What to Know About Skincare Product Labels

Can't decide which skincare products to buy? As for many buyers, they tend to just read the bold labels without analyzing the ingredients list. This is not good as many manufacturers would try to lure a consumer into buying their products by using eye-catching terms that don't really mean anything. Here are just some of the words or phrases you'll find in the packaging:

Hypoallergenic

While there's nothing wrong to opt for products with hypoallergenic labels, it doesn't guarantee that the product won't irritate your skin. Manufacturers formulate this product and label it as hypoallergenic to mean that it is less likely to irritate your skin. However, each person's skin is unique. Different skins react differently from products. if you still get breakouts or allergic reactions from the product, stop using it.

Natural

Many manufacturers love putting on the natural label in front of their skincare products. It implies that natural is always better than synthetic ingredients. But natural is a broad term. Some natural ingredients can even cause irritation and breakouts. On the other hand, if you are looking for a particular natural ingredient that you know is great for the skin, you still have to check whether that ingredient is listed on top. Many manufacturers boast about an effective natural ingredient in their product even if it is only used in small concentrations. 

Unscented

Opting for fragrance-free products will indeed benefit your sensitive skin. But the term 'unscented' isn't synonymous to 'fragrance-free.' This label doesn't spell out any benefits and only refers to the fact that the product has no noticeable smell. However, despite having no odor, it may still contain fragrances to mask the unpleasant odor that naturally results from the formulation, or may be used as preservatives.

Recommended by Dermatologist

It is a very confounding phrase to include in the packaging. Who is the dermatologist? Does he or she works for the company? 

Dermatologist Tested

Likewise, to claim a product to be dermatologist tested would arise a handful of questions, such as who is he, and from what institution? What are the results of the test? Who are the subjects of the test?

Cosmeceutical

It's a term invented by manufacturers themselves to make the product appear medical. However, unlike medicines, cosmeceuticals don't undergo government regulations. Thus, manufacturers can put whatever ingredients they want. They claim to have added benefits of a drug, but in fact, some skincare products without the label can work as effectively.

Cruelty-Free

It's a label for a cause, but doesn't relate to the products skincare benefits. If you love animals, this is definitely a label you would love to see. However, keep in mind that the specific ingredients used in the product are not guaranteed to have been cruelty-free. In fact, there might be a possibility that the ingredients had been tested on animals. Rather, the label refers to the finished product as not having been tested on animals instead of the specific ingredients listed.

Food for Healthy Skin

Source: Photorack.net

Maybe you've been very diligently choosing the right skincare products, reading all the labels and fine prints of all the bottles, tubes, and tubs in the beauty aisle of the store. Having the best of these products in your beauty arsenal doesn't guarantee though that you'll have great skin. Aside from the products you apply topically, don't you know that one basic skin care is also eating the right kinds of food?

So what do you need to eat for a healthy looking skin? Here are some of the things you should look for:

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Also known as the good fats, omega-3 promotes a healthy barrier for our cells, which is important to help keep the moisture into the skin. Aside from promoting healthy barriers for a soft and supple skin, Omega-3 also minimizes the body's level of inflammatory compounds, chemicals that are responsible for the development of wrinkles. Thus, eating omega-3 rich foods slows down the aging process.

Food Sources: salmon, mackerel, tuna, flax seeds, canola oil

Beta Carotene

A nutrient that gives some plants its red, yellow, or orange color, beta carotene contributes to skin health by protecting the skin from the damages of sun exposure. Beta carotene is also a source of Vitamin A or retinol, an essential nutrient for healthy skin. Vitamin A taken from supplements becomes dangerous when taken in excessive amounts. On the other hand, Vitamin A coming from beta carotene sources is a much safer way to acquire the nutrient, because the body only converts beta carotene to as much as what the body needs.

Food Sources: carrots, sweet potatoes, apricots

Zinc

Zinc helps repair damaged skin tissues and reduces inflammation. It is especially helpful to acne sufferers, as zinc helps reduce sebum production and scarring. In fact, studies show that people with acne lacks zinc in their diet. In addition, zinc also helps protect the skin against sun damage.

Food Sources: turkey, nuts, whole grains, oysters, eggs, dairy products

Vitamin C or Ascorbic Acid

Many skincare manufacturers nowadays add Vitamin C as the key ingredient to their products. Indeed, Vitamin C is an essential vitamin to keeping the skin healthy and beautiful. Not only can Vitamin C slow down the effects of free radicals (molecules that are produced by UV rays and unhealthy eating) that lead to premature aging, its derivative ascorbic C 2-phosphate can also reverse DNA damage. Vitamin C is also a key production to collagen, a protein that gives the skin firmness.

Food Sources: kiwis, oranges, bell peppers, tomatoes, limes, cauliflower, brocolli

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is another antioxidant that protects the skin from the damaging effects of free radicals. It can also reduce sunburn from UVB rays. Vitamin E is fat-soluble and is secreted to the skin in the form of sebum. It is not recommended to take Vitamin E supplements because too much of it increases the risk to cardiovascular disease.

Food Sources: sunflower seeds, nuts, olive oil, sunflower oil, wheat germ oil, sweet potato, mango, spinach

Pantothenic Acid or B5

Pantothenic acid is responsible for wound healing. It is an essential vitamin for skin cell regeneration and development. This water-soluble vitamin increases the levels of glutathione, an antioxidant that fights against the effects of free radicals.

Food Sources: egg yolk, brocolli, chicken, liver, kidney, fish, avocado

Selenium 

Selenium is a mineral responsible for the antioxidative property of glutathione. Gluthatione helps defend the skin against the harmful effects of free radicals that come from UV radiation, pollutants, and stress. Evidences show that selenium is also a key component to help reduce the risk of skin cancer. However, too much selenium, as a result of taking supplements, lead to harmful effects. 

