store more fat than we normally would. The toxic load on our bodies is already quite large due to high environmental pollution, and cosmetic products based on toxic chemicals makes an unnecessary contribution to this.
Conclusion
So you can see there is a two-fold benefit to choosing products based on natural ingredients to care for your appearance: First you avoid ingredients that are harmful to your skin and body, and secondly, your receive the many benefits natural ingredients have to offer. Over time, this can make a great difference, and you will see significant improvements in the health and appearance of your skin.
You often hear spokespersons from the cosmetic industry argue that there are no documented scientific studies to prove that natural skin care products are any better for your skin than synthetic ones. But the truth is that there has been very little public research carried out on the damaging effects of synthetic cosmetic ingredients on the skin, and even less on the beneficial effects of natural cosmetic ingredients. But anyone who knows a little bit about how the skin works and how different chemical substances affect it are able to work out for themselves that natural ingredients are a better alternative, not to mention what people have to tell from personal experience. This argument is also not strictly correct, as traditional brands like Dr. Hauschka and Weleda have been around for decades and carried out extensive studies on the effects of natural ingredients on the skin, even if this has not ben widely publicised. Fortunately, the current trend is for people to want to be more informed and take an active interest in what they put on their skin, and it’s no longer so easy to sell people worthless ingredients for large sums of money.
The reason that cosmetic companies favour synthetic ingredients is simply that they are cheap and have a longer shelf life, which allows for greater profits to be made. Natural raw materials like plant oils and extracts are highly priced compared to industrial chemicals that cost virtually nothing. The majority of synthetic cosmetic ingredients are either byproducts from the petrochemical industry or can be manufactured at very low cost, and this allows for a very high profit margin on the products being sold. Valuable natural ingredients like vitamins and essential oils are very costly in comparison, and you won't find these in any amount large enough to be effective in most commercial cosmetic products. Synthetic ingredients are also much easier to preserve than natural ingredients, which as biologial material have a much shorter shelf life. In addition, these products contain very large amounts of preservatives at the expense of our skin and health, to further extend their shelf life.
The cosmetic industry has traditionally operated with a very high profit margin, and when you buy for instance a jar for £30, the contents of that jar may be worth no more than 3 pence of the full price. Most of what you pay goes towards packaging and promotion and to cover the large profit margin. These practises may seem unethical, though are not illegal in any way, and not much different from what goes on in any other large commercial industry. There are no promises made to the consumer about the formulations or effects of any of the products. Rather, the marketing is carried out in such a way as to give expectations out of proportion with what they have to deliver.
Cosmetic Products and Your Health
The skin, our body’s largest organ, is a porous and permeable membrane by nature able to absorb a large portion of anything that is applied to it. Hair follicles and sebaceous glands are as small holes in the dermal layer, and in addition cosmetic products often contain substances that serve to make the skin even more permeable to their ingredients. Research shows that up to 60% of what we put on our skin is absorbed into the bloodstream, and this can make up a substantial amount of chemicals on a daily basis.
Most of us use 15 or more cosmetic and personal care products each day, which means we can absorb up to 200 different chemicals in one day. One person can absorb as much as 2 kg of chemicals a year from cosmetic products alone. In this way, significant amounts of very unnatural and toxic chemicals, including carcinogenic substances, penetrate the skin and end up in the blood stream. Anything that is absorbed by our skin is bypassed by the liver and delivered directly into the bloodstream, so there is much less protection against it than something that is ingested by mouth.
There has up until now been very little research carried out on the combined and cumulative effects of daily long-term, low-dosage exposure to the chemicals contained within cosmetic products. A single exposure is unlikely to cause any harm, and chemicals present in cosmetic products rarely cause any obvious signs of toxicity. But in this day and age we are exposed to chemicals from many different sources all of the time, and there are strong indications that harm can be done over time through frequent and repeated use. Although the human body is equipped to metabolise and filter out unwanted toxins, we use cosmetic products so much and so often that the rate at which the body absorbs them is often much higher than the rate at which they can be eliminated.
Likewise, the regulation of cosmetic ingredients has been very lacking, and most of the 25,000 ingredients used in personal care products have not been tested for long term toxic effects. The beauty industry has traditionally worked on the principle of “innocent until proven guilty”, without manufacturers being burdened with the responsibility to prove that their products are safe. Consequently, cosmetics manufacturers are permitted to use almost any chemical as an ingredient without government approval, and only 14% of chemicals produced in large quantities in Europe have even a minimum amount of safety data. In the US the situation is considerably worse. Authorities do not require manufacturers to test their products for safety before being sold, and new products are generally regulated first after they have been released to the marketplace.
Allergic reactions and skin irritation used to be the only concern people had about the use of cosmetic products, and there are many products labelled as hypo-allergic or allergy-tested. But this is a minor concern compared to the risk it poses to our health when toxic ingredients get inside our bodies and reach our vital organs, and there are now studies being done on the connection between the use of cosmetic products and health problems common in today’s society.
Several of the chemicals commonly used in cosmetic products have now been linked to cancer, birth defects, nervous system damage, hormone disruption, and developmental and behavioural problems. The hormonal imbalance caused by environmental toxins can potentially lead to infertility, and there has long been a suspected connection between infertility and environmental toxins. Another concern is that many products include so-called hidden carcinogens - ingredients that are contaminated by carcinogens, break down to release carcinogens, or are percursors to carcinogens. Infants are about 100 times more sensitive to carcinogens and toxic chemicals than adults, and especially at risk. Reports of contamination of breast milk with chemicals that work as neurotoxins, developmental toxins, and hormone disruptors are also becoming increasingly common.
Harmful Ingredients
One of the better known toxic ingredients are parabens, commonly used preservatives that can act as oestrogen mimics, and have been shown to disrupt hormone balance and decrease sperm production in males. After a group of British researchers found measurable concentrations of parabens in 20 human breast tumours it has also become a suspected cause of cancer, although this is yet to be conclusively proved. As many other cosmetic ingredients, parabens can break down to release Formaldehyde, a proven carcigonen and highly toxic substance which has been banned from nail polish, but can still be released by many ingredients commonly used in cosmetic products. A group of chemicals called phthalates, that are present in very small amounts in many personal care products, have been shown to harm reproductive capacity and foetal development. They work as hormone disruptors, and have been blamed for feminising young boys and causing birth defects in the male reproductive organs.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), the most commonly used foaming detergent in cosmetic products, is a very harsh substance also used as an industrial cleaner and found in garage floor cleaners and engine degreasers. It is used as a primary skin irritant in clinical testing, and used in laboratories to deliberately provoke skin irritation in order to test the effectiveness of healing agents. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is connected to eye damage, and has been shown to lead to central nervous system depression and be damaging to the immune system. It can be transformed into nitrosamines, a potent class of carcinogens.
Lead and Mercury can both be found in miniscule amounts in many cosmetic products (too small to have to be listed in the ingredients’ list) and are both potent neurotoxins. Lead is also a known reproductive toxin and has long been connected with infertility in humans.
Propylene Glycol, an ingredient used in cosmetic products to facilitate the absorption of other ingredients, is highly degenerating to bodily tissue and has been linked to liver and kidney damage. It is suspected of respiratory toxicity, immunotoxicity, and neurotoxicity.
Several commonly used cosmetics ingredients can also be converted to dioxins, some of the most toxic chemicals known to science. Dioxins interrupt fundamental biological systems in the body, which may in turn trigger cancers, immune system suppression, diabetes, hormonal disruptions, and developmental and reproductive harm.
The View on Chemicals in Cosmetics
