Dangerous Chemicals Lurking in your Skin Care Products

Buyer Beware!   Many consumers make the price point the decision making process tool in choosing sunscreen, mascara, nail polish, foundation etc. For conscious consumers reading the ingredients on your purchases as I have explained in previous articles will keep your skin safe especially if you are sensitive to these questionable formulations.

Parabens are a preservative that can lead to hormonal disruptions, by preventing the breakdown of estrogen. A buildup of estrogen can wreak havoc on men and women as we have discovered, being possibly the reason for some breast cancers.

Petroleum Distillates are found in mascara, foundations, eye shadows, among others and when accumulated by continued use are irritating at the very least and a neurotoxin for those who are susceptible.

Formaldehyde used in nail polishes, hair straighteners etc. have been linked to some neurological diseases, lesser symptoms are headache, rhinitis and other allergic reactions.

Phthalates are commonly used in cosmetics, and lumped in with fragrances. This group of chemicals are hormone-mimicking and have been banned in Europe. They have been attributed to deformities in the reproductive systems of the animals tested.

Methyl Cellosolve is also lumped in with fragrances found in body products, cosmetics, deodorant etc. and is a known neurotoxin which is destructive to nerve tissue after time.

Butylated Hydroxyanisole  (BHA) is used as a preservative, it affects the environment especially aquatic animals and interferes with hormone activity and in some susceptible persons increases liver enzymes.

Hydroquinone  used very effectively to lighten skin and is a proven danger to a persons liver function. Tumors of the liver and poor lung function have been reported after long time use.

Octinoxate is used in suncreen and foundations claiming to have sunscreen properties. Can be an endocrine disruptor to people predisposed and have shown to reduce testosterone in laboratory animals.

Quaternium-15 used in cosmetics particularly eyeshadow and have been documented as an allergen to some skin, eyes, or lungs. Organ system dangers are a concern as it acts as a formaldehyde releaser.

For consumers wanting "clean" products may I suggest Mineral Makeups from companies willing to share a full ingredients list. Contact your skin professional for more help.

Hormones that drive you

 
A Note from ATH Supervising Editor, Sherri Carter: Dr. Sara Gottfried offers 4 simple steps to "help you get out of your rut and feel better fast with a few small actions you can implement right away to begin balancing your hormones and seeing results."

Whether you're 30 or 50+, you don't have to feel cranky, tapped out, and chronically sleep-deprived. Old-school medical thinking tells us that these “conditions” are all just a part of growing older as a woman and prescription medication can cure most of our ills.

Furthermore, we are conditioned as women to live in ways that get our hormones (like thyroid, cortisol, progesterone, and estrogen) to work against us, putting us in a bad mood and causing stress, weight gain and overall unhappiness.

But, it doesn’t have to be that way. You can take steps to adjust your hormones naturally so they are allies and they work together to get you feeling better than you have in years. I know from suffering in my 30s with PMS, belly fat, and low sex drive--I figured out that my problem was my hormones. I fixed mine in one month and wrote my new book The Hormone Cure (Simon & Schuster, 3/12/13) to explain how you can too.

I'm going to help you get out of your rut and feel better fast with a few small actions you can implement right away to begin balancing your hormones and seeing results.

To amplify your happy brain chemicals and get your hormones playing on your team again here are 4 actions you can take:

1. Get Your Sleep On 

One of the top reasons I see women stall with their weight goals or fail to heal their thyroid or adrenal glands is that they run a chronic sleep debt. All of your hormonal systems run on a circadian rhythm, and if you want to keep them happy and healthy, you must do your part with winding down and getting to bed by 10 p.m. Yes, that's right...10 p.m.!

2. Be an Architect

Take the evolutionary perspective. As you age you are wired, as described by author Barbara Sher, to shift from the life you were born into the life you create. So, become the architect of your best life. Women who are clear about the kind of life they want to create — women who constantly learn how to tap into what brings them the greatest meaning and have the energy to sustain it—have it.