Food Sources: shellfish, nuts, liver, shrimp, crab

Tea

Aside from the fact that tea is a good source of antioxidant flavonoids, one type of tea - green tea - is the best food source for catechins. Catechins are also antioxidants, which is far more powerful than Vitamin C and E in helping to fight against the damaging effects of free radicals. A study shows that drinking 3 cups of oolong tea reduces the symptoms of eczema by 54%.

Read about the different types of tea.

Final Words

While you may be tempted to take supplements right away, it is far more efficient to take these nutrients coming from whole foods. The body needs different components of nutrients in order to benefit your skin the most. A well-balanced diet is the key to good skin health. Remember, by having a nutritious diet, your skin will not be the only organ to benefit, but also your whole body.

Sources:

http://www.webmd.com/healthy-beauty/features/want-healthy-skin-feed-well

http://www.umm.edu

http://chriskresser.com/nutrition-for-skin-health

http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/benefit_of_drinking_green_tea

List of Comedogenic Ingredients

I've previously written about ingredients that won't clog pores. Within that post, I have placed a link to a very helpful website about the topic. Now, I myself have been studying rigorously about comedogenicity (which is the ability of an ingredient to clog pores, resulting to comedones or acne), because admittedly, I have never fully overcome my acne condition. Some days I get nearly perfect skin, but many times, zits would reappear from one spot to another. It's really frustrating to achieve a flawless skin especially that I have a very oily skin.

After poring my nose over the different resources available online, I came upon a study by James E. Fulton etal., which has probably become the main reference of manufacturing skincare products. This study tested several ingredients commonly found in skincare products on a rabbit's ear to see if they can result to the formation of comedones. This is based on the premise that the presence of a comedogenic ingredient makes a product comedogenic overall. 

For the ingredients that were used in the study, a rating of 0-5 was used to indicate the level of comedogenicity, where 0 means noncomedogenic, and 5 as highly comedogenic. You will also see another scale pointing to level of irritancy of the ingredients, where 0 means non-irritating, and 5 as highly irritating. Note that a rabbit's inner ear is thinner and more sensitive than human skin, thus, some mildly rated ingredients might not be comedogenic to human skin at all.

List of highly comedogenic ingredients (4-5/5):

Acetylated Lanolin Alcohol

Cetearyl alcohol + ceteareth 20

Cetyl Acetate

Cocoa butter

Coconut butter

Ethylhexyl pelargonate

Glyceryl-30-diisostearate

Isocetyl Alcohol

Isopropyl isotearate

Isopropyl linolate

Isopropyl myristate

Isopropyl palmitate

Isopropyl isostearate

Laureth-4

Lauric Acid

Myristyl lactate

Myristyl myristate

Oleth-3

Oleyl alcohol

PEG 16 Lanolin (Solusan 16)

Polyglyceryl-3-diisostearate

PPG 5 Ceteth 10 phosphate

Steareth-10

Stearyl heptanoate

Xylene

List of moderately comedogenic ingredients (3/5):

Avocado oil (2)**

Butyl stearate

Corn oil

Cotton seed oil

D&C red #3

D&C red #17

D&C red #30

D&C red #36

Decyl oleate

Dioctyl malate

Dioctyl succinate

Evening primrose oil

Glyceryl stearate SE

Hydrogenated vegetable oil

Isodecyl oleate*

Isotearyl neopentanoate

Laureth-23

Mink oil (2)**

Myristic acid

Oleth-5

PEG 8 stearate

PEG 200 dilaurate

PG monostearate (0-3)

PPG 2 myristyl propionate

PPG 10 cetyl ether

Sesame oil (1)**

Shark liver oil

Sorbitan oleate

Soybean oil

Stearic acid*

Stearic acid: TEA

Sulfated jojoba oil

Tocopherol*

Wheat germ glyceride

Vitamin A palmitate*

Water-soluble sulfur

(Note: * depends on source of raw material; **number in parethesis indicates results for "refined" oil)

List of irritating ingredients (3-5/5):

Caprylic acid

Ceteareth-20

Ethylhexyl pelargonate

Isocetyl alcohol

Isopropyl myristate

Isostearyl neopentanoate

Laureth-4

Myristyl alcohol

PEG 16 lanolin (Solusan 16)

PG  laurate

Steareth-10

Tocopherol*

Tridectyl neopentanoate

Vitamin A palmitate

Xylene

(Note: * depends on source of raw material)

Now after reviewing the list, I've realized I have been using many skincare products containing many highly comedogenic ingredients. I had made sure all my products contain the "noncomedogenic" label, but as I've found out, having such label doesn't mean they are completely free of these ingredients. It is important to note though that it might be premature to conclude that having comedogenic ingredients result to comedogenic products. It is probable that certain combinations of compounds reduce the likelihood of clogging pores. Certain major offenders though, such as isopropyl myristate, acetylated lanolin alcohol, lauric acid derivatives such as laureth-4, should be used with caution. The researchers did not believe that using a lower concentration of the aforementioned offenders would make the overall product less likely to clog pores. For the overall comedogenicity of skincare products, it was suggested by the researchers that more tests should be done in the future.

Perhaps companies have already been conducting their own tests, only that they don't publish the results for the public eye. Watching out for each and every ingredient is indeed a tedious task. So I've decided, as long as the product didn't break me out, I would continue to use it, despite the inclusion of comedogenic ingredients. On the other hand, if you do know other publications regarding comedogenicity, feel free to share it here.

If you're interested to read the entire research, here's the link:

http://journal.scconline.org/pdf/cc1989/cc040n06/p00321-p00333.pdf