Is the Stuff in Your Skin Cream Scary?
Is the Stuff in Your Skin Cream Scary? Just because it’s sold in your favorite store doesn’t mean that your skin cream is safe. Find out more about your skin care creams by watching this video.
Expert: Adam Friedman, MD, FAAD Assistant Professor of Dermatology, Director of Dermatologic Research, Associate Residency Program Director, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Transcript
Many of us assume that if it’s in a skincare product, the ingredient is automatically safe. The truth IS that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)DA DOESN’T regulate skincare products, so unlike medications, they’re NOT rigorously tested.
The FDA counts skincare products as a cosmetic and not as medication. Therefore, knowing how to interpret a skin care label is non-negotiable! Let’s start by looking at the ingredients your skin will savor. Among the greatest components are antioxidants, agents that fight free radicals, (unstable oxygen molecules.) If left unchecked, free radicals damage skin cells and DNA, accelerating the signs of aging.
The most effective and safest antioxidant ingredients are RETINOL, which is a form of Vitamin A found in prescription products like Retin-A, and in over-the-counter creams and L-ASCORBIC ACID, or Vitamin C, which is the only antioxidant that is known to encourage skin’s creation of extra collagen, an agent that encourages plumping and smoothing.
If you’re seeking a cream that will also lighten your skin, you may notice hydroquinone or kojic acid printed on the label. The ingredients are both known for their efficiency in bleaching the skin, so they’re perfect for women with sun spots and the darkening of the skin common after pregnancy.
Meanwhile, alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) exfoliate skin and reduce fine lines or scars. All four glycolic, lactic, citric and tartaric are active ingredients in skincare.
Another acid addition, HYALURONIC acid, is made by your body to cushion and lubricate skin by holding onto 1000 TIMES its weight in water. This keeps the deeper portions of your skin pliable and youthful.
Finally, don’t fear salicylic acid, also known as beta-hydroxy acid. This product is particularly good for treating acne.
But not all the stuff in your skin care products is safe or beneficial. On the list of No Good, Very Bad Stuff, look for Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate (ALS). Although they increase the foaming action of your face wash, these synthetic chemicals can cause serious skin irritation in the short-term, and because of their ability to build up in the body may lead to toxic damage over time.
You’ll also want to watch out for parabens, chemical preservatives which are known to be irritating to skin, can cause allergic reactions, and may be toxic over time. Frighteningly, a study held in 2004 in the UK found parabens in high concentrations in breast cancer tumors!
And skip polyethylene glycol, a cosmetic thickener that actually HASTENS aging by interfering with the skin’s natural moisture balance.
Beauty may only be skin deep, but the products you use to get pretty will definitely sink deeper. So learn a little label know-how!
Last Modified: 2012-11-17
