Consumer Beware: The Dangers That “lie” In Your Beauty Products

So many people are health and beauty conscious and spend tons of money every year chasing promises of firmer skin, fewer wrinkles, and the right cream for that “perfect” complexion. It is sad to say, but you, along with billions of other Americans have at some time or another been brainwashed by the cosmetic industry. By advertising their products through the means of multimedia such as television, magazines, newspapers and the radio, it seems as though it would be merely impossible for anyone to escape such a trap. With so many different products, each attached with their own set of promises and guarantees, how would we know which ones do exactly what they claim to? That’s easy; we try them out for ourselves. Sometimes promotional samples are provided and other times we just try our luck, but do we really know what kind of ingredients are being used in these products? It isn’t as simple as reading the back of the package label. Of course some of the ingredients don’t appear foreign, but how many of us think to question the ones that do?

Most people are not aware that the cosmetics industry reels in over thirty billion dollars in sales each year. The famous words found on back of most products that state “this product was not tested on animals” proves to be nothing short of an oxymoron. The colorful wording and often misleading language of advertisement, whose underlying purpose is to charm the consumer, usually doesn’t say much about the product’s effectiveness. There is no labeling law in Canada, which means manufacturers can justifiably deceive their consumers. As for the United States, the law mandates that all ingredients are to be labeled, but who besides chemists can understand that language.

It seems like every new line of skin care products claim to be infused with the latest, top of the line ingredients to help replenish and revitalize your skin from within; making your skin smoother, softer and supple. But it doesn’t matter how “new” the products are, if they contain the same chemicals or manufactured ingredients, it is very likely that these products will enhance the aging process and can be extremely harmful to your health. It would be very wise to stay clear away from any skin care lotions or product that tries to mimic or enhance the properties naturally found in skin. The free radicals in these products will also diminish your body’s ability to repair and rejuvenate collagen and elastin fibers, which serve as the natural foundation of your skin. Save yourself from becoming at risk of developing serious problems later on in life.

Many may wonder exactly what Elastin is. It is a protein in the connective tissue that is elastic and allows the tissue to return to its original state after contraction. It is extremely important for the function of your skin and other things such as your ligaments, arteries, and cartilage because it supplies flexibility and elasticity. When you are a child, elastin fibers are much stronger and work similar to a rubber band. As you get older, around puberty, your body stops producing it and the elastin fibers start to weaken. When skin loses its elasticity, the skin will start to sag and result in visible signs of aging.

It had been shown that elastin in skin products have very little positive effect on skin elasticity. The most it will do is form a coating on the skin that helps the skin to better hold in moisture, but it will not provide added flexibility. Most dermatologists are certain that elastin applied to the skin cannot replace a deplete supply.

.Surprisingly, there are over 900 chemicals available for use in cosmetics which contain substances that are dangerous to our health and overall well-being. Your health is the last thing that these large corporations in this industry are concerned about. To them, it is all about selling an image and potential profit. In addition to this, all cosmetic products are formulated for a shelf life of three years or more. This tells a story in itself about the large amounts of preservatives they contain to prevent spoilage. They are called cellular toxins and may be responsible for thousands of people suffering from things such as pimples, rashes, reddening and burning of the skin.

There are over 800 potentially toxic ingredients in care products. Some of the more harmful ones to look out for are:

AHA (alpha hydroxy acid), found in many skin and hair care products.

Acetamide MEA, used in lipsticks and cream blushers to retain moisture.

Alkylphenol ethoxylates, It is commonly used in shampoos.

Ammonium laureth sulphate, It is found in hair and bubble bath products(contains ether).

Aluminum, used as a color additive in cosmetics, particularly eye shadows, and in deodorants and antiperspirants.

Benzene (disguised with names like FD, FDC or FD&C color), widely used in combination with other chemicals in many personal care products.

Cocomidopropyl betaine, used in shampoo in combination with other surfactants.

Carbomers (934, 940, 941, 960, 961C), used as a thickener and stabilizer in creams, toothpastes, eye make-up and bathing products.

DEA (diethanolamine and Dimethylamine), commonly used in brake fluid, industrial degreasers and antifreeze. It is also found in hair dyes, lotions, creams, bubble baths, liquid dishwasher detergents and laundry soaps.

Dioform, found in toothpaste and other tooth whiteners.

Hydantoin, used in the synthesis of lubricants and resins and derived from methanol Elastin

**Fluoride, a hazardous chemical which has been linked it to cancer years ago. It is especially dangerous to young children who may swallow it after brushing their teeth. It is supposed to arrest tooth decay but scientists are now linking fluoride to dental deformity, arthritis, allergic reactions and Crohn’s disease. It is a toxic manufacturing by-product.

Formaldehyde, (hidden under DMDM hydantoin or MDM hydantoin), used in nail polishes and hardeners, soaps, cosmetics and hair growing products.

Imidazolidinyl, used in powders, baby shampoos, bath oils, colognes, eye shadows, blushers, hair tonics and lotions.

Lauramide DEA, It is used as a base for soaps, detergents and laurel alcohol because of its foaming properties.

Parabens, used in a variety of personal care products, especially creams and lotions.

Phenoxyethanol (can be found under the names of arsol, dowanol EPH, phenyl cellosolve, phenoxethol, phenoxetol and phenonipl)

Polysorbate-n (20-85), used as an emulsifier in cosmetic creams, lotions, cream deodorants, baby oil and suntan lotions.

Polyquaternium

Sodium Laureth Sulphate, used mainly in shampoo and conditioners.

Sodium Lauryl Sulphate , an ingredient in 90% of commercially available shampoo and conditioners; found in car wash soap, engine degreaser, toothpaste, cream, lotion and garage-floor cleaners.

Sodium oleth sulfate

Sodium (PCA /NAPCA), used as a conditioner for skin and hair. Stearamidopropyl tetrasodium EDTA, which can form in all cosmetic ingredients containing amines and amino derivatives with nitrogen compounds. Nitrosamines are known carcinogens. Talc, derived in powder form from the mineral magnesium silicate. Toluene, a substance is obtained from petroleum; it is used as a solvent in cosmetics, especially nail polishes and dyes. Triethanolamine (TEA), which can cause severe facial dermatitis, irritation and sensitivity.

By: Siobhan Gamble -

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Siobhan Gamble is a member and writer for EarthFrisk, a social bookmarking and voting site where you can meet people, explore the web, vote on sites, articles, videos and links and have lots of fun. see Social Bookmarking and start enjoying the internet.