Cosmetic Warning

Hey Subbies,

I've been pretty tired these past few weeks possibly due to stress but finally getting over the hump of it all. School is full swing and I'm in school longer than usual this year since the administration decided to switch us to semesters.

Since we're on the topic of stress. All your young adult life you've probably heard stay away from products that contain oil and thus oil free trend was born. Many people have switch to organic or "natural" products nowadays. However, I want to talk about products that could be causing more harm than good to your skin be it naturál or not. You've probably heard the word or term Comedogenic that is linked to cosmetics products containing or is a byproduct of ingredients that are known to block pores. The products either stay on the skin and get wrapped in oil and dead skin creating clog pores or irritate the skin causing dry skin to flake up and mix with other skin and oil in reaction to the irritant causing block pores.

Here are the Top ingredients that could be breaking you out:

Myristyl myristate |Myristyl lactate [Myristic acid]

Myristyl Myristate aka tetradecanoic acid,a Fatty acid that occurs naturally in some foods. It's salt and ester forms may be used in eye makeup, soaps and detergents, hair care products, nail care products, shaving products and other skin care products. It used as an agent to bind, emulsive, and anti caking when combined with compounds like sodium or potassium hydroxide. Exposure would cause irritation with only minor residual injury.

Laureth-4 [Sodium laureth sulfate | Laureth-23]

Laureth-4 and Laureth-23 are polyoxyethers of lauryl alcohol. They are a clear, colorless liquids. In cosmetics and personal care products, Laureth-4 and Laureth-23 are used in the formulation of a variety of bath, eye, facial, hair, cleansing and sunscreen products. They are also used in cuticle softeners, deodorants and moisturizing products. Exposure would cause irritation with only minor residual injury.It's as bubbling agent that not environmentally friendly of which small amounts of 1,4-dioxane, a by-product of ethoxylation, may be found in the Laureth ingredients. Exposure would cause irritation with only minor residual injury.

Isopropyl isostearate

Isopropyl Isostearate is the ester of isopropyl alcohol and stearic acid. It is a liquid. In cosmetics and personal care products, Isopropyl Isostearate acts as a lubricant on the skin's surface giving it a soft and smooth appearance. It may also act as a binder. CIR Safety Review: In addition to the review of data on Isopropyl Isostearate, a summary of the data on chemically similar cosmetic ingredients as such as Isopropyl Stearate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Isopropyl Myristate, and Isopropyl Lanolate was also included in the report as these have been reviewed previously by the CIR Expert Panel and found to be safe at concentrations used in cosmetics and personal care products. 

Butyl stearate

The stearate esters are oily liquids or waxy solids. Ethylhexyl Stearate may also be called Octyl Stearate. Stearate esters act primarily as lubricants on the skin's surface, which gives the skin a soft and smooth appearance. Butyl Stearate also decreases the thickness of lipsticks, thereby lessening the drag on lips, and imparts water repelling characteristics to nail polishes. Butyl Stearate and Isopropyl Stearate dry to form a thin coating on the skin. Isocetyl Stearate can also be used to dissolve other substances, usually liquids.

Oleth-3 [1-50]

Oleth are polyethylene glycol ethers of oleyl alcohol in which the number in the name is the average number of ethylene oxide units. Consistent with information on other surfactants, data on the Oleth ingredients indicated evidence of mild to moderate eye and skin irritation. 

Isopropyl palmitate -4

Ethylhexyl Palmitate, also called Octyl Palmitate, is a clear, colorless, practically odorless liquid. The Palmitate ingredients act as lubricants on the skin's surface, which gives the skin a soft and smooth appearance. Isopropyl Palmitate may be used as a binder which is an ingredient added to compounded dry powder mixtures of solids to provide adhesive qualities during and after compression to make tablets or cakes. Eye irritation tests on the Palmitates produced either very slight ocular irritation or none at all. 

Coconut butter

Coconut Butter can cause pores to clog but is not irritant. Coconut oil, being a triglyceride of lauric acid (principal fatty acid), has a high affinity for hair proteins and, because of its low molecular weight and straight linear chain. Coconut oil was the only oil found to reduce the protein loss remarkably for both undamaged and damaged hair when used as a pre-wash and post-wash grooming product.

Lanolin [Acetylated lanolin | Acetylated lanolin alcohol]

Lanolin is an ointment-like material isolated from wool that is sheared from sheep. Lanolin can be separated into Lanolin Oil, a liquid phase, and Lanolin Wax a solid phase. Acetylated Lanolin Alcohol results when acetate is added to Lanolin Alcohol. Lanolin and its related ingredients are widely used in the formulation of cosmetics and personal care products. Tests with Acetylated Lanolin, its related cosmetic ingredients, and with numerous cosmetics and personal care products containing these materials attest to the safety of these ingredients used in cosmetics and personal care products. The acute toxicity of these materials is low and tests for skin sensitization are negative. Extensive clinical experience indicates that there is a low incidence of sensitivity to these materials among exposed persons. This appears to be mainly due to the Lanolin Alcohols. There was no evidence of photosensitization. However, comedogenic effects, or the formation of pimples, from cosmetics and personal care products containing Lanolin and related materials have been reported.

Ethylhexyl palmitate

Ethylhexyl Palmitate, also called Octyl Palmitate, is a clear, colorless, practically odorless liquid. Cetyl Palmitate is a white, crystalline, wax-like substance. Isopropyl Palmitate is a colorless, almost odorless, liquid. It is used in cosmetics and personal care products, the Palmitates are used in a wide spectrum of products as lubricants on the skin's surface, which gives the skin a soft and smooth appearance. Isopropyl Palmitate may be used as a binder which is an ingredient added to compounded dry powder mixtures of solids to provide adhesive qualities during and after compression to make tablets or cakes. Eye irritation tests on the Palmitates produced either very slight ocular irritation or none at all. One of three products containing 40%-50% Ethylhexyl Palmitate produced mild irritation. 

Octinoxate

Octinoxate, also called Octyl methoxycinnamate or (OMC), is a UV filter. It can be absorbed rapidly through skin. Octinoxate has been detected in human urine, blood and breast milk, which indicates that humans are systemically exposed to this compound [1,2]. Octinoxate is an endocrine disruptor that mimics estrogen and can disrupt thyroid function. It's found in hair color products and shampoos, sunscreen, lipstick, nail polish, skin creams.

Bismuth [Bismuth oxychloride]

Bismuth, a by-product of lead and copper metal refining. An iridescent element with the highest atomic mass that used in several formulated compounds but not a lot of  consumers know that it is slightly Radioactive as of 2003. However, it is used in many mineral make up brand ingredients in many compound forms.The standard primary ingredient included in most powders that are referred to as "mineral makeup." The claim for bismuth oxychloride (which is also known as synthetic pearl) is that it is all-natural and better for skin than talc.

Check out my post about some useful oils for the body. Lastly, check out Marlene's video, she's the founder of  Makeup Greek and also inspired me to do this post.

Sources:

Cosmetics Info

Ance.org