You may not be aware of it, but many of the beauty products you rub into your skin are absorbed deep into your body’s system.

Many cosmetic and skin care products contain many different types of chemicals. Recently, there has been growing alarm about the effects these chemicals might have on the body after long-term exposure. If you take a closer look at the labeling of the skincare products in your bathroom cabinet, you’ll see that many of them have a huge ingredients list with a bewildering cocktail of chemicals included.

So What Are These Chemicals For?

Largely, the chemicals are artificial replacements for more expensive natural ingredients which have been used in our skincare products for thousands of years. The chemicals act as preservatives, fragrances, texture enhancers, and colorings. Basically, it’s not really necessary to fill skin care products with these substances – it’s just cheaper.

And What Concerns Have There Been About The Use Of These Chemicals in Skincare?

Here are a few commonly used chemicals in skin care with documented and possible side effects: –

• Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate – Can damage hair, eyes, and skin. Commonly used in shampoo and facial wash.
• Butylparaben – Is a skin irritant. May cause irritation to the eyes and dermatitis. Used commonly as a preservative in many skin care products.
• Formaldehyde (no, seriously, they put that in your beauty products!). Also known as Formalin and Formol. – Acutely toxic if inhaled. Will irritate skin, eyes, nose, and throat. Causes asthma attacks. Nausea, vomiting, rashes, and headaches. It might be a carcinogen. We rub this into our skin in anti-aging products, shampoos, facial creams, and anti-dandruff shampoo.
• Lanolin – can cause an allergic reaction. This product which is derived from sheep wool is often contaminated as a result of environmental factors affecting the sheep from which it is extracted. Pesticides and fertilizers can find their way into your skin via products containing this substance.
• Methylparaben – Can cause skin irritation and contact dermatitis. There are unproven links to breast cancer. Used as a preservative in cosmetics and soaps.

What Can We Do To Avoid Chemical Products?

The good news is that we don’t actually need to have these chemicals in our skin products. They’re only there because it’s cheap and easy… natural alternatives do exactly the same thing.

All you have to do is make sure that you are buying products free of artificial chemicals. There are a growing number of trusted retailers selling chemical-free skin care products, and also products with excellent organic credentials to avoid issues with contamination by pesticides and fertilizers.

Vitamin E has many benefits when it comes to skin care. It acts as an antioxidant, reduces fine lines and wrinkles, reduces the effects of psoriasis, prevents sun damage and some claim that it can reduce the appearance of age spots. One of the most touted benefits of Vitamin E, however, is its ability to reduce scarring that results from surgery and burns. Scars, much like stretched skin or stretch marks, can cause discoloration and ridges, uneven or bumpy skin.

Effectiveness

Though Vitamin E has gained a reputation for reducing the appearance of scars, this has not been definitively proven. In March 2007, the New York Times noted that two different studies found that Vitamin E had no effect on stretched skin. The first study was conducted in 1986 by the Journal of Burn Care and Rehabilitation, which gave 150 participants either vitamin E or another topical cream to treat their scars. Neither group saw any improvement. The second study was conducted in 1999 by scientists at the University of Miami, which essentially ran the same test on participants who had just had minor surgery. This group also did not have any noticeable results. These results do not mean that it can’t reduce the appearance of other skin abnormalities, such as redness, wrinkles, irritation or bumps due to certain skin conditions or aging.

Side Effects

Aside from participants experiencing no reduction in the appearance or color of scars after using vitamin E, some individuals from the University of Miami study noted that they actually had an allergic reaction to the substance called contact dermatitis. This condition can cause reactions that are similar to poison ivy or poison oak coming into contact with the skin. It is marked by a rash, reddening of the skin, blisters, and a burning or itching sensation. Should this occur an individual must wash his hands with soap and cold water immediately. Individuals who wish to utilize vitamin E’s other benefits should conduct a patch test, in which you expose a small part of your body to the substance, at least 24 hours before applying vitamin E all over.

One extremely popular facial cosmetic procedure over the past few years has been botox injections. It is a quick and easy way for people to get rid of wrinkles and facial lines. Because of the low cost, speed, and effectiveness of the procedure, botox continues to grow in popularity among those looking for ways to get a more youthful appearance.

Literally millions of people have gotten botox injections in recent years and that trend only looks to increase. In addition to being used specifically for line and wrinkle removal, it is also used to enhance the results of other cosmetic surgeries such as facelifts, browlifts, neck lifts, and eyelid lifts.

When you consider all of the cosmetic treatments that are considered non-surgical or non-invasive, botox injections are among the safest. It has very few side effects and even those are temporary in nature. The expected side effects are similar to any other injection-based treatment and range from numbness to burning or tingling sensations at the site of the injection. It’s possible to also have tenderness, swelling, bruising, or itching in the area where the botox is injected.

Some patients report headaches and nausea after their Botox treatment. It is also possible to have an allergic reaction to the botox which is normally skin-related. Some other more severe reactions include drooping eyelids and flu-like symptoms. The good news is that all of these side effects and reactions are temporary and disappear within two to three weeks max. Most patients with botox side effects will actually return to normal within a few hours or perhaps days.

As with any type of cosmetic surgery or procedure you should take the time to know what to expect prior to having any cosmetic procedure done. You should learn about all of the possible consequences and take them into consideration before going ahead with botox injections.

The complications and side effects are just a few of the factors involved in cosmetic surgery. Take the time to talk with your doctor and learn all you can about the procedure you’re considering. To have a successful cosmetic surgery one should be aware of all the factors involved and your doctor can let you know about them all.

Another thing you should do is to have realistic expectations from your cosmetic procedure. These treatments like botox deliver great results, but you need to use them properly. Keeping your youthful look with botox injections, botox cream, and other cosmetic skin care treatments is all about maintenance. You can now face your aging gracefully and keep your youthful appearance and smooth skin with the newest cosmetic treatments available.