Toxic Skincare - Are YOUR Products Safe And Are You Getting The Results You Want?

I have just seen an article on the subject of toxic skincare entitled 'The Beautiful But Poisoned Chalice'. That sums up the topic so well. Let us face it. The bottom line for any skincare product is how safe it is and if it gets you results. The evidence, the statistics and the facts all point to a horrible truth though.

Let me just stick to the facts so that I do not get carried away because, quite frankly, I could write a book about this subject.

Here are some facts from my research. The first concerns an organization called 'The Personal Care Products Council'. Sounds innocent enough but this is the umbrella organization for all the mainstream cosmaceutical companies you see on TV and in the shopping mall. They are now lobbying against any attempt to make skincare products safer! The have even launched a PR campaign to emphasis that their products are not a threat to our health.

But there is the European Union legislation which has cast a long shadow on the US cosmaceutical industry because in 2004, it had already banned 1,200 toxic skincare ingredients used in cosmetics and more are in the pipeline.

But these substances are still allowed in the USA. They range from parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde releasing agents, sulphates, DEA and a host of other chemicals all heavily implicated in some pretty nasty diseases.

To counteract the PR push by the industry, The Campaign For Safe Cosmetics has launched a campaign for safer products and has based its goals on the European Union legislation as a guideline.

So, the first step in making sure that your skincare products are not a health threat is to simply ensure that the company you are buying from is signed up for The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. They have pledged to discontinue using hazardous ingredients within three years and are totally committed to safer skincare products. The industry is facing a challenge and it will be interesting to see if consumers' associations can lobby effectively.

How can you make sure that toxic skincare products are not part of your personal care regime? Look out for natural and organic ingredients and make sure that they are in the product in active quantities. That means they should be at the top of the label list. Then make sure that there is a complete list of all ingredients on the website and that there is clinical data to support their safety and effectiveness.

To shorten your learning curve, I have built a website on the safer ingredients so that you do not have to do a long arduous search on the Internet and you can avoid toxic skincare. Do yourself a favor by clicking through because there is going to be a long battle ahead and you want to be on the winning side. Basically your health is at stake and that is no exaggeration!

No more excuses! If you are tired of the same old worthless products that fail to live up to their promises, isn't it time you took action? Discover which are the toxic skincare products to avoid. William Colbert is passionate about natural, safe skincare and has extensively researched the best skin friendly ingredients on the market to-day.


Author: William Colbert



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Revolutionary Skincare - How To Approach Skincare Realistically And Still Get Great Results!

When you think about it, revolutionary skincare is a term which is rather loosely used these days. It is used to sell all sorts of skincare products and is often supported by glowing testimonials, superb packaging and pricing which is sometimes exorbitant. I noticed one small bottle of skincare fluid was selling for a mere $150 the other day!

So we have to approach skincare realistically and in a rather pragmatic way. What criteria can we apply so that we know whether a product is above safe, effective and perhaps even a little revolutionary?

I believe passionately that skincare should use safe ingredients.I will go out of my way to find them. Perhaps you think I am exaggerating. If you log on to the website organized by The Campaign For Safe Cosmetics, you will very soon see that I am not exaggerating at all. In fact, you might even think I am being pretty calm and rational about the whole revolutionary skincare scandal.

I use the word scandal, because while we are living in the third millennium, there is precious little regulation of the skincare industry. I am therefore liable to find rather scary ingredients in a skincare product if I am not careful.

Here are some examples. All the parabens, phthalates and fragrances are under a cloud of suspicion of causing illnesses ranging from allergies, skin irritation, birth defects, endocrine system disturbances to cancer. You just have to make sure that the company you are purchasing from is signed up member of the Campaign For Safe Cosmetics and therefore has pledged to remove all hazardous chemicals and replace them with safer ingredients in a three year period.

So what have they replaced them with? Well, after extensive research, they have come up with revolutionary skincare ingredients and I do not use the term lightly here. For example, we can start our own collagen to re-grow just by using a sort of functional keratin. This is perfectly compatible with our skin and is able to penetrate as far as the dermis. Contrast that to the usual cosmaceutical offering which is using a collagen product derived from cowhide which cannot even penetrate our skin pores. There is a word of difference.

Take replacing HA. Hyaluronic acid products are made from strange substances and are touted as being the answer to keeping skin smooth and firm. The problem is similar to the collagen one in that no other HA can really have any effect on our own. The revolutionary product uses a natural product derived from algae which can actually reduce the action of the hyaluronidase which is depleting our supplies of HA. That ingredient is called phytressence wakame.

