Are you damaging your skin with skin care products that contain harmful preservatives? Aging is related to accumulation of damage at cellular level. Offenders include environment, free radicals, and chemicals. Women around the world have daily regimes that include a multitude of skincare products, but they do not typically consider the harmful chemicals included in these products. Did you know that the cosmetic industry uses some 10 000 chemicals as ingredients for use in skin care, with the National Institute of Occupational Safety determining 900 as unsafe and many have yet to be tested.
One major problem ingredient in skincare products is preservatives. Preservatives do not make products any more effective; their sole purpose is to increase the shelf life. Without preservative, the good ingredients will begin to die immediately after the product has been manufactured and bacteria/ fungus will grow in the product once it has been exposed to unclean hands. However, scientific evidence shows that both synthetic and natural preservatives have negative effects on the skin and actually speed up the ageing process, can seriously contribute to skin problems and cause threats to your health.
Ironically, women are using these products to look more beautiful, but in the process are actually damaging the overall health of their skin and actually increasing aging. You really need to be aware of what you are putting on your skin. While many companies claim their products are "all natural" and of the "finest quality," a close look at the ingredients reveals they contain toxic synthetic preservatives, ‘suspected' carcinogens, drying alcohols, and synthetic fragrances and dyes. All of which potentially contribute to allergies, headaches, rashes, asthma, hormonal imbalances, cancer, reproductive complications and a myriad other physical and emotional concerns.
Believe it or not, the very products that you may think are natural and beneficial for you are the very products that contain ingredients that may be posing a serious threat to your health. For example, Parabens, including methyl-, butyl-, ethyl-and propyl, are toxic and allergenic preservatives which often cause skin irritation, and which have been implicated in the rising incidence of breast cancer. According to study published in 2004 in the Journal of Applied Toxicology, parabens have been found in tissue samples from human breast tumors. Methylparaben in particular, have also been shown to increase the damage to skin caused by UV light, thus increasing the aging of skin.
The major key in reducing aging skin and restoring youthful lustre is to avoid preservatives in your skin care products. So make an educated decision to use products that are paraben and preservative free. A good book to refer to is "The Truth About Cosmetics...And Some Natural Alternatives" by Haru Naito.
The skin is the largest eliminatory organ in the body and absorbs chemicals into the bloodstream and tissues. It is a two-way membrane. Toxins are eliminated through the skin via perspiration and absorbed through the skin into the body's circulation system, through hair follicles and sebaceous glands. It is incredibly well vascularised and can easily absorb many of the toxic ingredients in skin care preparations.
As outlined the scientific evidence points to the fact that we should all avoid toxic preservatives in skin care products. Until now, most skin care products in around the world have contained preservatives that promote skin aging. However, new skin care technology has developed and there are now a few unique skin care ranges on the market that have eliminated preservatives , with the goal to support the skin's state of wellness and protect the skin from premature aging, along with using only certified organic ingredients to nourish the skin.
A new era of non-invasive skin care is a huge breakthrough for the health conscious consumer and means there is no accelerated aging of the skin or risk to your health. However, one of the biggest challenges we have is to educate people in how to safely choose skin care products that are actually safe and will improve the appearance of their skin. Simply put, people who use 100 percent preservative free skin care with ingredients that support skin health will experience beautiful healthy skin and prevent the visible signs of aging.
