Turn Your Hypoallergenic Skincare Routine Into an Anti Aging Skincare Routine
Hypoallergenic skincare solutions have been available for years. Why companies still choose to include allergens in their products remains a mystery to me. There are always safe, non-toxic alternatives.
Most people say that the reason companies choose to use allergy-causing ingredients is because they cost less. The vast majority of them are petrochemicals, which are petroleum byproducts, some of the cheapest compounds that money can buy.
The same compounds are used to make plastics and other synthetic items. Most artificial preservatives, for example, are petrochemicals.
Fragrance ingredients are typically called aromatic hydrocarbons. They are also petroleum-based ingredients, often mixed with petroleum-based alcohols. If you also use makeup, lipstick and moisturizers containing petrolatum or mineral oil, then you’re pretty much covered with crude oil derivatives. It’s not surprising that would cause allergic reactions.
Paraben-free skincare products have only become popular in recent years, due primarily to the research concerning their occurrence in breast cancer tumors, but also because they are common allergens. Parabens are mostly used as artificial preservatives, but they can be found in fragrance ingredients, too. Some of them have been banned, because they cause changes in the skin’s pigmentation.
If you suffer from allergies, you have to be cautious about products labeled for hypoallergenic skincare. Some of them can still cause allergic reactions. Manufacturers are not required to make these solutions free of allergens. Actually, they aren’t required to do much of anything.
The labels are not regulated by the federal government. Typically, when companies call their products “hypo” allergenic, it is because they contain fewer allergens than their “regular” products, not because they contain no allergens, at all. The US FDA recommends testing any new product on an inconspicuous patch before using it on a larger part of your body. If it causes a reaction, make a note of the ingredients they contain and try to find out which ones are allergens.
Testing is a good idea for paraben-free skincare products, too. Some manufacturers simply use a different artificial preservative. They are attempting to cash in on the publicity generated by the research studies. They are not really trying to provide safer products.
There are manufacturers committed to providing the safest and most effective creams, lotions and cleansers. For women, there are some companies that specialize in all natural makeup, free of toxins, allergens and irritants.
When you are shopping for paraben-free skincare products, find out if the manufacturer is a signer of the compact for safe cosmetics. This is a trade organization created to help consumers identify the safest cosmetics on the market. Anyone who signs the compact adheres to the more stringent European Union standards for cosmetic safety.
There are safe and natural ingredients that help reverse skin aging, fade stretch marks, heal acne and reduce inflammation. Antioxidants, plant-based oils, herbal extracts and other nourishing compounds are what the skin really needs to be healthy.
With those kinds of ingredients, you can turn your hypoallergenic skincare routine into an anti-aging routine. Why not get all that you can out of your cosmetics?