By looking for these revolutionary skincare ingredients, we are really steering clear of hype, harmful toxins, ineffective skincare and very shady practices which have put consumers' health at risk.

Would you like to be part of the new revolution? If so, I have prepared a whole website so that you too can join up and put all the shoddy products firmly in the trash where they belong.

No more excuses! If you are tired of the same old worthless products that fail to live up to their promises, isn't it time you took action?. Discover some really effective ingredients used in revolutionary skincare. William Colbert is passionate about natural, safe skincare and has extensively researched the best skin friendly ingredients on the market to-day.

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Skincare Botanicals - Finding the Winning Formula To Give You Great Looking Skin

When we talk about skincare botanicals, we are really thinking of plant sourced ingredients which are as compatible with our skin as they can be. Because of that bio availability, they are able to get down into the deeper layers of skin and they can start to make a difference to what is going on there. Find the right ones and you can boost collagen, enhance HA formation, moisturize deeply and help renew skin cell renewal. If all this sounds too good to be true, read on.

Let me tell you about one of my favourites which is called grapeseed oil. A university of Lecce (Italy) study found that because of the polyphenols in grapeseed, it is a powerful antioxidant. It has a host of other healing properties as well from dental caries, cancer prevention to poor night vision.

But its action on our skin is quite remarkable in that it can create a film on the skin to keep the moisture where it should be. Because it is rich in the right type of essential oils such as linoleic acid, it can be useful in repairing skin damage around the eye area and it also contains natural Vitamin E.

Let me tell you about other skincare botanicals which are taking the skincare world by storm. Be careful though in that many cosmaceutical companies are using these in minimal and token amounts. Go for those companies who are using them in active quantities. That means that they are going to make a difference.

The other ones I have discovered are jojoba oil, babassu wax, olivem 800 and maracuja. The latter ingredient is remarkable because it is so similar to our sebum that it can regulate perfectly the amount of oil in our skin. Even if you have oily skin, you can use this ingredient with confidence.

Now contrast all these ingredients with really cheap nasty chemicals which abound in all sorts of skincare products on the shopping mall to-day. As they are so different to our own skin composition, they cannot react properly with it at a deep cellular level. The result is that premature signs of aging, such as wrinkles, drooping skin, fine lines and blemishes will all appear with sickening frequency.

Choosing the right skincare botanicals will really make a difference. I have built a website about one company which specializes in these ingredients and is committed to your safety and your beauty. So, go ahead and check this out. What in earth is stopping you?

No more excuses! If you are tired of the same old worthless products that fail to live up to their promises, isn't it time you took action?. Discover some really effective ingredients used in cutting edge skincare botanicals. William Colbert is passionate about natural, safe skincare and has extensively researched the best skin friendly ingredients on the market to-day.

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Skincare Cosmetics - The Shocking Truth About Famous Skincare Brands

The skincare cosmetics industry is one industry that has many dirty little secrets. Looking from the outside as a consumer there's so much we don't know about the companies that make the many products that we use daily.

If you really think about it, we are exposing ourselves to so many chemicals on a daily basis that it's scary just thinking about it.

The average person uses 7 products daily. That includes the day cream, night cream, perfume, make up, cleanser, toothpaste and roll on; and if you really want to go overboard you add a mouth wash, and body wash and an exfoliating cleanser and facial masks that's used every so often.

That's a lot of products that contain a lot of chemicals that are absorbed into our body through the skin pores.

But do you really know what most of these products contain?

Most people don't, if they did then they would definitely freak out. I know I did when I found out.
A few years ago I did a bit of research of the ingredients that are used in aging skincare products and I discovered something really shocking.

Here are just a few of the unbelievable things I discovered:

1. Companies use cancer causing substances like methyl paraben,propyl paraben, ethyl paraben and Nitrosamines in their products because they are cheap ingredients.

2. Many of the cosmetic brands, including the famous ones, use mineral oil in their moisturizers despite the fact that mineral oil, which is a byproduct of petroleum (gas) causes premature aging of skin.

3. Many of the so called natural skin care products available today actually contain only small amount of natural substances and unfortunately these are the ingredients that are used as a front to attract more customers.

There are many more shocking discoveries I made about skincare cosmetics including the famous brands we love so much.

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Skincare Philosophy - Discover the 4 Values Every Skincare Company Should Have

The skincare philosophy of any cosmetic company says a lot about the value system of the company.

For example if a company is utterly determined to make the most effective and safe anti aging skin creams and lotions then there is high chance that their products will contain only the safest and most effective ingredients for your skin.

On the other hand if a company has only profit in mind then you can bet they'll try everything they can think of to make that profit even if it's at your expense.

