What happened to the time when all you needed to get ready for the day was some soap and water? Today, it seems we can’t leave the house without using at least a few products designed to make us look and feel good.
Nothing wrong with that, you might say. But what are we actually putting on our skin? So many of us are conscious of what we eat and the consequences we might face of a bad diet but few are actually aware of the chemicals we willingly rub into our body and the possible damage we are doing to our skin and general health!
Our skin (part of the Integumentary System) is the largest organ in the body and along with our digestive and respiratory systems it comes into direct contact with the environment. The chemicals used in the cosmetic industry can be particularly dangerous to our health as they can enter our bodies through any of these systems. More worrying is the fact that chemicals absorbed by the skin bypass the body’s normal filters, the liver and kidneys.
The skin actually absorbs up to 60% of the chemicals it comes in contact with, sending them directly into the bloodstream. This is alarming when you consider that the good majority of these chemicals are used without there being any long term safety data. The cumulative effects of all the skin products we use and the possibility of ingredients from one product reacting with another may be the precursor for many health problems in the future!
When it comes to skin care products, particularly skin exfoliators designed to remove dead and damaged skin we must be very careful about the products we choose. The trouble is most products contain a variety of chemical compounds most of which the average consumer knows nothing about. These chemical compounds serve a variety of purposes some of which include preservation of the product, skin moisturising, sunscreen, colouring and fragrance. All important for "selling" the product but at what price!
Take for example the preservatives used in many cosmetics. Preservatives by nature kill living things. They are designed to extend the shelf life of the product and stop organisms like yeast, mold and bacteria from spoiling the product. If this is their purpose then what could they be doing to the good cells of our skin or in fact the possibility of further damage to our health through absorption.
It probably wouldn’t surprise you to know that most products contain more than one preservative, simply because one preservative is never enough to fulfill all the product requirements. There is actually no such thing as a preservative free commercial product. Even those products that claim to be completely natural contain preservatives in the form of active plant extracts.
Not surprisingly the very best way we can look after our skin is by carefully choosing what we eat. And this means nutrient rich food (Broccoli, Tomatoes, Carrots, Apples to name a few) particularly good for the skin. Unfortunately, we live in a quick fix world and want answers to our problems right away. We want the feel good factor now and not six months down the line.
Off the shelf products provide that solution but just in the same way natural foods packed with nutrients keep the skin healthy we should choose natural skin care products that are not going to cause short term skin problems or long term health problems. In other words the more natural the product the less harmful it’s likely to be.
The focus of this Blog is primarily about skin health, from the nutrients the skin needs through to the impact commercial products like skin exfoliators have on our overall health. Although I personally believe you can do more for your skin by way of diet, exercise and other factors, I also realise that commercial products have a place in the modern world. Although I’m not sure how beneficial these products are in the long term, I am certain they provide temporary solutions to many of our skin problems. The question is "Which of these products are safe to use with minimal impact on long term health?". Skin exfoliators are of particular interest because not only do they form a foundation for other types of cosmetic they also tend to target different types of skin problem.
In fact, recent research has shown that without using a good skin exfoliator (link) there is little chance that follow on lotions, creams and medications are going to be effective at all. This is because in order for any skin care product to produce results it must get past the layer of dead skin blocking absorption. This is an important consideration because regulatory bodies like the FDA (Federal Food and Drug Administration) have restrictions in place regarding the penetration of skin products. If you find that your skin products aren’t giving you the results you want then it could well be you need a good exfoliator.
You can go here to get a review of one of the best natural skin exfoliators on the market.
Mail this post
