Tag: rosacea

Cleanse in Truth: Silicones and clogged pores Part 1 of 2

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Pore clogging ingredients in mass market products

Pore clogging ingredients in mass market products

 

Have you noticed that pore minimizing advertisements are at an all-time high? This seems ironic to me. The skincare industry sells us skincare and makeup products that clog our pores (although their labeling says the opposite) so they can then sell us products that minimize pores. In actuality, the majority of pore minimizing products I have researched do not minimize pores (and those that claim non-pore clogging are pore clogging) and as skincare consumers, we are all falling for it.

Do you own any of those face products that feel so silky and smooth to the touch and make your skin feel velvety, silky soft? Those products most likely have a high concentration of silicones.

These silica derived molecules are said to only sit on the surface of the skin so there is no possibility that they can penetrate the pore to cause acne. The skincare industry, comprised of companies who have their products manufactured and then spend millions of dollars to advertise those products, have so severely twisted the truth to sell their product that the consumer doesn’t know what to believe. If you spent millions of dollars on a product line formulation, would you do everything possible to sell that product? The skincare industry must make a return on that investment. Advertising executives make sure they do just that and the consumer buys the “Hope In a Jar” yet again. And again. And again. If you are anything like my average new client, your pores are more visible, not shrinking.

My biggest issue: the skincare industry has linked the term ‘clogged pore’ to causing acne or acne breakouts, by means of clever advertising. While comedogenic (proven pore clogging ability) ingredients do have the potential to cause breakouts and inflamed blemishes, comedogenic ingredients also have the ability to cause aging conditions without the presence of acne. I have clients who have clogged pores without any visual appearance of blackheads, whiteheads, or acne blemishes. These clients have admitted to settling on a product that is not offering them overall improvement with firming or brightening their skin. They admittedly hold onto the product in their regimen only because that product does not cause them acne or breakouts. They may not get breakouts but what they are left with is dull, dehydrated (dry looking) skin. Why?

This dull skin appearance is due to the fact that the skin’s natural exfoliation process has slowed from dehydration and impaction within the pore. In a healthy state, the skin has a seamless exfoliation mechanism within itself that forms new cells. These cells must eventually flatten, die and then flake off (typically on a microscopic level) following the formation of even newer cells. This process is known as cell regeneration. Upon the first signal of an imbalance within the skin (usually lead by clogged pores and closely followed by dehydration), the skin’s oil and dead skin cells become dried out and trapped (or stuck within the pore) and the skin’s functioning can become negatively altered. This means that cell regeneration dramatically slows. The skin is no longer making new skin at a proper rate and old skin cells are not flaking off the surface. If the skin is not regenerating at its normal rate, you can expect to notice accelerated visible aging.

I have my new clients bring in their current skincare product so I may perform ingredient analyses. Many of these clients claim that their serums, foundations and moisturizers “do not clog pores” because that is what they read on the label, or that is what the department store salesperson told them. After analysis of the full ingredient disclosure of their products, I sadly tell them that their product is indeed clogging their pores. This clogged pore condition begins with what I call the ‘domino effect of aging skin conditions’.  These include, dehydration, dryness, rosacea and redness, dull skin, sagging skin, fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, acne and even accelerated acne scarring. As I have proven within my skincare practice by guiding thousands of clients to their best skin, all of these conditions can be drastically reduced. The first step is to get rid of their individual skin imbalances. This removal of the skin imbalance process is the same for every single client, no matter what their skin condition: offer proper hydration while removing the impaction within the pores. There is a customized approach to each client treatment but the initial stages remain the same.

Concerned for their health, clients want to know what is good for their skin and body and what is not, as well as what is truly helping turn back the clock, and what is not. You can read information leading every which way on whether or not silicones are pore clogging. You will easily find clinical studies from chemist-created websites to news articles (sourcing cosmetic and dermatology journals) all announcing these ingredients are non-pore clogging. I must remind myself that these chemists providing this information to the public are the same chemists manufacturing skincare products for the commercialized, mass marketed skincare industry, (the ones who spend millions upon millions advertising to get my hard earned dollars).

