A Side Note: The Dirty Dozen

Last week I talked about cleansing.  I just want to add a little to it because I was trained on some new things today, which I felt were interesting.  So, I’m going to wait on discussing moisturizers and exfoliators because cleansing is the most essential step in the skin care regime. 

In a previous blog I wrote about dehydration and touched on inflammation.  I learned a new term today called inflamm-aging.  Meaning, that inflammation causes premature aging.  Things like cleansers are one of the leading causes of this.  Many over the counter products sound as if they are good for your skin, marketing companies made sure of this by using words like natural, organic, or for sensitive skin, but what consumers need to realize is that it is just a gimmick to get you to buy their brand.

Most skin care products like Aveeno, Nuetrogena, Clean & Clear, or Oil of Olay may have key ingredients in them that entice you to purchase them, but they also contain many harming ingredients that I would like to introduce to you called the Dirty Dozen.  Even those of you who purchase your skin care at Whole Foods, should look at the ingredients.  Just because it says it’s organic doesn’t mean it is, unless certified so and even then some certifications only require a certain percentage of organic ingredients. 

Here is the link to the webpage:  The Dirty Dozen

I want you to go grab some of your products and look at the ingredients listed and compare it to list in the link above.  I bet you’ll be surprised.

Another thing I was taught was that companies don’t need to list all of their ingredients on the label, so what’s listed may not be all that is in your products.

The bases of most products are made with these harmful ingredients and besides some of them being human carcinogens they also make the skin super sensitive.  Not to bore you, but some statistics that have been done show how sensitive people’s skin has become, due to these ingredients in cosmetic products.

In the 1980’s about 25% of the population believed they had sensitive skin.  Now, one out of two people are classified with sensitive skin according to the American Academy of Dermatology.

This is because ingredients like Urea and Parabens are the leading preservative in over-the-counter products and also leading allergens.  Another big one is Propylene Glycol, which is a common skin care base.

I’m telling you this because your cleanser and other products may contain ingredients that are aggravating your skin instead of helping it.

They cause chronic inflammation, which causes premature aging and contact dermatitis.

I know I threw a lot at you this week, but I think it’s really important to understand what you’re putting on your face because ultimately it ends up in your blood stream and travels throughout your body.