In the words of the manufacturer "The Revitol all natural skin exfoliator is the revolutionary age-defying skin care system that peels away the ravages of time to reveal the secret of a beautiful face beautiful, healthy, radiant youthful looking skin."
Although, I understand this type of sales literature is designed to have people reaching for their wallets to improve their looks on the outside, I’d personally rather take a look on the inside first!
The word "natural" is all too easily used by product manufacturers to entice consumers. However, if you take a close look at the many ingredients manufacturers use, you’d be hard pushed to find any commercial product that is completely natural. There are always at least some synthetic compounds even if they have been derived from natural plant extracts. The question really is "Just how natural is the product?"
It really is a question of balance and choosing products for their natural ingredients while at the same time avoiding those that use the more toxic ingredients.
What’s also worthwhile knowing is that products carrying many ingredients or come in large containers are as a general rule less qualified to be considered natural. Large containers probably indicate stronger synthetic preservatives to stop the product going off while lots of ingredients indicate more chemical interaction. For example, a single preservative may not be enough to fulfil all the jobs required of the product (killing a wide range of microbes, non toxic, soluble, rapid acting, compatible with other ingredients, maintaining shelf life etc) meaning several preservatives have to be used at once. These then have to be compatible with other ingredients leading to further complexities in the product mix.
Having analysed a number of commercial skin exfoliation products my current choice is the Revitol skin exfoliator . Although some of the ingredients lack long term safety data this is by no means an exception. In fact, most regulatory agencies don’t even require cosmetics companies to prove their products work or are safe! Long term safety data is not available because manufacturers are not obliged to give it. Further, you don’t actually get know all the ingredients of some products. This is because a product (like the Revitol skin exfoliator) can use "Fragrance" on the label without listing the actual ingredients that make the fragrance!
Following, you will find a list of ingredients in the Revitol skin exfoliator and their purpose. I hope this will give you a better insight into what you are putting on your body.
Cocamidopropyl betaine - A medium strength surfactant which most often does not irritate skin or mucous membranes. It is one of the milder detergents used in commercial products.
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice or Aloe Vera - A natural preservative. Between 10 and 30% of adults experience skin problems because of preservatives and fragrances in cosmetics. The more natural preservative the better.
Carbomers - Emulsifiers used to control the consistency and flow of personal care products. It is a synthetic product and should not be regarded as natural.
Decyl glucoside - A mild surfactant used in things like baby shampoo and other skin products aimed at sensitive skin.
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate - An extremely mild emulsifier derived from Lactic Acid. Its moisturizing properties make the skin feel good. The family of lactylates have long been used in the food industry and are extremly mild on skin and eyes.
Tricaprylin - Made vegetable oil and is the natural oily basis for emulsions. It is made from a combination of natural fatty acid and glycerine( when diluted with water it softens the skin). Glycerin is a natural moisturiser.
Hyaluronic acid - Actually occurrs naturally in the body and contributes to cell reproduction. Hyaluronic acid has been quoted by the press as being the "key to the fountain of youth" because observations have shown that at least some people who include it as part of their diet live longer than average. ABC News broadcast a show about a village in Japan and hyaluronic acid called, "The Village of Long Life: Could Hyaluronic Acid Be an Anti-Aging Remedy?".
Avena sativa. Oat plant - Oat extract can have anti-irritant and anti-inflammatory properties. In fact when oats are consumed they are said to lower the harmful type of cholesterol named low density lipoprotein (LDL) whilst boosting the good type of cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL). Its partly an abrasive which is why its good in skin exfoliators.
squalene - Has a low hazard rating but it has been linked to the toxicity of one or more biological systems in the body. It is a natural product of shark liver oil but is now being extracted from botanical sources. It is used for skin conditioning.
Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract - primarily used as a fragrance. Also used in the food industry as a flavoring agent. The vanilla plant is a source of catechins exhibiting antioxidant activity and serve as anti inflammatory agents.
Prounus Armeniaca (Apricot) Seed Powder - Apricot kernel powder is an excellent natural exfoliating medium, made by finely grinding apricot seeds. The oil of the kernel is known to help soothe inflammation.
Aminomethyl Propanol - A pH adjuster. It has been approved by the cosmetic ingredient review expert panel and is allowed up to 7% concentration. Aminomethyl Propanol is considered safer than its close relative Aminomethyl Propanediol which is only allowed in 2% concentration.
Potassium sorbate - A food grade preservative generally regarded as quite safe although it can hardly be considered natural
Sodium benzoate another preservative. If you find your skin reacting to the product it could be this substance that’s the cause. Try another product without this. Used in low concentrations sodium benzoate inhibits the activity of microorganisms (the likes of yeast mold and bacteria) that could spoil the product. It is not a compound that reacts easily with other ingredients.
Fragrance - It is not an industry requirement to list what is used in the fragrance of such products. However, it must be stated that fragrances and preservatives of certain types can cause skin problems.
So, that’s it in a nutshell. The Revitol skin exfoliator , although marketed in the health category as a natural product should not be considered all natural. But then again how many commercial products that actually do the job they say they can, can actually be considered truly natural. Please let me know if you find one.
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