3. Take Tiara Time

Women need help to reclaim their "me" time and a tiara can serve as a visual cue for

your family that you are not endlessly available to satisfy their every whim. So, purchase (or dig out) your tiara and wear it 3 times this week. When you are wearing your tiara, do something nourishing, such as taking a hot bath, talking to a girlfriend on the phone for 10 minutes, practicing yoga, or listening to a meditation CD. Taking those minutes to relax, will de-stress you, lower your heart rate, and tell your brain to ease back on the cortisol it’s pumping through your system. Click here to watch Ricki Lake and me share tiara time.

4. Go Barefoot

There's actually some compelling science that shows you can reset adrenal function by connecting to the earth directly. No wonder gardeners are so happy! Walk on the beach, hike for 10 minutes in your bare feet--it’s been shown to help rebalance your hormones.

If you want happier hormones, listen to your body. Taking action to adjust your lifestyle is more simple than you think.

What are you waiting for?

Skin Luminosity

Antioxidant Serums

     Damage from free radicals is one of the primary causes of fine lines and uneven skin tone. Free radicals are deposited on your skin by UV rays and pollution during the day.To minimize future wrinkles and uneven skin tone with antioxidants, apply a serum or cream that contains a free-radical fighter such as Vitamin C, phloretin, idebenone, green tea or coffee berry  morning and evening. One way to improve the delicate eye area is to massage a small amount of product around the eye for 10 minutes while you shower. Keep your serum in the fridge for freshness and to combat puffy eyes and shrink blood vessels for circles when you wake.
   
    Now that you are good to go on topicals, don't forget to feed your body with antioxidants. Fresh fruits and vegetables, ya-de-ya-de so you have heard so many times, but it's true! Blueberries with your yogurt for breakfast, fresh leafy salads at lunch, saute colorful peppers for dinner.

     Luminosity makes you look younger, go on your bike ride, drink your water , eat correctly and use your Antioxidant Serum!

Osmosis Skin Care creates results on a Cellular level

+ View Larger

StemFactor

Liposomal Growth Factor Serum

Utilizing over 150+ different skin growth factors derived from pristine, adult stem cells, this magical serum improves all aspects of aging and skin damage. It gently restores the repair process and stimulates new cells to build collagen and elastin, heal hyperpigmentation and reverse aging. Benefits      Complete skin rejuvenation. Skin Types and Conditions      All skin types. Directions      Apply 2 pumps to face twice daily. Can be combined with a treatment serum or Catalyst. Video      + view product video Ingredients      Adult Stem Cell Derived Conditioned Media, Phosphatidylcholine, Harmonized Water, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Essential Oil Blend More Information      What is a “Mesenchymal Stem Cell”? Also known as a “multipotent stem cell” It can differentiate into many different cells It produces hundreds of growth factors They are very good at multiplying.

Not a miracle product!

• I plan to stay very far away from this product. Because it's an MLM, because it isn't a professional product and I don't like the ingredient list. Check out this site:
http://barefacedtruth.com/2012/07/31/nerium-miracle-or-machiavellist/



Please my friends and clients, as I have said before. Always read the back of a label. This facial product has questionable ingredients . Possibly dangerous over the long term. See above link. Namaste'

New Osmosis Product!

How Restore™ Healing Works

Restore™ is the single greatest anti-inflammatory product in the world. What makes it special is that it is the only anti-inflammatory that also repairs the damaged area at the same time. To make that point more clear, here is an example; aspirin is a well-known anti-inflammatory ingredient that specifically interferes with the "inflammation cascade" thereby reducing inflammation. However, in doing so it interferes with the body's healing response resulting in incomplete or delayed healing. Ibuprofen and similar products have the same effect. They are not products that should be taken regularly for this reason. Also, steroids and antibiotics reduce the healing response in the body even though they may reduce inflammation. In contrast, we use willow herb extract and some other plant based ingredients that calm inflammation but allow healing to continue the way the body intended. Restore™ has the unique ability to heal damage and calm inflammation at the same time.

