OVER 500 CHEMICALS ON YOUR FACE

It's very simple. Access to the Internet and plain curiosity are enough for women to find out the effects of the cosmetics they "feed" themselves almost every day. And without thinking! It costs hardly anything to search the World Wide Web for information on every chemical element in the list of ingredients provided with almost all cosmetic products. It's good that legal regulations, both international and local, force producers to specify the composition of their products. I think that no-one would ever think of buying cosmetics and toiletries that have no lists of ingredients. But not everyone checks the list of ingredients in the products they buy - they just follow advertisements and believe what manufacturers say about their products.

What else?

Toiletries and cosmetics presented by developers as therapeutic are of even greater interest. They may contain, for example, plant bioflavonoids - substances with bioactive properties. But revisiting the list of the ingredients in these cures, you can find that in addition to the miserable amount of bioflavonoids, the medicinal product contains a number of dangerous chemicals. Moreover, the volume of chemical components clearly exceeds the amount of plant ingredients. Many will ask: how do we know this? When you study the labels of cosmetic products, you should also pay attention to the position of a substance in the list of ingredients. The closer it is to the top of the list, the more of it there is in the overall composition. And if in the ingredients, chemical components are at the head and plant components at the end, it is not difficult to see what the "therapeutic" remedy is stuffed with - more chemicals and fewer bioflavonoids. So before you buy something, you should carefully study its list of ingredients. And if it turns out that under the guise of a remedy, you are being offered a product stuffed with the Periodic Table, you'd better not buy it. Because there is one inescapable truth: "It is better not to use cosmetics at all than to use something that can cause harm."

Eternal beauty and youth ... that's what all kinds of cosmetic products promise. But scientists have long concluded that a combination of creams and tonics ages our skin and destroys health. Women need substantial financial resources to achieve contemporary notions of beauty and hygiene - soaps, gels, creams, toners, tanning lotion, shampoo and lipstick. Every procedure of soaping and oiling in pursuit of eternal youth takes not only money but also time. Every morning and evening has a daily ritual, which women think is beneficial, but, as it turns out, is not.

"Magic potion"

This is the main point of reports issued by a major European research firm that analysed the composition of the most popular cosmetic and hygiene products. This required the summation of chemical components that make up the most popular "women's rituals" of the most popular cosmetic brands. The results spoke for themselves - scientists concluded that such a chemical attack on the skin not only does not rejuvenate women, but, conversely, can accelerate the aging process. Women's main preferences in cosmetics and toiletries were deodorants, creams and body lotions, shower gels or soaps, hand and face creams, artificial tanning lotion, face powder or blusher, shampoo, hairspray, perfume, lipstick and eye shadow.

The results of the study were shocking - a woman who uses roughly the same set of substances voluntarily covers the skin of her body and face with a mixture of 515 chemicals, many of which are potentially dangerous. They can cause severe allergic reactions, skin irritation, hormonal disturbances, infertility and even cancer. Add washing detergents for dishes and furniture, and you will get another list of possible diseases!

For example, parabens - chemicals used in most cosmetics as preservatives - may contribute to the development of breast cancer and degrade the quality of sperm. Parabens are contained in about 16,000 very different products, and their main feature is that they are easily absorbed through the skin. Although the harmful effect of low doses of parabens has not been proven, several studies have shown that regular and repeated exposure to these substances - since they are contained in shampoos, shower gels, shaving foams and even lotions - leads to disastrous consequences for health. But scientists at the University of Kyoto, for example, believe that even initially safe types of parabens become toxic in sunlight, accelerate the aging process and causing skin cancer.

Naturally, such a sensational study by scientists was bound to cause a response. Representatives of the American Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association issued a statement that "the safety of cosmetic products is regulated by dozens of different laws and every substance undergoes a mandatory test by the relevant authorities". Thus, the certification process ensures that all components are contained in cosmetics in harmless combinations and doses, said the manufacturers. But this answer did not satisfy doctors: they continue to insist that the "safety" of any dose is debatable. First, while certifying cosmetics, it is impossible to consider with what substances they will be used and for how long. And secondly, you can never predict what dose of a chemical is dangerous for a child or a person with a weakened organism, certain genetic factors, etc.

Choose the right thing

To find cosmetics, you need to know the world classification of cosmetic products, their production technology and the composition. The central office of the Independent Commission of Experts is in Switzerland. This association tests everything that is related to health. How does the testing happen? An expert of the commission visits without warning a company that has filed an application to certify a product and goes to the factory and takes any product they like from the production line according to the test list. The products are then sent to the commission lab for a verdict. The commission cherishes its reputation, so certificates are not sold or bought. This commission has developed a classification system for cosmetics.

The first category is Mass Market. It includes cheap cosmetics produced in large amounts, which are aggressively advertised on the market. These cosmetics contain toxic substances, herbal ingredients of the lowest quality and petrochemicals and also include artificial preservatives, as a rule, components of formalin and phenol. The solution method is used to produce these cosmetics, i.e. plant material is soaked in formalin, after which the extract is filtered and added to a cosmetic product. To increase sales of these cosmetic products, active advertising is used, and its text is absolutely not true.

The second category is Mid-Range. It features mid-range cosmetics, which presuppose a higher level and quality. The content of biologically active substances is from 30 to 60 per cent, preservatives are of natural origin, and they are not toxic, but herbal. But chemical technology is used in production. Cosmetics are produced through the hot pressing of plant extracts and tend to cause addiction, so using cosmetics of one cosmetic line of this category for more than six months is not recommended. Every six months, cosmetics should be changed.

The third category is Luxury class cosmetics. These are high-tech, and have a concentration of biologically active substances of 70-80 per cent. Raw plant materials are of the highest quality, preservatives are only natural and high quality - colloidal silver, propolis, tea tree oil and so on. The cosmetics do not cause addiction and aging does not happen fast when you stop using these cosmetics. This class includes haute couture houses, which determine quality and design. And the design of cosmetics is as expensive as their content.

In any case, the use of cosmetics made by cosmetic companies is the private business of every woman. Of course, not all women have the funds for Luxury products - they are too expensive. In this situation, they have to rely on face masks made at home from conventional raw fruits and vegetables. But in this case, we are not immune to the pesticides, saltpetre and chemical fertilizers agricultural food products are stuffed with today. What are we to do? Most likely, nothing. Simply wash with running water.