How Safe Is Your Skin Care Product ? Harmful Ingredients in Skin Care Products

The skin care market is a multi million dollar industry. Most of us are willing to shell out extra money if it guarantees beautiful and young skin. Many manufacturers of skin products know that. We are willing to become a guinea pig for their expensive experiments. We are paying for giving our free service(our skin) for their research. Shouldn't it be the other way round because most of the time these products don't do justice to what they claim. There are marketing gimmicks like refund for products you are not satisfied with. The damage has already been done to your skin. Huge money is invested in skin care products marketing and their product presentation rather than research. It is very simple for the manufacturers to bring a new product in the market. It just needs a variety of ingredients packed in some attractive bottles and a celebrity endorsing it. Most of us know that these celebrities have never used these products but we will gladly use them as we want clear skin like them.

Latest in demand is for anti-aging skin care products which have been flooded in the market. These products are very expensive. The actual product may not be that expensive but we are paying for the marketing and advertisements also.

We are willing to pay extra but not willing to gather information about the ingredients of these products, on whether they are harmful or beneficial for the skin. You may be surprised that most of the ingredients actually damage the skin after prolong usage. Some skin care products turn out to be skin scare products.

Some skin care products use harmful ingredients

Many skin care products use mineral oil in the form of liquid paraffin or petroleum. It harms the skin and we thought petroleum jelly was good for skin.It is a bye product and cheap. All of us take utmost care to clean our skin regularly so that our skin can breathe. This way it remains healthy but what if we clogged the pores. We are aware that this will result in blackheads and pimples, rashes even. Mineral oil can clog the pores.

We follow the instructions mentioned on these face products to apply before going to bed. After thorough cleansing we apply these lotions at night, instead of leaving the skin to produce its own oils. When we stop using the products, our skin becomes dry so we continue using them thereby damaging the skin all the more. Some ingredients like dioxane, parabens are known to cause skin cancer. Originally dioxane was derived from the shell of coconut. Nowadays it is synthetically derived which can be easily absorbed by the skin leading to cancer. Few years back we heard about some skin products causing skin cancer. Be careful while choosing these products. You may end up with more than you asked for.

Even fragrances of skin care products are due to the chemicals found in them. Some known to contain toxins or carcinogens. To increase the shelf life parabens are used also known to cause cancer, irritation to skin as well. Many times allergic reaction takes place after applying some skin care lotions or creams. It is because of this irritating ingredient. Methanol, ethanol or benzyl alcohol cause dryness to skin by removing their natural oil and making the skin prone to infections. Slowly and steadily the skin looses its elasticity and wrinkles form making you look old. And then you start using their anti-aging products. This cycle doesn't end here.

We know that skin looses its elasticity because the body produces less elastin and collagen after a certain age. These proteins are responsible for the elasticity of the skin. Avoid exposure to sun as it affects the collagen fibers leading to wrinkles and fine lines which first begin around the eyes and slowly make roads on your face. Many skin care products boasts of unique products that can be absorbed by the pores to produce new collagen and elastin.

Home remedies for glowing skin

There are some home remedies for skin care which are helpful in maintaining a healthy and glowing skin. These are all natural remedies without any side effects but giving great results.

Ten best skin care tips

• Use green Coconut water for your skin. You may drink it as well for better results. Have mentioned how coconut water is used as beauty treatment in one of my earlier hubs Coconut water-Health benefits .
• Use Olive oil for your face especially around your eyes. The lines will disappear gradually. You will see the results.It is rich in Vitamin E which is very good for skin. Buy Extra virgin olive oil.It can reverse your aging if applied daily. Protects from UV rays. Can be used as sunscreen.
• Apply castor oil for removing scars. Rub for 15-20 minutes until it is absorbed completely.
• Soak almond in milk and leave overnight.Next morning apply it on your face. Almond is another natural source of Vitamin E and moisturizes your skin along with giving a glow to it.
• Mix honey with clotted cream(malai) and apply it on your face. Leave it for 15-20 minutes and wash it. Be gentle while washing as the skin tightens up after drying.
• Apply sandalwood on your face. Sandalwood is antiseptic, softens and soothes the skin. Also helps in skin tightening. Sandalwood is known for its aroma and this property is used in aroma therapy for healing the skin and various skin disorders. It fights wrinkles and fine lines,besides curing pimples.
• Apply Aloe vera on your face. It has anti inflammatory properties It heals and removes acne scars even. There are plenty of acne products you must have tried before. Aloe vera will replace them once you try this treatment.
• Ripe papaya also is good for a glowing skin. Rub it on you face and leave it for some time. Wash it and see the glow.
• Use tomato juice along with turmeric powder. It will clear blackheads.helps in cleaning and rejuvenating the skin. Tomato juice is also another acne remedy.
• One of the best treatments for Oily skin is Gram flour or besan mixed with turmeric powder. Make a paste of besan and turmeric powder in cold milk. You can use water also instead of milk. Apply it on your face and let it dry for 15-20 Min's. Do not talk during this period or you may end up with fine lines. Wash your face when it dries up. This can be done once or twice a week depending upon the skin texture. Besan tends to dry your face so not advisable for people with dry skin. It can be used along with clotted cream to clean your face for people who have dry skin. This is a natural face cleanser and smooth-ens your skin.Believe me, many people prefer washing face with besan rather than face wash as the face dries up and the skin becomes itchy when you use face wash regularly.

These are some natural home remedies which will save your money. You will not have to undergo expensive face skin treatments to look good. Good food for good skin so eat well. Eat a healthy diet having lots of fruits and drink plenty of water. Sleep well so that your skin looks fresh and healthy every morning.