Bodycare & Cosmet ics GREEN PAGES

solve by actually encouraging water loss from the skin.

much more of these substances is absorbed into the bloodstream using this ‘technology’, so if you want to avoid them, look for words like ‘liposome’ or ‘nanosome’ on the label.

Toxic ingredients Some moisturising ingredients, however, are harmful in their own right. Mineral oil, a byproduct of the distillation of gasoline from crude oil, impedes the skin’s ability to breathe, attract moisture and detoxify. It can also slow down cell renewal and so promote premature skinageing. Moreover, any mineral-oil derivative can be contaminated with cancer-causing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Humectants such as alphahydroxy acids (lactic or glycolic acid) act like chemical peels, thinning the stratum corneum and, ultimately, accelerating water loss. Many emollients trap dirt and sweat under the skin, and some, such as petrolatum, degrade the skin’s natural protective barrier, rendering it more vulnerable to bacteria and viruses. Film-forming ingredients like PTFE (Tefl on) and dimethicone are now routinely added to cosmetics and bodycare products, despite the lack of any comprehensive evaluation of their safety. Both are non-biodegradable. Tefl on contains the potential carcinogen perfl uorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and some silicones are known to be tumour promoters, and to accumulate in the liver and lymph nodes. The latest moisturisers are already using nanoparticles that can slip into the spaces between skin cells before releasing their active ingredients. Yet, no research has been conducted to show how

Unless you have a skin condition that requires medical attention, you probably don’t need to use a moisturiser on your skin every day

Do you really need a moisturiser? While the cosmetics industry loudly trumpets the benefi ts of moisturisers, most of these miracle effects are unsubstantiated and temporary. In truth, healthy skin begins on the inside, and nothing you put on your skin will be as effective as sorting out your diet, your sleep, your stress levels and your environment. Unless you have an underlying skin condition that requires medical attention, you probably don’t need a regular moisturiser. If your skin is occasionally dry, consider using natural oils after bathing or washing to temporarily seal in moisture. Effective doit-yourself moisturisers can be prepared on an ‘as needed’ basis by almost anyone from a simple mixture of vegetable or biological oils (coconut, jojoba, almond or emu) and plant ‘butters’ (shea or mango), water and glycerine. With practice, these can be made to suit different areas of the body and in response to the skin’s seasonal needs (for example, heavier oils in winter, lighter ones in summer). The advantage of natural oils is that they contain all the nutrients normally found in the plant or animal. Many of them, such as jojoba and emu oils, are amazingly similar to the oils in human skin and, as such, are non-irritating, don’t clog the pores and are deeply nourishing.

☞ACTION POINT

WHAT YOU CAN DO

1Go into your bathroom and look at

the labels of your favourite products.

Do any of them contain the following

moisturisers?

❐ Acrylates/C10-

❐ Isopropyl palmitate

30 alkyl acrylate

❐ Isopropyl stearate

crosspolymers

❐ Octyl dodecanol

❐ Cyclomethicone

❐ Oleyl alcohol

❐ Cyclopentasiloxane

❐ Paraffi num liquidum

❐ Decyl oleate

❐ Petrolatum

❐ Dimethicone

❐ Propylene glycol

❐ Dimethicone

❐ Simethicone

copolyol

❐ Lactic acid

❐ Dioctyl cyclohexane

❐ Glycolic acid

❐ Hexyl decanol

❐ Urea

❐ Hexyl laureate

❐ Isopropyl myristate

➧

2If so, photocopy these pages, tick on the

boxes of the worrying preservatives you

have found on the label and write to the

manufacturer’s customer services department, asking

them why, given that the following natural, non-toxic

and equally effective moisturisers are available, they

are using such ingredients in their product.

Almond oil

Hempseed oil

Aloe vera

Honey

Apricot-kernel oil

Jojoba

Avocado oil

Macadamia nut oil

Beeswax

Mango butter

Castor oil

Olive oil

Cocoa butter

Rosa mosqueta oil

Coconut oil

Shea butter

Emu oil

Squalene

Evening primrose oil

Wheatgerm oil

Glycerine

Grapeseed oil

➧

3Ask the manufacturer to send a copy

of their reply to The Ecologist, Unit 18

Chelsea Wharf, 15 Lots Rd, London SW10

0QJ or, failing that, pass the reply you do get on

to us, as we will be monitoring all feedback for

future investigations and campaigns.

THE ECOLOGIST 073