Restore™ Topical 

Restore™ Topical is showing great results in all skin conditions, but pigmentation improvement is what most people will be using it for. Don't give up hope if your age spots are not responding dramatically after a few months, that simply means the damage was greater than anticipated. We are finding that the larger or darker the spot, the longer it takes to complete the healing process which should make sense since it usually signifies more significant damage to the DEJ. Restore™ can darken an existing spot during the process but that is the molecule's effect on melanin, not a worsening of the problem.

Restore™ Topical should be applied as a spot treatment several minutes before applying one pump of it with the rest of your regimen. A bottle lasts about a month with this strategy.

Restore™ Topical can also be used as "mother's little helper" as it is amazing for treating scrapes, burns, bites, acne, etc. Apply it directly to the afflicted area for best results.

Sunscreens and more information

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Sunscreens Exposed: Nine Surprising Truths

  Sunscreens prevent sunburns, but beyond that simple fact surprisingly little is known about the safety and efficacy of these ubiquitous creams and sprays.  EWG’s review of the latest research unearthed troubling facts that might tempt you to give up on sunscreens altogether. That’s not the right answer. Despite the unknowns about sunscreens’ efficacy, public health agencies still recommend using them, just not as your first line of defense against the sun. At EWG we use sunscreens, but we look for shade, wear protective clothing and avoid the noontime sun before we smear on the cream. Here are the surprising facts:

1. There’s no consensus that sunscreens prevent skin cancer.

The FDA’s 2011 sunscreen rules allow sunscreen makers to advertise that using their products can decrease the risk of skin cancer and sun-related skin aging.  But a wide range of public health agencies – including the FDA – have found very little evidence that sunscreen prevents most types of skin cancer. In reviewing the evidence, the FDA said that the available clinical studies “do not demonstrate that even [broad spectrum products with SPF greater than 15] alone reduce the risk of skin cancer and early skin aging.”   The agency also said that it is “not aware of any studies examining the effect of sunscreen use on the development of melanoma.”  The International Agency for Research on Cancer recommends clothing, hats and shade as primary barriers to UV radiation. It says that “sunscreens should not be the first choice for skin cancer prevention and should not be used as the sole agent for protection against the sun” (IARC 2001a). Read more.

2. There’s some evidence that sunscreens might increase the risk of the deadliest form of skin cancer for some people.

Some researchers have detected an increased risk of melanoma among sunscreen users. No one knows the cause, but scientists speculate that sunscreen users stay out in the sun longer and absorb more radiation overall, or that free radicals released as sunscreen chemicals break down in sunlight may play a role. One other hunch: Inferior sunscreens with poor UVA protection that have dominated the market for 30 years may have led to this surprising outcome. All major public health agencies still advise using sunscreens, but they also stress the importance of shade, clothing and timing. Read more.

3. There are dozens of high-SPF products — but no proof they’re better.

The FDA has proposed prohibiting the sale of sunscreens with SPF values higher than “50+.” The agency has written that values higher than 50 would be “misleading to the consumer,” given that there is an “absence of data demonstrating additional clinical benefit” (FDA 2011a), and that “there is no assurance that the specific values themselves are in fact truthful…” (FDA 2007). Scientists are also worried that high-SPF products may tempt people to stay in the sun too long, suppressing sunburns (a late, key warning of overexposure) while upping the risks of other kinds of skin damage.
Flouting the FDA’s proposed regulation, companies continue to sell high-SPF offerings in 2012. More than 1 in 7 products now lists SPF values higher than 50+, compared to only 1 in 8 in 2009, according to EWG’s analysis of more than 800 beach and sport sunscreens. Among the worst offenders are Walgreens and Aveeno brands.  These manufacturers boast SPF values greater than 50+ on more than 40 percent of their sunscreens Read more.