I perform skincare treatments on every type of skin on varying age groups and skin conditions, yet each of my clients’ skin imbalance causes are linked to the same skin condition: clogged pores. Some first time clients are not even aware of it.  They are concerned with darkened patches, or hyperpigmentation, rosacea and redness, acne, expression lines, and sagging skin. They do not know that their pores are clogged and their skin has become dehydrated from the clogging (most of them do not notice while some do). After multiple hours of ingredient research there is one common denominator among every single product: filler ingredients comprise 90% or more of each product formulation. And the top contributing ingredients? Silicones. Here are the most commonly found silicones in foundations, primers, pore minimizers and moisturizing skin products:

Cyclopentasiloxane, cyclohexasiloxane, dimethicone, methicone, phenyl trimethicone

These provide a temporary filling and then smoothing out of the surface of the pores so you see (what the label flashes at you in big bold lettering) instant smoothing results. Some product labels list this ingredient four or five times in addition to listing it as the second or third ingredient.  I sometimes cringe when I read ingredient lists to my clients as I explain what they have really been getting with their skincare products:  aging.  The higher on the list, the higher the concentration of that ingredient in the product. Be warned, this instant result is only temporary and it is only on the surface. Yes, you will see immediate improvement as the silky base provides a ‘protective covering’ over your skin. That is where it ends. These ingredients become dried out and trapped within the pore further expanding it beneath the surface as it clogs with your own dead skin cells and oils. Your skin becomes dehydrated as it begins lacking oxygen and water further halting your natural exfoliation cycle. This dehydration and clogging cycle creates the look of larger pores on the surface – not smaller. If you see instant results advertised on a label I politely urge you to keep on walking without picking up that product. You can do better than an on the surface covering, can’t you?

A large percentage of my female clients excitedly report that they do not feel the need to wear makeup anymore after working with me to correct their skin imbalances. They especially don’t desire it after learning about the ingredients in their cover up products. (I have created a client throw away bin in my treatment room. I will soon share the photo of clients’ products that were thrown into the bin after they had an ingredient session with me- because these clients no longer desired these falsely advertised products.) Wouldn’t you rather correct the imbalances beneath the surface so it shows as a nice even and bright canvas on the surface? That way you don’t feel that you need to use the primers, cover ups, concealers, and foundations to cover up your skin. You can actually correct the imbalance beneath the surface and let your healthy skin show without covering it up, with silicones.

The Emotional Side of Acne and Skin Imbalance (1 of 2)

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Our mind and body are intimately interwoven, so much that there are commonly coined phrases such as the ‘mind-body connection’.  We’ve all heard that stress causes acne but did we ever stop to analyze the bodily mechanisms responsible for said skin imbalance?  We have been led for generations to believe the answer lies outside of ourselves.  If you experienced acne therapy in the 50’s it most likely consisted of UV radiation therapy as the theory went this type of therapy ‘cleared everything up’ similar to the process of the sun drying out blemishes.  Today, protocols and recommendations haven’t changed much for the typical acne sufferer visiting the dermatology office.  Some docs don’t even hear you out, you are observed and examined and given a prescription sheet with one to four prescriptions on it. Their best guess for the day.  Can you or anyone you know relate to this?  I’ve witnessed hundreds of teens and twenty-somethings  (and older) who are back for their umpteenth visit as the doctor’s response is ‘Well, let’s try this now and if 4-5 prescription acne meds fail then our ultimate option is Accutane”.  Additionally, if the office is a medical spa component you will be recommended for doctor grade products and medical grade acne treatments consisting of light therapy, laser, microdermabrasion, chemical peels and facials.  These treatments can offer much improvement if the proper steps, ingredients, and sequence is applied.  The issue for the average client is that despite what they have been led to believe with fancy brochures and attractive treatment series recommendations, the technician (dr, nurse, medical assistant, esthetician, etc) does not know what the outcome will be for your skin.  Simply painting that picture was stressful to contemplate!

The doctors must recommend prescriptions so the pharmaceutical companies continue to get rich while the unassuming patient comes back for the next attempt to clear the skin, yet a temporary relief or failed attempt is offered again.  Is this an attempt to mask symptoms or reveal the source of the imbalance?  While research studies and scientific journals have been offering conflicting views since the late 1800’s depicting diet,  originally known as medical nutrition therapy when guided by a doctor or registered dietician, as a possible culprit for acne flare-ups, the only solid studies that seem to hold water among top researchers are diets categorized as being high-glycemic.  It seems there has always been a hidden link between what we ingest and the presence of acne although I have numerously witnessed dermatologists in the treatment room stating the exact opposite to young teenagers and baby boomers alike, easily swayed by their doctor’s words.  Not once have a observed what I like to call a ‘real’ conversation getting to the heart of the matter.

