kinikini2
2004-10-30, 03:45 AM
Has anyone noticed that their skin breaks out when they use certain products e.g. lanolin? /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif I've had a particularly bad year skin-wise, and have been sleuthing around trying to determine the trigger. The only thing could come up with was lanolin, a major ingredient in certain conditioners I was using (specfically LUST, which I had to give up and go back to using trusty old Nexxus Humectress).
I found this online to corroborate: (From megazit.com) If you've had a similar experience, please do share...
TIA.
What ingredients in cosmetics cause acne?
After the frustration of watching cosmetics precipitate acne in many patients, Dr. Fulton (co-developer Retin A) and his team of researchers began testing the basic ingredients of more than 200 cosmetics to determine their effects on skin pores. The results were published in a booklet called " Let's Talk Cosmetics", one of the most requested reprints from Vivant. The following is an excerpt.
LET'S TALK COSMETICS
By James E. Fulton Jr, MD, Ph. D
A Word about sebum
Before we discuss cosmetic ingredients, we should consider the skin's own surface oil, sebum. Assuming that sebum is beneficial to the skin, cosmetic chemist duplicated this substance for the manufacture of cosmetics. Unfortunately, however, we know of no benefits to be derived from sebum. This oil is simply a vestige whose function has been lost in the process of evolution. The last know use of sebum was a territorial maker for male gerbils and hamsters.
The claim that sebum is necessary for moisturizing the skin is a little bit absurd when you consider that the finest skin is found in eight year old boys and eunuchs, neither of which have any sebum.
Sebum does not prevent wrinkles. Wrinkling or aging of the skin, is a reflection of accumulated sun damage, and no moisturizer in the world is capable of reversing this exhaustion of tissue.
Although functionless, sebum is complex, composed of six or seven principle ingredients, including triglycerides and squalene, a precursor of cholesterol. The triglycerides are broken down on the surface of the skin by bacteria to free fatty acids which cause acne impactions in genetically predisposed families. As we shall see, many cosmetics also contain these acids (stearic acid is a favorite); but worse, cosmetics contain esters of fatty acids such as isopropyl mystrate or butyl stearate which are more potent even than our own fatty acids in the production of some acne lesions.
The three main categories of offending ingredients
Lanolins
In testing cosmetic ingredients, lanolin was our first consideration as it is, perhaps, the most common ingredient in cosmetics. (Most commonly lipsticks are lanolin rich.) Lanolin is no esoteric or magic ingredient; it is simply sheep skin oil extracted from wool. The fatty acids in lanolin, like fatty acids in our own oil, tend to aggravate some acne in skin of individuals with genetic tendency toward the disease.
Many lanolin derivatives currently being used in cosmetics are harmful to acne prone individual, i.e., etoxylated lanolins and acetylate lanolins. The partially synthetic lanolins are able to penetrate skin pores even better than natural lanolin. Lanolin oil, itself is acceptable.
Isopropyl Myristate and it's Chemical Cousins
One of the worse offenders is a penetrating oil called isopropyl myristate, the major ingredient in a can of penetrating rust remover, Liquid Wrench. Isopropyl myristate helps cosmetics apply more smoothly and gives them a slicker, sheer feel. This particular penetrating oil is so aggressive that if left over night in a beaker will actually migrate over the top, down the sides and onto the table top. These are many chemicals similar to isopropyl myristate in cosmetics. The most common are: isopropyl palmitate, isopropyl isothermal, putty sterate, isostearyl neopentonate, myristyl myristate, decyl oleate, octyl sterate, octyl palmitate and isocetyl stearate and PPG myristyl propionate. All must be avoided, as must other surfactants such as laureth-4
D&C Pigments
Perhaps one our most troublesome recent finding is the acne-producing potential in the red tints used in blushes. Some of the D&C (Drug & Cosmetic) red dyes are comedogenic, which is not surprising considering they are coal tar derivatives. Ever since doctors noticed that acne was an occupational hazard of chimney sweeps, coal tar has been known for it's acne-causing properties.
An acceptable substitute for red color is carmine, a dye derived from insect wings and discovered by the Aztecs.
