The cosmetics market never ceases to amaze with new miraculous remedies – necessarily with natural ingredients, as the manufacturers assure, and with a long shelf life. How is this possible? After all, everyone knows: natural products – perishable goods. A logical question arises: how do the natural substances that make up the creams&Co keep fresh for so long? Of course, thanks to preservatives. They perfectly perform their function of keeping the product fresh, but are they safe for human health? Everything that consumers need to know about preservatives in cosmetics will now be told by estet-portal.com.
Preservatives in cosmetics: a danger to the skin and not only
The main component of – water. Microorganisms of all stripes adore water. If they begin to multiply in a cosmetic preparation, you will not expect benefits from it for the skin and hair, but specific harm. Therefore, manufacturers save products with preservatives.
The purpose of preservatives – to prevent the development of microbes in a cosmetic preparation. This is good. The bad thing is that in cosmetics, preservatives in terms of allergies take the second place after flavors.
The purpose of preservatives, as you might guess, – to prevent the development of harmful microbes in a cosmetic product: so that the cream, which we discovered a month ago, is as pristine as it was produced. Everything is logical. But is everything clear? It turns out that preservatives in cosmetics in terms of allergies take the second place after flavors. Scientific studies show that dermatological problems can be on the conscience of preservatives:
- allergic contact dermatitis. Symptoms: dry skin, flaking, redness, itching, swelling, blistering and weeping;
- contact dermatitis. Symptoms: sudden redness, infiltration, ulceration, burning of the skin;
- urticaria. Symptoms: rash, itchy, pale pink blisters, possible fever.
The blame for this lies mainly with the following preservatives commonly used in cosmetic preparations:
- Formaldehyde has antiseptic properties. If the content of formaldehyde in the preparation exceeds 500 ppm, the package must contain a warning: "The product contains formaldehyde." Japan, Sweden refused it in cosmetics, EU countries allow: 0.2% – maximum concentration in creams, 0.1% – in oral care products, 5% – in nail polish fixatives. Formaldehyde in aerosols is unacceptable. Allergic contact dermatitis is most commonly caused by formaldehyde and its derivatives. This substance is used in the following cosmetic products:
- creams, lotions for face and body;
- hair products (shampoos, conditioners);
- bath foams;
- mascara;
- nail polish.
- Thimerosal – a mercury-containing substance with antifungal, antiseptic effects. It can cause not only irritation, but also poisoning. Used in these tools:
- decorative cosmetics;
- eye cosmetics, such as mascara.
- Triclosan – an antibacterial, antifungal agent, according to some doctors, disrupts the functioning of the thyroid gland, hormonal balance, which can reduce immunity and even provoke breast cancer. Used in the following preparations:
- soap;
- shower gels;
- Mouthwashes.
- Parabens – propyl, butylpropyl, ethyl, methyl, which have fungicidal, antiseptic properties. An interesting observation of scientists: allergic reactions to parabens are observed with the second application of the product, for example, with the second application of the cream to the skin. Absorbed into the skin, parabens easily penetrate into the lymph (especially in the groin, chest, neck) and can cause systemic diseases. Scope of use:
- moisturizing creams;
- make-up remover;
- perfumes;
- deodorants, antiperspirants;
- soap;
- decorative cosmetics: powder, blush, shadows, mascara, lipstick, concealers, eye and lip pencils.
- hair care products (shampoos, conditioners).
- Zinc Oxide, UV Absorbent – perhaps the safest of the synthetic preservatives. You can find it in such cosmetics:
- sunscreens;
- tone;
- make-up base;
- shadows;
- powder;
- dandruff shampoos;
- concealers
Preservatives&Co: full names of preservatives in cosmetics
Formaldehyde – an excellent preservative, but very aggressive towards the skin, therefore, substances are introduced into modern cosmetic preparations with preservative formaldehyde that contribute to its gradual release – this aims to reduce the irritating effect on the skin. They are called releasers – formaldehyde releasing agents. They are less toxic than formaldehyde in its pure form, in addition, they are perfectly "sung"; with other preservatives – with the same parabens. Here is a list of formaldehyde releasers found in cosmetics:
- benzylhemiformal,
- 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol = bronopol,
- 5-bromo-5-nitro-1,3-dioxane = bronidox,
- diazolidinyl urea,
- imidazolidinyl urea,
- quaternium-15 (Quanternium-15),
- DMDM hydantoin (dimethylimidazolidine or glycolyl urea),
- sodium hydroxyphenyl glycinate,
- urotropine,
- Glutaral,
- glyoxal,
- iodobropinyl butylcarbamate.
Parabens can be "encrypted" under the following names: methylparaben (E218), ethylparaben (E214), isobutylparaben, propylparaben (E216), butylparaben, benzylparaben, glutaraldehyde, hexamidine diisethionate, phenol, phenylmercuric acetate, phenyl borate mercury, benzetonium chloride.
Before purchasing any cosmetic, carefully study its composition and weigh the pros and cons. Of course, it's hardly worth the risk if your skin is prone to allergic spots. But even if you consider yourself a healthy person, you should pay attention to the percentage of the substances listed above in cosmetics.
An alternative to synthetic preservatives in cosmetics
There are also natural preservatives in cosmetics. These are, for example, salt, aromatic oils, birch leaf extract, propolis, alcohol. But cosmetics with natural preservatives have a very, very short shelf life.
The real breakthrough was eco-, biocosmetics or natural cosmetics. Of course, it must also comply with microbiological standards, that is, it must also contain preservatives. Their role in biocosmetics is played by natural substances, for example, the already mentioned essential oils containing a large amount of phenolic compounds, such as thymol, eugenol, cinol. Extracts of tea tree, manuka, rosemary, lavender, thyme, cloves, sage, witch hazel have proven themselves well as natural preservatives for cosmetics. They are certainly more, so to speak, friendly to human health than synthetic preservatives, but you also need to be careful with natural oils. For example, rosemary and thyme oils – excellent antiseptics, but at the same time, they can cause skin irritation, expressed by redness, inflammation and even blisters! Tea tree oil should not be taken orally, and since it is often found in mouthwashes, extreme care must be taken not to inadvertently swallow some of the liquid.
A good preservative – non-toxic, colorless, odorless, does not provoke allergies, irritations, "friendly"; with all components of the product, works at a very low concentration in a cosmetic preparation and has a wide spectrum of antimicrobial activity.
Until scientists discovered preservatives that are absolutely harmless to human health, we have to put up with their content in cosmetics. According to doctors and cosmetologists, a good preservative should be non-toxic, colorless, odorless, not cause allergic reactions and irritations, and be “friendly”. with other components of the product, to perform its noble function at very low concentrations in a cosmetic preparation and, with all this richness, to have a wide spectrum of antimicrobial activity. So, before buying another cosmetic product, you should study its composition very carefully in order to choose the one in which the preservative is close to the ideal outlined by the doctors.
See also: Active ingredients in cosmetics: can they penetrate the skin
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