What’s in My Skincare Products?

There seems to be so much in the news about the harmful ingredients “hidden” in our cosmetics and skin care products, that you often wonder how you are really supposed to know what to use. We are advised to avoid parabens, sodium lauryl sulfates and any ingredient from a petroleum source. The list goes on and on. So much of this “news” is truly misinformed, and as we are the keepers of our own health, it is really important that we become educated about what is true and not true.

Since I'm involved with skin care it is frustrating for me to read that skin care companies are basically being blamed for all forms of chronic and deadly illnesses including cancer. And while there are ingredients that should be avoided such as mineral oil, lanolin, formaldehyde donors and FD+C colorants because they may clog pores or irritate skin, for the most part the ingredients found in skin care are relatively harmless given the exposure that we have in the air we breathe, foods we eat and of course beverages that we consume. It is far more important to be concerned about what you are putting into your mouth than what you are using on your skin and hair, since the percentage of the ingredients in topical products is extremely small.

Here is a case in point. Recently, it was my husband Ron's birthday and his favorite cake is angel food with ice cream inside and whipped cream frosting. Now I have never claimed to have any ability to cook, so I thought I would just get the cake mix and make it. Imagine my surprise when I got the mix home and was glancing at the ingredients to find Sodium Lauryl Sulfate as “a whipping aid”. I was appalled. We are now being admonished not to use this soap ingredient in our hair or skin care because it is a possible carcinogen, yet we are supposed to consume it? I immediately got out the cookbook to make it from scratch, but after seeing the time and work involved, decided that this time I would eat the soap!

So now let's take this scenario one step further. Next time when I can't use the mix and I'm not willing to take the time and effort to make it from scratch, I will probably buy a readymade cake. But what ingredients did the baker use? We usually assume ‘good’ ones but who really knows?

So my message to you is simply this: use your common sense in buying anything you put on or in your body.

Use skin care products that have healthy, natural antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and botanicals and avoid ingredients that may clog pores or irritate skin. Keep your immune system tuned and ready to fight with fresh food (stay away from processed foods containing lots of who knows what), great supplements, lots of water, and appropriate sleep and exercise. And with today's hectic pace, make sure you keep a healthy balance of stress and relaxation in your life. Stress really is a silent killer.

Yours in health,

Dr. Linda Miles, L.Ac., D. O. M.