I see this happening all the time. There are so many companies out there that use cheap and harmful ingredients so that they can make a profit. Even some of the more famous brands are guilty of this.

With that said I believe there are four (4) values every cosmetic company needs to have in order for it to have a positive skincare philosophy.

Here are the values.

1. Harmful Chemicals - The Company should aim to use only safe and pure ingredients. Any company that uses cheap and harmful chemicals like mineral oil has only their interest in mind. Avoid these companies like the plague.

2. Natural Ingredients - Secondly I believe that every skincare company should strive to use natural ingredients in their products. These are the only kind of ingredients that are safe to use on skin.

3. Customer Service - A great company should strive to offer the best customer service in the industry

4. Money Back Guarantee - A money back guarantee is a sign of confidence that the company has in its products. Every cosmetic company worth buying product from should offer at least a sixty (60) days money back guarantee.

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Skincare Reviews - How to Find the Best Skincare Brand for Women

If you are looking for the best skincare brand then a good place to start your search are skincare reviews.

I'm one of those people that can't help it but try out cosmetic products for the fun of it. I have my flagship products that I trust and use daily but once in a while I'll experiment a bit with a product that draws my attention.

To make sure that I'm not wasting my money and time on sub par products, there are some techniques I use to weed out the good products from the ineffective garbage.

One of these techniques I use involves skincare reviews. In fact reviews are the very first thing I study to see what other people are saying about the product. If I come across too many negative reviews, I use that as a sign that I should keep away from the product.

Keep in mind though that only a few if any products ever get 100% positive reviews. So if you happen to stumble upon one (1) or two (2) bad reviews do not give up, try going through all the reviews you can find to get a clearer picture of the effectiveness of the product.

If you don't find any reviews on the product then visit the website of the brand company to see if they have any testimonials from real people. Make sure the testimonials are real and convincing. If you have any doubt about the authenticity of the testimonials then just forget about the product and start searching for a better one.

The great thing about skincare reviews is that they can drastically reduce the time it takes you to find the best skincare brands and products. So take advantage of them and use them to get yourself the skin cream or lotion you've always dreamed of.

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Skincare Routine - Get The Right Ingredients To Have Great Looking Skin

Everybody tells you that the best skincare routine is to cleanse, tone and moisturize twice a day. Then there is some argument about that because some experts tell you that it should only be done once a day! Then they tell you to scrub or exfoliate once a week to get rid of deep grime and oil.

There is lots of advice about using products which are not too harsh on the skin and which may strip the skin of its essential oils. It may feel dry and tight if you do that. There is a lot of talk too about gentle cleansing products.

This is the whole point! You can only find these gentle type of cleansers or face masks if they use natural ingredients which are fully compatible with our skin. The problem is that many of the so called face cleansers are using nasty cheap chemicals which will do the very opposite. Let me give you an example.

In lots of facial cleansers you will find fragrances, foaming agents with SLS (Sodium Laureth Sulphate) which are all potentially harmful to our health. In many products, you will also find the ingredient called benzoyl peroxide which apparently can be effective in the cases of breakouts and acne. However some people on the forums report that the effects of this ingredient seem to wear off after some time. In addition, there are allergic reactions for some people and there are some reports of peeling skin and swelling.

The other problems reported are from those people who are using a moisturizer which is simply too rich and can leave excess traces or even block the pores. Needless to say, anyone using a product with mineral oils or alcohols is risking having the pores blocked and clogged up. There is lots of good advice like that in the book by Paula Begoun which is called 'Don't Go To The Cosmetics Counter Without Me'.

Let me just tell you about a skincare routine which beats all the ones I have described above, hands down. One reason is that all the ingredients I have discovered are totally organic and are fully compatible with our skin.

Let me tell you about a great moisturizer which will always maintain the correct balance of oil, whether you have dry or oil skin. The reason it can do this is simply because it closely resembles our own sebum producing glands. This oil is called avocado oil.

This one is rich in natural vitamins and proteins. It contains the mono saturated fatty acids such as linoleic and linolenic acids. It is a great healing agent and moisturizes deeply so that even collagen supplies are boosted. These are our own supplies and there is no animal derived collagen being applied here! So, you have a great moisturizer which does loads of other things as well.

As I said your skincare routine has to include the right ingredients. Why not discover what all the other ones are and what they can do for your skin. I can assure that your skin will never look better.

No more excuses! If you are tired of the same old worthless products that fail to live up to their promises, isn't it time you took action?. Discover some really effective ingredients used in a cutting edge skincare routine. William Colbert is passionate about natural, safe skincare and has extensively researched the best skin friendly ingredients on the market to-day.

