Steer Clear Of These Harmful Ingredients In Your Skin Care Products

Skin care products are generally formulated with an aim to pamper the skin and keep it in good health. But often it happens that certain skin care products are comprised of ingredients that do more harm than good.

Here are some ingredients that you should look out for in your skin care products and try to avoid:

Mineral Oil
Mineral oil often is referred to as liquid paraffin, paraffin wax and petrolatum. However its properties remain the same throughout. One reason mineral oil is so commonly used in skin care products is because it comes cheap and can be included in liberal amounts.
But then the mineral acts a barrier and clogs the skins pores. It also disrupts your skin’s ability to fight off toxins and promotes acne and blemishes. Moreover prolonged usage can cause irritation and make your skin addicted to it. And if not supplied in ample quantities then, the skin becomes dry and likely to chap. Also, excessive use of mineral oil can lead to premature aging of the skin and lead to the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. With so many fallacies in the product, it is ironical that it is still used as an active ingredient in skin care products.

Dioxane
Dioxane is supposed to be a synthetic derivative of coconut and used extensively in skin care products. Usually it contains 1,4-dioxane in high concentrations which further gets absorbed by the skin and is shown to have links with skin cancer!

Fragrances
Fragrances may be a great add on to your cosmetics and skin care products. But that’s not a signal to buy fragrant skin care products. If at all you want to, make sure you thoroughly scan the ingredients list. Always remember that fragrances are added chemicals to the products and not something that comes in naturally. Many of the fragrances are derived from toxic chemicals and carcinogens.
Skin, apart from being the largest organ of the body also has the maximum surface area. Therefore anything you apply on your face, neck hands etc. will lead to more chemical absorption. It’s best to use skin care products that are devoid of chemical fragrances that you can compensate by using perfumes and deodorants.

Parabens
Parabens are used as a preservative in skin care products in order to increase their shelf life. But researchers have concluded that parabens can interfere with the endocrine system of the body and are known to cause cancer. In some cases it may even trigger off allergic reactions and rashes.

Alcohols
Alcohols, be it ethanol, methanol or benzyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol or isopropyl alcohol should be used with caution. Different alcohols have different properties. Some of them may be safe, but others can have drying effects on the skin. Alcohols have a natural tendency to suck in moisture from the skin and scrape off the acid mantle altogether. Hence their use should be appropriate and careful.

With this list, you should know what skin care products to buy and which ones to give a miss.