Skin Profile Diagnosis
1 cleanse  | 2 rejuvenators | 3 activate  |  4 moisturize | 

The days of carefully guarded cosmetic formulations and their unjustifiable mystique are coming to a close. The cat's out of the bag so to speak. Our trust in cosmetics was breached when information leaked about our revered cosmetics containing ingredients that cause cancer, damage the central nervous system, cause liver and kidney disorders and damage the DNA not only within our own cells but those of our unborn children.

Our hopes of looking forty on our 50th birthday vanished the more we learned about the human body and how cells regenerate. Everyone, except the blind, can clearly see that some men of the same age have fewer wrinkles and healthier skin. We have come of age and realize that we no longer need to put up with a corrupt industry whose sole ambition is to gain our hard-earned dollars.

An atrocity that should not have occurred, did. Now its time to recognize our lesson and choose products carefully -- ones that do not create any adverse reactions. The skin, like the rest of the body's organs, needs to be nourished and fed in the same way that we feed and nourish our internal organs.

A pharmacopoeia of cosmetic ingredients, which are therapeutic, regenerative and restorative, exist. Exotic ingredients with impressive research show a mixed array of natural substances that definitely appear to be influencing cellular rejuvenation. However, before we talk about this new direction let's reflect back for a moment.

Why did the cosmetic industry become a 22 billion-dollar industry in the U.S. and 42 billion worldwide? They foresaw a need. Without people buying their products they would never have become the giants that they are today. Our social structure dictates a certain order of cleanliness. To be presentable, means clean hair and an odorless body. To get the job, means wearing lipstick and a little blush. To get our man, means fashionably colored hair, manicured nails, long luscious lashes, a firm bust, a scented douche, a provocative fragrance and so on -- or at least that's the statement we receive from the magazine ads we read or television commercials we see.

All this aside, we do require products for our basic hygiene. We also need reassurance that what we are using will not burden our health nor that of our offspring. The industry needs a face-lift they aren't going to get through one of their own jars of magical potion.

Se let's take a look at what the industry is trying to accomplish when they sell us those little jars of hope, those mysterious creams "that reduce the signs of aging". Simply speaking, skin care creams and lotions are attempting to "hold in moisture". Anyone who uses creams can see for themselves that there is a visible difference in their skin when they apply their moisturizer. If you have never observed this transformation, just take a look in a magnifying mirror when you wake up in the morning. Apply your cream and VOILA! Your wrinkles disappear. Or, so it seems.

The cosmetic scientists have worked feverishly developing emulsions of either oil in water or water in oil. Think of a "white sauce" that everyone in home economics class learns to make. You have the oil (butter), the liquid (milk) and the emulsifier (flour). In a cosmetic emulsion, you have the oil and water, which is mixed with an emulsifying agent that, binds the ingredients together without separation.

The primary purpose of a skin cream is to moisten and soften the skin. This is accomplished with film-forming substances such as petroleum or mineral oil. Moisturizing creams have ingredients that hold water (humectants) and reduce the natural evaporation.

Today, with our present understanding, that is like saying, "wrap your body in plastic wrap to prevent dehydration." Our skin is one of our detoxification organs and can eliminate up to two pounds of waste per day and approximately 2 percent of respiration is through the skin. Not so when we seal our skin with heavy, high molecular weight oils. With toxicity and environmental illness becoming accepted medical conditions, we want to assist our bodies in the elimination process not hinder it. In working towards better science, inorganic compounds of silicone and oxygen, i.e. Dimethicone, were created to lay a mesh-like film over the skin. This aided the skin's ability to retain moisture without impeding the skin's biological function. This offered manufacturers an alternative to the archaic science of using mineral oil.

Mineral oil, because of its high molecular weight (large sized molecule) provides a seal to the skin and, as the cosmetic ads say, "holds moisture in". So, you ask, what is so back about that? How could something so seemingly innocuous be a problem? As innocent as mineral oil sounds -- it has a very shady past.

The real problem with mineral oil, aside from its occlusive nature, is the contaminated variety that finds its way into our cosmetic. Mineral oil comes in various classifications of purity and is rated as 0 to 5. The "technical grade" (0), the one that machinists use, is a crude, unrefined form of oil. The cleaner variety is "cosmetic grade" (1) or (2) and the most desirable one would be "pharmaceutical grade" (5), which is referred to as USP.

Cost is the biggest factor in choosing which one to use. Purified raw materials are considerably higher in cost. Take Epsom salts for instance. A 50-pound bag of unrefined magnesium sulfate heptahydrate sells through agriculture supply stores for $15.00 whereas a 2-pound bag of U.S.P. grade purchased at pharmacy costs $4.00. The difference? The high cost of cleaning the raw material.

Mineral oils, other than the USP grade, may be contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) consisting of carbon and hydrogen atoms with molecular structures based around two or more benzene rings linked together. PAHs are mutagenic, meaning they are capable of changing the genetic code (DNA) within the cell.

Probably the most important fact to note about polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons is their estrogenic effect on the body's hormonal system. Termed xenoestrogens, these PAHs disrupt the function of the endocrine system. They can mimic natural hormones and "turn on" cell activity at the wrong time or they can "block" normal biological response by occupying receptor sites and preventing hormones from fitting. Hormones and receptors have an intricate and precise, lock-and-key fit. Unfortunately, the PAHs fit the lock.

Mineral oil is far from being the only contaminated ingredient. Impurities are showing up in a great deal of other ingredients. Some of these impurities, which are called reactant chemicals, are formed or freed during the raw material manufacturing process.

To understand this reaction process I asked physicist and biochemist, Nikolaus Smeh to explain.

"In order to make soap, a natural (vegetable or animal) fat is completely broken down into its molecular components, glycerin and fatty acids. This is accomplished by heating fats in an alkali solution. During this process the fatty acid reacts with the metal ion in the heated alkaline solution to form a fatty acid salt which is called soap, with glycerin being freed in the process."

Rowan Hamilton, herbalist and cosmetic scientist says, "Recent research showed that 3% of the natural composition of our skin is now hydrocarbons>from atmospheric pollution." What about the hydrocarbons in our skin creams? The application of creams is not a rare exposure. It is a constant twenty-four hour a day regime for a lot of people. Male or female, baby or adult, our exposures become constant. From our first diaper rash on to our first shave, we apply creams and lotions. We are slathered with sunscreen and diaper rash creams when we're babies and the habit continues into our adult life.

Let's take a look at the usual beauty regime of women. The alarm rings and she crawls out of bed. Turns on the shower and under the steady stream of water, she gently scrubs her body with a deodorant soap. Then she grabs her shampoo and washes her freshly tinted hair. Scoops up a palm of hair conditioner and applies it to her hair to smooth out the tangles. Next, she grabs a can of shaving cream and removes the growth of hair from her legs. The shower finished, she towel dries and spreads on an even coat of body lotion and a dusting of powder over her skin.

She brushes her teeth and gargles with mouthwash -- blow dries her hair then spritzes with hairspray. Sitting at her vanity she carefully applies a smidgen of moisturizer over her face to reduce the fine lines. Today, She’ll wear foundation and a little blush. Oh yes, better add some eye shadow for today's special meeting and a little eyeliner and stroke of mascara. A dab of lipstick, a blast of perfume and a little sunscreen on her arms and she is set for the day. She looks radiant and healthy but…her looks are killing her.

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These statements have not been evaluated by the food and drug administration. The products mentioned are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Always see your licensed health care professional for proper diagnosis and treatment.