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Therapeutic Skincare - How To Protect Your Greatest Asset, Your Health!

Therapeutic skincare means using the most natural ingredients available so that they work in harmony with our organism. Healing and harmonizing are words you often read about when we talk about this type of skincare and it is so important.

Why bother with therapeutic skincare? Can it have such an effect on our health and indeed on the environment? The answer is a resounding yes. If we are using chemical free and paraben free ingredients in our products, we are ingesting no harmful chemicals at all. Neither are we dumping them into the environment.

It is startling to realize that our water supplies are becoming contaminated with all these chemicals. The ones that mimic estrogen have been know to affect fish and other wildlife.

So, out with the chemical laden and synthetic ingredients and in with the all natural organic ones. But is it that easy? The bad news is that it is not. The main reason for my pessimism is that the major umbrella organization, The Personal Care Products Council, representing the vast majority of mainstream cosmaceutical companies is actually lobbying against legislation to protect the consumers from their products. You would have thought they would have moved in the direction of improving safety levels in their ingredients. Wishful thinking!

We therefore have to do a little research to find those serious companies who are committed to health and safety and refuse to put these hazardous chemicals in their products. You can find out easily enough when you visit the website where there should be a statement regarding this. Better still, check to see of they are signed up for The Campaign For Safe Cosmetics.

Now if you can find therapeutic skincare ingredients such as shea butter, functional keratin, nano lipobelle HEQ10, avocado oil, jojoba oil and maracuja, you are on to a winner. All these are therapeutic in the best sense of the word because they are completely natural, they work by increasing skin cell turnover and they can penetrate the skin because they are simply compatible with it. The benefits are not just on the skin but your whole body will feel much better.

By adopting this sort of therapeutic skincare you have protected your best asset, which is not just your skin. It is your health!

No more excuses! If you are tired of the same old worthless products that fail to live up to their promises, isn't it time you took action? Discover some really effective ingredients used in cutting edge therapeutic skincare. William Colbert is passionate about natural, safe skincare and has extensively researched the best skin friendly ingredients on the market to-day.

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Why Botanical Skincare Can Protect Your Skin, Your Health And Make All The Difference

I have just been surfing on the Internet because I wanted to find the latest on botanical skincare before I wrote this article. This is what I found. One site claims to produce the finest organic and botanical products anywhere. It then lists all the ingredients it uses and the botanical ones are all there. We have aloe vera, avocado oil, bearberry extract, detangler apple extract, allantoin and almond oil extract.

So far, so good, I thought, But then my eye picked out some ingredients which should not have been there at all and I soon realized that I could never buy a product from this particular company. What alarmed me?

Well, on the list, I found the butylene glycol ingredient which is a preservative that can give a lovely smooth whipped consistency to a face cream and creates more volume too. The good news ends there!

You see the FDA have placed restrictions on this little nasty customer so the amounts that can be used are strictly limited. The reason is that it has been linked to depression, drowsiness, vomiting, respiratory failure and even coma. There was also the benzophenone ingredient for the sunscreen element in these products. That one is considered as a moderate hazard by the Environmental Working Group. So, here we have at least two ingredients which should have no place at all in what could be considered real botanical skincare.

So what ingredients are really safe in genuine botanical skincare? The answer is that there will be no synthetics like the ones I have mentioned at all. If they are there, they have been passed by the EWG or the CIR groups.

Organic skincare uses a functional keratin which can boost our own collagen production. It does not use collagen which has been sourced from animals, such as cowhide. Similarly, serious companies would never include sulphates, parabens, or fragrances, formaldehyde forming agents and so on. The reason is that they are all on the black list. There is no way that these can protect your skin or your health.

Finally, if you really want to know about what must be the best botanical skincare in the world and which can really make a difference, why not click through to my website where I have explained it all in great detail.

No more excuses! If you are tired of the same old worthless products that fail to live up to their promises, isn't it time you took action?. Discover some really effective ingredients used in cutting edge botanical skincare. William Colbert is passionate about natural, safe skincare and has extensively researched the best skin friendly ingredients on the market to-day.

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How to Compare Today's New Skincare Products

Many of today's new skincare products are classified as anti-aging treatments. They work in several ways. Some obviously work better than others. Here's how to compare what's available.

Antioxidant-rich creams help to protect against sun damage, which is one of the main causes of wrinkles, age spots and other signs of aging. Vitamin E has long been recommended for that purpose. The natural form of it should be included in all anti-aging creams.