Take a step back for me (and for you).  If I described a visual of your prior dermatology visits, then imagine you are an observer looking in this time.  And observe again through a new perspective, a new awareness.  What if the doctor had asked you, “Is there any emotional stress going on in your life currently or from your past”?  What would your answer have been?  I would’ve turned my appointment into a clinical psychological evaluation without trying very hard!  I come from an unhealthy childhood that resulted in much emotional pain in my teenage and early adulthood.  Little did I know that it had been trapped in my body for over two decades!  So what would your answer have been or what would it be?  Do you have to answer your hypothetical doctor?  You can save a copay and perhaps hundreds of dollars in prescriptions!  Can you simply answer to yourself?  None of us will have the same current or past story, but there is a common thread linking all, rather most of us acne (and other common skin condition) sufferers together:

Emotional Stress.

Several negative things occur in the body as a result of our everyday stressors that we simply deal with and manage day to day.  Recall from my previous articles how it is a given that the body is a self-‘detoxing’ machine and how it must maintain a homeostasis, a balance within itself in order to obtain a state of proper health.  When we are ‘stressed’ we instantly feel ‘anxious, annoyed, angry, upset, irritated, etc.  These negative emotions trigger several hormone responses in our body that lead to a myriad of…changes.  After all, emotional stress causes heart attacks.  Think upon the functions and mechanisms of the body that must all occur for a heart attack to be the end result of a little stress.  That little stress isn’t so trivial anymore, is it?

Scientifically speaking – when our body is in stress mode, also called survival mode, the blood and nutrients begin rushing toward the most vital organs to maintain appropriate levels to keep everything pumping and flowing smoothly.  The skin is the last organ to be nourished by nature but now the body neglects it even more so.  That is why if we are sick or tired we actually look haggard.  We all know or know of somebody who is very sick and undergoing treatment.  How does their skin look?  How do they look?  How would you describe it?  The body’s main focus is to keep those organs in proper functioning health (as much as possible).  And it does double duty in survival mode.  On top of the lessened nutrient delivery service to the skin, the hormones testosterone and androgen are released at a higher rate that increase oil production which surges through our pores causing an imbalance

It’s all around us and sometimes it is us, the stressed-out individual.  They are everywhere!  I used to be one of them.  Just being in the presence can dramatically alter your own stress levels instantly.  Until we become fully aware and in control of our emotions (not a simple task but it is worth the undertaking) we and our skin eruptions will be at the mercy of the world’s stressors.   I recently saw a weight-loss commercial with a digital body expanding and widening, getting fatter as Cortisol, a stress hormone is released.  I cannot recall the exact pill, I’m certain there are several that promise something similar to “with this pill, you can ….lose weight, feel and look better, look more attractive to the opposite sex..”  There’s a magic prescription, pill and program for everything.  Weight loss was never my issue, give or take a few pounds, or inch here or there.  However, depression and emotional pain was.  It took several (ten plus) years for me to realize all of that emotional pain was eating me alive.  Its physical manifestation for me presented itself in: cystic acne (what I thought of as incurable as I had tried everything and anything for it) and stomach upset.  The external answers are all around us promising instant results and relief!  But these are deceptive.  They are a lie, a mere distraction that keep us from discovering the truth.  The truth is that we must additionally look inside ourselves in order to be truly and fully healed of our imbalances.  Isn’t that how we are ultimately designed?   It’s not to live and think the way marketing agencies and global sales companies convince us that we are in desperate need of their ‘outside product’ to fix our physical representation (of internal imbalance presenting itself on our skin) for the world to see.  But if the world sees it and we feel uncomfortable with our skin we now begin to take measures to correct it.  Could it be we were we created to learn how to find the deeper meaning of our self that in turn breeds an emotional balance leading to balanced skin?  Do we need to do the work of opening our eyes to new awareness and knowledge surrounding our Inner Self and our Imbalances (sounds like the next new topic of discussion!)  Instead of the latest marketed cure or dermatologist’s recommended prescription to fix our outer self it may be time to look at our inner self.  It’s not such a bad thing.  Knowledge is Power.

 

Is your skin becoming more sensitized over time? Read this.

