There are many skin care lines and products that are geared toward addressing dry skin. However, some moisturizer products on the market actually contain ingredients that can exacerbate dryness. These ingredients include parabens, phthalates, alcohol and mineral oils, which are included in skin care products to serve as fillers. These fillers are added with the intention of making the product more attractive to the consumer.
PHTHALATES
Phthalates are carrier ingredients for fragrances that are added to products. Studies performed on animals reveal that prenatal exposure, as well as exposure to this ingredient through breast-feeding, has hormonal-altering effects. The fact that many consumers are against using products that are tested on animals alone makes products that contain phthalates an issue. Image Skincare products are not tested on animals.
PARABENS
Parabens are used to preserve and extend the shelf-life of skin care products. The issue with parabens is that they can cause allergic reactions, mimic estrogen, and potentially increase the risk of breast cancer. Natural ingredients such as vitamin E, thyme essential oil, and tea tree oil are also used as preservatives, however, while these ingredients may not carry cancer-causing risk that parabens do, they may cause allergic reactions.
The way to find out if you have allergies to certain ingredients is to have a patch test done by a dermatologist. Another way to cut down on risks associated with parabens is to look for products that contain 25% or less. Image Skincare products are 100% free of parabens.
ALCOHOL AND MINERAL OILS
Alcohol and mineral oils are also widely used in skin care products and have the potential to worsen dry skin conditions. Of course, alcohol can be very drying, but it is used in skin care products as a thinning agent for products that would otherwise be quite thick, such as serums. Again, this goes back to the aesthetics of a product and how well it will sell. Alcohol actually disrupts the skin’s natural function of making oils that naturally keep your skin soft and supple. Conversely, mineral oil is an ingredient that just sits on the skin. It has only trace water solubility and requires a strong agent to remove it.
OTHER CAUSES OF DRY SKIN
Dry skin can have many causes, ranging from living in a dry environment, overexposure to sun, using the wrong products and even heredity. Our Vital C Hydrating Intense Moisturizer contains many natural ingredients that can effectively and safely address dry skin. It contains palmitoyl oligopeptide which naturally occurs in our bodies to assist with collagen production. Hyaluronic acid is used in this product to lock in moisture, to fight off dry skin in a short amount of time, giving long-lasting results.
Lisa xx