For reversing sun damage and wrinkles, another antioxidant has proven to be effective. That one is called COQ10. In one study, volunteers with sun damage applied a cream containing COQ10 for three months. At the end of the study, there was a 30% reduction in wrinkles and overall sun damage. Follow-up studies revealed similar results. When it doesn't work, it is because the concentration is not high enough or the size of the particles is too large to allow for deep penetration.

Manufacturers are not always completely honest when they make claims concerning their products. Some manufacturers call their creams antioxidant-rich, when the only antioxidants they contain are artificial preservatives. It might take a little more time than you would like, but it is important to read the label of ingredients to find out whether or not the advertising claims for a new skincare product are justified.

Real antioxidants work by preventing and repairing free radical damage. Older skin contains more free radicals and fewer antioxidant molecules. One compound has been shown to correct that problem.

A nutritional formula called Functional Keratin has been shown to increase the number of new cells present in the skin, which basically means it stimulates new growth. Along with the higher number of cells, there is an increase in antioxidant molecules called glutathione and superoxide dismutase. One of the benefits seen in studies is a reduction in age spots.

Functional Keratin is one of the new skincare ingredients, just released a few years ago. It is actually an active form of the structural protein keratin, which is naturally present in all of the skin's cells. One of the activities of the protein is to pull moisture into the cells.

When moisture levels within the cells increase, the skin becomes firmer. There is less sagging at the neckline and fewer bags under the eyes. In one study, volunteers applied a cream containing Functional Keratin for 18 days. At the end of those 18 days, researchers measured the skin's firmness. There was an improvement of 40% or more in firmness and elasticity.

A new skincare ingredient that should be avoided is one called argireline. It is a synthetic protein that supposedly paralyzes the skin's tiny facial muscles. It's often advertised as a safe and natural Botox alternative. The safety of Argireline has never been proven. The protein does occur in nature, but the companies that sell it use the artificial version.

There are many other new skincare products to compare. Hopefully, the information provided here will give you a starting point. But, you can always learn more.

Valerie Rosenbaum is a knowledgeable author on the subject of natural skin care products. She prefers products that are loaded with natural ingredients that nourish the skin's ability to heal itself. The products she uses and recommends reduce fine lines and wrinkles with Phytessence wakame, Functional Keratin & Cynergy TK. To learn more visit her website.

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Focus on the Ingredients When Doing a Skincare Comparison

In order to do a skincare comparison, you need to compare ingredients. It may be boring to read lots of labels. The information here should speed up the process.

Safety comes first. You can reject any products immediately that bear warning labels advising you not to apply the compound to broken skin. The warning is there because the product causes irritation, usually burning.

You can also reject products bearing a warning to contact a poison control center in the event of accidental injection. The best products might not taste great, but they are safe enough to eat. There is no need to apply poisons to your skin and you just shouldn't do it. It could damage your health.

One of the biggest debates in recent times has to do with sunscreen usage. When you should use it, what SPF rating to look for, where it should be applied and what ingredients work best are things that the experts have yet to agree on. Some experts will give low ratings to a product in a skincare comparison if it does not contain sunscreen, regardless of what the product was designed to do. Here is the most logical advice. It's supported by FDA scientists.

You should use a sunscreen on exposed areas when you expect to be outdoors for more than 10 or 15 minutes. The safest sunscreen is zinc oxide. Products containing it have the highest SPF rating.

SPF stands for sunburn protection factor. You have to remember that sunscreens may protect against sunburn, but not necessarily against the free radical damage responsible for skin aging. Scientists have found that some sunscreen ingredients actually cause free radical damage when exposed to sunlight.

You should avoid benzophenone, avobenzone and other benzene derivatives for that reason. Benzene is known to cause cancer. It is amazing that companies would include the derivatives in products designed to help reduce your risk of skin cancer.

When you are doing a skincare comparison, there is no reason to reject products without an SPF rating if they are designed for daily use. Moisturizers, cleansers and night creams should not have an SPF rating. It is more of an advertising gimmick than anything. There is no real benefit.

You should reject facial moisturizers and body lotions with an added fragrance. Fragrance ingredients are among the most common causes of allergic and adverse reactions. There is no real way to tell what compounds are used to make up the fragrance, even if you read the label of ingredients carefully enough to do an accurate skincare comparison.

It is a loophole in the law that allows manufacturers to include a fragrance without revealing the specific ingredients used to create it. This loophole can damage your health tremendously. Many of the aromatic compounds used in fragrances are toxic to the nervous system.

It might be okay to use a little perfume, but facial moisturizers and body lotions cover a large amount of the skin. The risk outweighs any perceived benefit.

I hope this information helps you do a safe skincare comparison. Remember that naturally occurring ingredients are always the safest and the latest research shows they are also the most effective anti-aging ingredients.

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