SKIN CARE PRODUCT INGREDIENTS TO AVOID:
 

This is going to seem totally incredible, but many skin care products are loaded with ingredients that actually harm your skin, over time.  In this section, we'll review some of these nasty ingredients.

First, Mineral Oil:  You'll find this oil is used in hundreds of products.  Mineral oil may also be identified by other names on the product label, such as liquid paraffin, paraffin wax, and petrolatum.  You may be wondering why it's used in so many products.  The answer is very simple - it's cheap!
 
The problem is, once mineral oil is applied to your skin, it essentially prevents your skin from "breathing."  By clogging your pores, mineral oil interferes with your skin's natural ability to eliminate toxins.  This in turn can cause acne flare ups and other irritations.

Mineral oil can also be irritating to your skin.  If used for any length of time, your skin can become dependent upon it, resulting in chapping and dryness.  Finally, this unhealthy ingredient can lead to premature aging of your skin!  Yes, you read that right!  Mineral oil can actually cause premature aging of your skin!  Why this ingredient is even allowed to be in so-called "skin care" products at all, is astonishing.

Dioxane:  This ingredient is a synthetic derivative of coconut.  This substance is often found in skincare products and it contains high concentrations of 1,4-dioxane, which is readily absorbed through the skin.  Brace yourself, here...  This ingredient is considered a chemical and "known to the State of California to cause cancer."  What's even more alarming about this is, manufacturers are selling skin care products with this in it, and nobody is stopping them!
 
Fragrances:  Everybody likes nice fragrances, right?  The problem is, many of the fragrances used in skin care products are produced from ingredients that are known to be toxic or carcinogenic.  So, if you need to smell nice, try some perfume or cologne, but avoid skin care products with fragrances.  
 

You could be Damaging your skin using some of the best marketed skin care products.  You'll want to use the Best natural, skin care products.

I know what you're thinking.  I just recommended you stay away from skin care products with fragrances, and yet I suggested you use perfumes or colognes.  So, you're probably wondering, "If fragrances shouldn't be used, why should I "spritz" myself?"

Here's the deal.  If you reach back to those old biology classes, you'll remember your skin is the largest organ of your body and anything you put on it can be easily absorbed through your pores.  When skin care products are used, they are applied all over your face, neck, and body, covering a lot of surface area and, providing the opportunity for a great deal of chemical absorption.
 
Certainly, many colognes and perfumes contain less than desirable substances, too.  But let's face it, most people are not going to discontinue using products that make them smell nice.  At least with perfumes and colognes, an attractive aroma can be achieved by a small amount applied here and there.  It's the lesser of the evils, but if you can, you'd probably be better off avoiding cologne and perfumes, too.

Moving on...
 
Parabens:  Methyl, propyl, butyl, and ethyl paraben.  Many skin care and moisturizing products use parabens as a preservative to enhance their product's shelf life.  Studies have shown these ingredients may cause cancer and interfere with the body’s endocrine system, which can result in the development of allergic reactions and skin rashes. 
 
Alcohols:  Ethanol, ethyl alcohol, methanol, benzyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol and SD alcohol.  Different alcohols may have different properties but the ones mentioned here are routinely used in skin care products. They all, can be very drying and irritating to your skin.  These types of alcohols effectively strip away your skin's natural acid mantle, making your skin more vulnerable to bacteria, molds and viruses.

As you can see, it's very important you know what ingredients are in skin care products, to enable you to avoid harming your skin and possibly reducing your overall good health.

Now that we've taken a look at some of the bad ingredients, there's a high probability that most of your existing skin care products should be disposed of.  But you're going to want some quality products to replace them with.  So, take a look at the ingredients you want to find in high quality, natural skin care products, to improve the overall health, look and feel of your skin.

Here's a link to some of the best skin care products available, which you should check out.  These products contain ingredients that we discuss on our next page - Ingredients to Want to find in your skin care products.