Facing the truth about cosmetics

It’s something most women can’t live without – and can’t leave home without. But of course, we’re talking about cosmetics or makeup. Today, people are also talking about cosmeceuticals, "to describe products that don’t quite fit the definition of either drug or cosmetic," writes New York dermatologic surgeon Barney Kenet with Patricia Lawler in the tell-all book for cosmetics consumers titled How to Wash Your Face (published by Simon & Schuster and available at National Book Store).

Giant cosmetic companies sell all sorts of beauty products, a lot of them also peddling promises of instant and perpetual youth.

AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids) comprise the biggest category of cosmeceuticals. What’s worrying concerned FDA people (and probably giving them the wrinkles) is the fact that AHA products have not been tested for long-term safety. Investigating the safety of AHA products, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Board has this to say: AHAs are safe as over-the-counter products in formulations with less than a 10 percent concentration and a pH of 3.5 or more. Salon professionals can safely apply AHAs with a concentration of 30 percent or less and a pH of no less than 3.0.

AHAs are not new at all – they’ve been used by women and men (yes, vanity is not wasted on women) over the eons to cleanse, clear and exfoliate the skin (to get rid of dead skin and give it a new life). AHAs are naturally present in citrus fruits (citric), sour milk (lactic), apples (malic), fruit and grape wine (tartaric) and sugarcane (glycolic).

If you’re using AHA products, Dr. Kenet prescribes the following:

• Stick with lactic or glycolic acids as these have undergone the most rigorous testing for both safety and effectiveness.

• Don’t be fooled by similar ingredients such as sodium lactate, sugarcane extract, mixed fruit acids and fruit extracts. They don’t exfoliate.

• Wait 10 minutes after cleansing before applying any AHA or salicylic acid. Moisture on the face can dilute the effects of the acid.

The good doctor also warns that using AHAs makes the skin more sensitive to the sun so one must not sunbathe even if she/he is using sunscreen.

How much (or how little) a concentration to use?

For people with oily and acne-prone skin, Dr. Kenet recommends a concentration of about 8 to 10 percent once in the morning; repeat the application of the glycolic acid cream at night. For rough, dry skin, a concentration of 15 percent is recommended.

But do all those ingredients listed on all those (beauty or body care) products make good their promises?

Let’s take a long hard look at some:

• Collagen. It is an effective ingredient in hair conditioners because it can penetrate damaged hair. But applied to the skin, it has no effect because the size of the collagen molecule does not allow it to penetrate the skin. Of course, injectable collagen is a different matter, but people who are allergic to beef may develop an adverse reaction.

• Elastin. It binds well with water for better moisturizing, but it does not affect or improve the skin’s own elastin.

• Hyaluronic Acid. When applied topically, it binds well with water. It can also facilitate the penetration of other substances through the skin.

• Placenta. That which nourishes the fetus (cow placentas are the most common) is touted to enhance blood circulation and stimulate cell metabolism. Sad to say, none of these claims have been proven.

• Liposomes. It is claimed that these microscopic sacs allow for a more efficient penetration of a cream’s active ingredients via a release of water-soluble chemicals and other water-binding agents. Liposomes do deliver. What we don’t know is whether the ingredients within the liposome are good, and these vary from product to product.

Dr. Kenet also tells his patients who don’t want to use a product with oil in it to beware of such ingredients as glycel tirbehenate, lard, lanolin, carnauba, ozokerite, petrolatum, squalene and mono- or diglycerides because they’re just other words for oil.

But oil’s not all that bad, a recent research points out. Dr. Albert Kligman of Pennsylvania did a study of 20 adolescents who used petroleum cream. He found a slight decrease in the number of blackheads. The doctor believes that blackheads are not caused by oil placed on the skin. Some of the worst blackhead-causing ingredients do not have a drop of oil in them.

Going deeper than skin-deep, the book tells us what we should safeguard ourselves against, such as:

• Hydrogen peroxide or products containing hydrogen peroxide which can interfere with the skin’s healing process.

• Coal tar as it can discolor light hair.

• Bubble bath as it can dry even the healthiest skin.

• Cosmetics, soaps or liquid soaps containing KathonGC as current research shows it has a cancer-causing potential. European countries have directed that the concentration of KathonGC in cosmetics be reduced from 30 parts per million to 15.

• ETA (ethanolamines, monoethanolamine, diethanolamine and triethanolamine) found in soaps and detergents as this chemical is said to cause liver cancer.

And now comes this much-abused claim: Hypoallergenic, or that the product won’t cause any skin problems. Truth is, there is no standardized test or method to support this claim. The word merely means that the product is less likely to cause allergic reactions. Also, don’t be fooled into believing that something that’s "dermatologist tested" or "allergy tested" won’t cause a reaction.

Another much-abused word is "natural." It’s only natural to think that because a product uses plant extracts or herbs it is natural. But did you know that the base formulas are often the same as in conventional products?

Brush up on some basic cosmetic do’s and don’ts. Together with your beauty kit, take this all-important safety kit from Dr. Kenet:

• Do not use open samples at cosmetic counters. In a survey of makeup counter samples in department stores, more than five percent were infected with fungus and other contaminants. If you do have a makeover in a department store, make sure that the applicators used are fresh disposable ones.

• Discard any makeup that smells rancid or has lost its consistency.

• Wash hands before applying cosmetics.

• Wipe off containers with a damp cloth if they become dusty or dirty.

• Discard eye cosmetics after six months and mascara after three months.

• Use fresh tap or distilled bottled water to dampen eye shadow. Never add liquid to bring a product back to its original consistency. Adding other liquids can introduce bacteria.

• Do not use eye makeup if you have an eye infection. Throw away all products you were using when you discovered the infection.

• Do not store cosmetics above 85° as this can increase the chances of destroying preservatives that protect against bacteria. They can also lose their original consistency.

• Be careful not to scratch the eye. Do not allow any cosmetic to come in contact with the eye.

• Never line the inside of your eyelid. This can damage your eye.

• Don’t apply mascara in a moving car. Serious infections can occur and may permanently affect vision especially if the eye is traumatized with infected mascara.

It does pay to be an enlighted cosmetics consumer. After all, what you don’t know could harm you.