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Acne breakouts? Rosacea, eczema? Do not be afraid of moisture. Hydration heals!  Fragrance… irritates.                

The last thing any of these  above conditions need is alcohol, witch hazel, menthol, eucalyptus, a harsh toner, scrubbing component, exfoliating or strong acne clearing ingredients such as high percentages of sulfur and benzoyl peroxide, and lastly the synthetic highlights of this article:  fragrances, dyes, and colorants.  (i.e  non-skin healers)  These ingredients will only lead to more dryness and irritation and prevent the skin’s natural healing mechanisms from kicking into any beneficial action.  More often than not, these ingredients will not better the skin’s situation will make things worse.  Try these words on for size:  ‘soothing and hydration’.  Most typical over the counter products have a smidgeon of hydration or a calming ingredient thrown in the mix, but it has been so processed there is no tangible benefit offered to the consumer.  Additionally, all of the other ‘filler ingredients that are of a higher concentration negate those very few good ones.  Or, the order of ingredient percentages and concentrations are not ideal and although cleverly advertised on the label, will ultimately offer little to no correction or improvement.  (do you really need me to tell you this?  Think about all of the products you’ve tried that literally offered nothing, or at least left you with skin irritation to some degree, and you weren’t even finished with the product).  This irritation shows itself in the form of more redness, rashing, dryness, itchiness, flaking, blotchiness, on and on it goes.  What a vicious, irritating cycle this turns out to be.  Can your skin relate?

Did you know synthetic (artificial) fragrance and colorants and dyes are a primary cause of skin sensitivity and contact dermatitis?  Your skin may have been as tough as nails in your early years, but now ten, twenty, thirty years later you consider it sensitive, or as commonly call it, easily reactive.   That is because there may be hundreds of skin irritating and health disrupting chemicals all masked under one name in that beauty product:  “fragrance or parfum”;  that you have been buying and applying to your face and body for how many years now?  Several   years.

According to biochemist and author of  The New Science Of Skincare, Daniel Yarosh, this ‘fragrance’  formula does not need to be disclosed by the manufacturer.   Is usually at or near the bottom of the ingredient label.  Or at least for your skin and health’s sake I hope it is.  Unless the ingredient list is alphabetized, this is rather uncommon, ingredients that are higher up on the list contain the most active ingredients, or chemicals and make up the majority percentage of the skincare formula.   That would be a lot of unecessary skin irritation to be exposed to.  Product lines such as Aveda and Lancome come to mind with overabundance of fragrance.   

These fragrance and colorant ingredients serve no beneficial function to the skin.  But, they DO cause irritation beneath the surface leading to  a myriad of skin issues including:  a weakened barrier (protection  from the environment and topical skincare), more blood vessels (redness) due to added inflammation, damaged collagen (more wrinkles) to name a few.  After a short while your body may activate the histamine response from the immune system and bring on the itching, burning, flaking and hives to get your complete attention that your body, through exposure of the skin, did not like said product. 

It smells so pretty (sometimes) but it is never worth the possibility of any skin reaction or irritation no matter how long down the road it may be, in my book.  If your skin is perfect, you don’t have to pay attention to this post.  But if your skin is like mine, or if you had or are having health issues, you aren’t so genetically lucky, boy do you have to be careful and learn to avoid common irritating ingredients.

Fragrance oils, synthetic fragrance produced to simulate essential oils, and nearly any other scent we could think up are predominantly made from fabricated chemicals and may smell good but they usually don’t measure up to high-quality oils, says jashbotanicals.com.   Colorants and dyes reside in this category.  These colorants include the vast array of FD&C and D&C colorants used in many products today and can be stated with a letter followed by a series of numbers.   Derived from coal tar and frequently tested on animals for safety, they are widely used in soap products to produce the array of colors we are so used to. 

If you already have sensitive skin or are just concerned with improving your health, you’re better off with a sensitive label that truly is fragrance and colorant free. You have to read the ingredient list ON THE BACK because the labels are most likely falsely advertised.   This may affect any condition that may present itself as a flare-up:  rosacea, eczema, dryness.  It does not need to read oil free, as this is also a fallacy. Read why this is in my following post.  This moisturizer by Neutrogena really is fragrance free but still contains several ingredients I no longer want in my body or on my skin after being associated with health detriments and increased negative skincare issues.  oil free moisture