4. Too little sun might be harmful, reducing the body’s vitamin D levels.

Sunshine serves a critical function in the body that sunscreen appears to inhibit — producing vitamin D. The main source of vitamin D in the body is sunshine, and the compound is enormously important to health – it strengthens bones and the immune system, reduces the risk of various cancers (including breast, colon, kidney and ovarian cancers) and regulates at least a thousand different genes governing virtually every tissue in the body (Mead 2008). About one-fourth of Americans have borderline low levels of vitamin D, and 8 percent have a serious deficiency (CDC 2012). Particular groups are at the highest risk – breast-fed infants, people with darker skin and people who have limited sun exposure (NIH 2012).
Some people can make enough vitamin D from 10 to 15 minutes of unprotected sun exposure several times a week. But many others cannot. The right amount depends on the individual’s age, skin tone, the intensity of sunlight,  time outdoors and skin cancer risk. Check with your doctor to see if you should get a vitamin D test or if you should take seasonal or year-round supplements. Read More

5. The common sunscreen ingredient vitamin A may speed development of cancer.

Recently available data from an FDA study indicate that a form of vitamin A, retinyl palmitate, may speed the development of skin tumors and lesions when applied to skin in the presence of sunlight (NTP 2009). This evidence is troubling, because the sunscreen industry adds vitamin A to 25 percent of all sunscreens.
The industry puts vitamin A in its formulations because it is an anti-oxidant that slows skin aging. That may be true for lotions and night creams used indoors, but FDA recently conducted a study of vitamin A’s photocarcinogenic properties – the possibility that it can promote cancerous tumors when used on skin exposed to sunlight. Scientists have known for some time that vitamin A can spur excess skin growth (hyperplasia) and that in sunlight it can form free radicals that damage DNA.
In the FDA’s one-year study, tumors and lesions developed sooner in lab animals coated in a vitamin A-laced cream than animals treated with a vitamin-free cream. Both groups were exposed to the equivalent of just nine minutes of maximum intensity sunlight each day.
It’s an ironic twist for an industry already battling studies that have questioned whether their products protect against skin cancer. The FDA data are preliminary, but if they hold up in the final assessment, sunscreen makers have a big problem. In the meantime, EWG recommends that consumers avoid sunscreens with vitamin A (look for “retinyl palmitate” or “retinol” on the label). Read more.

6. Free radicals and other skin-damaging byproducts of sunscreens.

Both UV radiation and many common sunscreen ingredients generate free radicals that damage DNA and skin cells, accelerate skin aging and cause skin cancer. An effective sunscreen prevents more damage than it causes, but sunscreens are far better at preventing sunburn than at limiting free radical damage. While typical SPF ratings for sunburn protection range from 15 to 50, equivalent “free radical protection factors” come in at about 2. When consumers apply too little sunscreen or reapply it infrequently – and that’s more common than not – sunscreens can cause more free radical damage than UV rays on bare skin. The FDA could improve sunscreens’ ability to reduce free radical skin damage by strengthening standards for UVA protection. Read more.

7. Pick your sunscreen: nanomaterials or potential hormone disrupters.

The ideal sunscreen would completely block the UV rays that cause sunburn, immune suppression and damaging free radicals. It would remain effective on the skin for several hours and not form harmful ingredients when degraded by UV light. It would smell and feel pleasant so that people use it in the right amount and frequency.
Unsurprisingly, there is currently no sunscreen that satisfies all these criteria. The major choice in the U.S. is between “chemical” sunscreens, which have inferior stability, penetrate the skin and may disrupt the body’s hormone systems, and “mineral” sunscreens (zinc and titanium), which often contain micronized- or nanoscale particles of those minerals.
After reviewing the evidence, EWG determined that mineral sunscreens have the best safety profile of today’s choices. They are stable in sunlight and do not appear to penetrate the skin. They offer UVA protection, which is sorely lacking in most of today’s sunscreen products. Mexoryl SX (ecamsule) is another good option, but it’s available in very few formulations. Tinosorb S and M could be great solutions but are not yet available in the United States. For consumers who don’t like mineral products, we recommend sunscreens with avobenzone (3 percent for the best UVA protection) and without the notorious hormone disrupter oxybenzone. Scientists have urged parents to avoid using oxybenzone on children due to penetration and toxicity concerns