My Reads: Three Common Skin Care Myths

I found this pretty interesting article on MVO's blog and thought that it's a good topic to share. Enjoy!

Here are some common notions about what we need to do to keep our skin vibrant and healthy. Just answer true or false, then see if your answers agree with ours.

1) High SPF ratings are your best protection against sun damage.

FALSE

The problem with a sunscreen with a high SPF rating is that, because it allows you to stay out in the sun longer without getting burned, you may feel that you have not incurred sun damage when in fact you may have exposed yourself to the more insidious damage caused by longer wave-length UVA rays. Risks from UVA over-exposure are potentially of more concern than the risks associated with simple sunburn occasioned by over-exposure to UVB rays. See #2 below for more discussion of UVA rays.

Two better ways to protect yourself are:
1) MAKE SURE YOU GET BROAD-SPECTRUM UVA/UVB PROTECTION.
2) Remember that sunburn is your natural alarm system–red skin tells you that you’ve had enough and it’s time to cover up.

Is wearing sunscreen a necessity?



I believe many of us is still questioning the use of suncreen as part of our staple skincare product apart from the normal toner and moisturiser. What is the use anyway, you would ask? Is it beneficial to me? This topic sparked my interest to know more about it, considering that many of my friends and loved ones do not wear suncreen as part of their essential skincare regime. I found a very good site that have the simplified version on the importance of wearing suncreen. Let's find out more on what they have to say.

Benefits of Hyaluronic Acid



( Picture taken from stay-confident.com )

My skin is more skewed towards combination/dehyrdated and moisturisers just doesn't cut out for me. At my current skincare regime, oils are my current effective moisturisers now and I am incorporating products containing hyaluronic acid to increase skin hydration. Honestly, before I would venture into using new products, I would usually do a background check to understand certain ingredients and benefits. Here is a quick background of Hyaluronic Acid.

My Reads: Water, Wax and Oils in Skincare



This is the last continuation article of Part 1 and Part 2, taken from my favourite Marie Veronique Organics blog.

Water, Wax and Oils in Skin Care

Water and Wax

The recipe for most body lotions is a large amount of water and a small amount of oil held together with a plant or animal emulsifying wax. Waxes form an occlusive layer on the skin, which helps to hold moisture in. However, wax-heavy products can leave the skin with less natural oils to deal with trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL), and people may find over time that their skin is even drier than it was prior to using the lotion or cream intended to cure “dry skin.”

Because ingredients are listed in descending order according to prominence it shouldn’t come as a surprise to see “water” listed as the first ingredient in most lotions. There is nothing wrong with this, but be aware that you are not getting much bang for your buck if a product contains mostly water.

Oils

Choosing oils that will benefit your skin is a fairly easy process, as there are any number to choose from. Some good choices that are commonly included in oil blends and lotions are: apricot kernel, high in Vitamin A, avocado, rich in vitamins A, B1, B2, B5, and jojoba, high in oleic acid. Some commonly-used nut oils such as almond oil and walnut oil have relatively short shelf lives so are not the best choices, especially if they are the prominent or the only oil included in the mix.

Peanut oil and wheat germ oil are potentially allergenic and not easily tolerated by everyone. Make sure your oils are cold-pressed or expeller-pressed. Grapeseed oil, for example, is a wonderful oil with anti-aging benefits, but it almost always solvent-extracted. Look for the descriptor cold or expeller pressed in front of this oil in particular.

Mineral oil

Mineral oil, aka petrolatum, is a by-product of petroleum. It may seem to be working at first because it acts as an occlusive (ie, it holds in moisture) but in the long run it clogs pores and has a drying effect on the skin. In addition, it may be contaminated with aromatic hydrocarbons, which are carcinogenic.

My Reads: Why Avoid Fragrances?

 

This is the continuation ariticle from My Reads, taken from my favourite Marie Veronique Organics blog:

Why Avoid Fragrances?

Most products, particularly body lotions, are loaded with fragrance, and most of the time it is synthetic fragrances, described on the label as either “fragrance” or “parfum”, or on occasion, both. It is best to avoid fragrances. Even if you are not concerned about potential neurotoxic or endocrine disruption effects, fragrances are also the number one cause of allergic dermatitis.

If you are plagued with skin rashes the first place to look would be your body care products’ label. Switching to a fragrance-free product may make a big difference. However, searching for a product that is truly fragrance-free can be problematic, since fragrances and trade secret formulas are exempt from the FDA requirement that all ingredients contained in a product be listed on the label.

A distinction also needs to made between “unscented” and “fragrance-free,” An unscented product may still contain a masking scent, so it is important to read labels carefully in order to avoid harmful chemicals found in synthetic fragrances.

Some companies use essential oils (volatile liquids extracted from plants that retain the smell and taste of the original plant) and/or hydrosols (the liquid obtained from the steam-distillation process used to extract the oil) to obtain a pleasant scent. Essential oils are not hazardous to health, some of them in fact have beneficial properties for skin.

However, essential oils are not for everybody. Some people are allergic to certain essential oils, with some of the most common allergens being chamomile, lemongrass and lavender. If you know you are allergic to a certain essential oil by all means avoid it. Citrus essential oils and bergamot can photo-sensitize skin and should be avoided.

My Reads: Guide for Selecting Skin Care Products for Body



I've grown to love Marie Veronique Organics a lot and I just love reading her blog. From her blog, I've learnt quite a number of things regarding our skin conditions, ingredients and even articles like this one. I thought this is informative and would like to share the pointers from this article to those who are following my blog.

Look for Safe Scents:

1) Avoid fragrance or “parfum”.
Some products will describe their fragrance as “natural,” or “derived from natural sources.” If the sources are not listed it may contain synthetic fragrance.

2) If you are looking for an unscented product, buy products marked “fragrance-free”.
An unscented product may still contain a masking scent.

3) Buy products made with essential oils.

Products containing essential oils are a good alternative to those made with synthetic fragrances. The product should list should list all the essential oils it contains. If you have an allergy problem don’t settle for “Brand X’s proprietary oil blend.” This is not enough information. Citrus essential oils can photosensitize skin and should be avoided.

Moisturize Safely and Effectively:

1) Look for a good proportion of oils to water.
If you like lotions, look for products containing a reasonable number of oils in addition to water content. There are a number of good oils to choose from that are stable and high in essential fatty acids. Some good are: sunflower seed, avocado, apricot kernel, coconut and jojoba.

2) Look for cold-pressed or expeller-pressed oils.
Solvent extractions can leave traces of contaminants in the end product.

3) Avoid products containing mineral oil and petrolatum.
Mineral oil, aka petrolatum, is a by-product of petroleum. It can clog pores and eventually dry the skin rather than moisturize it.

In the following week, I will continue with the articles of " Why Avoid Fragrances" and "Water, Wax and Oils in Skincare"

So, whenever you are purchasing a new product, use this guide to ensure that you are choosing a safe product for your skin.