Daily Web Ramblings

If you use cosmetics, and lets face it we all do at least once a day in our basic hygiene and grooming, you would know that most cosmetics today are getting way too pricey. It may seem the better the product the bigger the price tag.

Have you ever asked yourself “what’s in them and what am I actually paying for?” Is it the way your favorite soap mascara, or shampoo is packaged or is there a ground breaking secret ingredient contained in the formula that the manufacturer is promising will perform miracles (think anti aging creams)?

Either way I can bet it doesn’t cost the the manufacturer a bundle to produce the product but we do pay for it at the check out counter its called profit!

However, in saying that most cosmetics are made from crude oil refining by products and are sold in large volumes based on daily crude oil market rates. So naturally the large crude oil companies have a vested interest in the worlds cosmetics market! I can guarantee you that most cosmetics are made up of oil by products in them.

For instance, sodium laureth sulphate is very commonly used in your basic household cosmetics. Did you know sodium laureth sulphate is a detergent and surfactant (are wetting agents that lower the surface tension of a liquid, allowing easier spreading) found in many personal care products (soaps, shampoos toothpaste etc.)?

It is an inexpensive and very effective foamer that’s why the manufacturers use it. We humans like to see lots of suds when we wash as we associate it with being clean! Its also a cultural thing remember being washed head to toe with velvet soap by grandma? What you may not know is that sodium laureth sulphate is listed in the chemical world as a “known irritant “it can also CAUSE irritation after extended exposure.

In other words, if you weren’t allergic to a product containing it after a period of use its highly likely you will be. Products containing sodium laureth sulphate can affect people who are prone to eczema and other irritants.

These substances provide a foaming quality to the cosmetic product, allowing for better distribution of the product while bathing whether it be washing hair or skin or even whilst brushing your teeth. When rinsed off, the sodium laureth sulphate will have cleaned the area but will have stripped it of moisture from the top layers of skin.

In people with sensitive skin (prone to dermatitis, acne, eczema, psoriasis and chemical sensitivity), the drying property of sodium laureth sulphate and these type of detergents can cause flare-ups of skin conditions or may worsen existing conditions.

The key to checking out cosmetic labels is this.

The first 5 listed ingredients are what the product is mainly made up of. With the first listed ingredient as the main component the second as runner up and so on and so forth.

So take my advice, check out the list of ingredients on the back of the cosmetics you buy in the supermarket BEFORE you get to the check out counter.

Do it for yourself but more importantly for your families. There just may be an ingredient listed that is causing skin irritations or sensitivities that you never thought of .