An Important Note:
Avoid all skin care products that have derivatives of lanolin, analogs of isopropyl myristate, laureth-4 and D&C red dyes
Read labels carefully as cosmetic manufacturers change their formulas frequently. Some products may contain trace amounts of the troublesome ingredients. In minute quantities these ingredients can be used in some skin care products and still produce acceptable results when applied to the skin.
I found this online to corroborate: (From megazit.com) If you've had a similar experience, please do share...
TIA.
What ingredients in cosmetics cause acne?
After the frustration of watching cosmetics precipitate acne in many patients, Dr. Fulton (co-developer Retin A) and his team of researchers began testing the basic ingredients of more than 200 cosmetics to determine their effects on skin pores. The results were published in a booklet called " Let's Talk Cosmetics", one of the most requested reprints from Vivant. The following is an excerpt.
LET'S TALK COSMETICS
By James E. Fulton Jr, MD, Ph. D
A Word about sebum
Before we discuss cosmetic ingredients, we should consider the skin's own surface oil, sebum. Assuming that sebum is beneficial to the skin, cosmetic chemist duplicated this substance for the manufacture of cosmetics. Unfortunately, however, we know of no benefits to be derived from sebum. This oil is simply a vestige whose function has been lost in the process of evolution. The last know use of sebum was a territorial maker for male gerbils and hamsters.
The claim that sebum is necessary for moisturizing the skin is a little bit absurd when you consider that the finest skin is found in eight year old boys and eunuchs, neither of which have any sebum.
Sebum does not prevent wrinkles. Wrinkling or aging of the skin, is a reflection of accumulated sun damage, and no moisturizer in the world is capable of reversing this exhaustion of tissue.
Although functionless, sebum is complex, composed of six or seven principle ingredients, including triglycerides and squalene, a precursor of cholesterol. The triglycerides are broken down on the surface of the skin by bacteria to free fatty acids which cause acne impactions in genetically predisposed families. As we shall see, many cosmetics also contain these acids (stearic acid is a favorite); but worse, cosmetics contain esters of fatty acids such as isopropyl mystrate or butyl stearate which are more potent even than our own fatty acids in the production of some acne lesions.
The three main categories of offending ingredients
Lanolins
In testing cosmetic ingredients, lanolin was our first consideration as it is, perhaps, the most common ingredient in cosmetics. (Most commonly lipsticks are lanolin rich.) Lanolin is no esoteric or magic ingredient; it is simply sheep skin oil extracted from wool. The fatty acids in lanolin, like fatty acids in our own oil, tend to aggravate some acne in skin of individuals with genetic tendency toward the disease.
Many lanolin derivatives currently being used in cosmetics are harmful to acne prone individual, i.e., etoxylated lanolins and acetylate lanolins. The partially synthetic lanolins are able to penetrate skin pores even better than natural lanolin. Lanolin oil, itself is acceptable.
Isopropyl Myristate and it's Chemical Cousins
One of the worse offenders is a penetrating oil called isopropyl myristate, the major ingredient in a can of penetrating rust remover, Liquid Wrench. Isopropyl myristate helps cosmetics apply more smoothly and gives them a slicker, sheer feel. This particular penetrating oil is so aggressive that if left over night in a beaker will actually migrate over the top, down the sides and onto the table top. These are many chemicals similar to isopropyl myristate in cosmetics. The most common are: isopropyl palmitate, isopropyl isothermal, putty sterate, isostearyl neopentonate, myristyl myristate, decyl oleate, octyl sterate, octyl palmitate and isocetyl stearate and PPG myristyl propionate. All must be avoided, as must other surfactants such as laureth-4
D&C Pigments
Perhaps one our most troublesome recent finding is the acne-producing potential in the red tints used in blushes. Some of the D&C (Drug & Cosmetic) red dyes are comedogenic, which is not surprising considering they are coal tar derivatives. Ever since doctors noticed that acne was an occupational hazard of chimney sweeps, coal tar has been known for it's acne-causing properties.
An acceptable substitute for red color is carmine, a dye derived from insect wings and discovered by the Aztecs.
An Important Note:
Avoid all skin care products that have derivatives of lanolin, analogs of isopropyl myristate, laureth-4 and D&C red dyes
Read labels carefully as cosmetic manufacturers change their formulas frequently. Some products may contain trace amounts of the troublesome ingredients. In minute quantities these ingredients can be used in some skin care products and still produce acceptable results when applied to the skin.