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SKIN CARE: NATURAL COSMETICS

admin — Thu, 12 May 2011 10:00:54 +0000

In recent years ‘natural’ cosmetics have been widely promoted. These cosmetics are often falsely advertised as containing no chemicals or preservatives and as being totally safe for the skin. They incorporate products such as aloe vera, jojoba oil and placental extracts. But, as mentioned earlier, there are no such things as a truly natural cosmetic. Every cosmetic contains preservatives to control bacteria and fungi which would otherwise cause skin infection. Natural cosmetics are a sales gimmick which appeals to the widely held belief that if something is found in ‘nature’, then it must be good for our skin.

Aloe vera may have some beneficial effect on skin healing, but has not been shown to have any effect on ageing or sun-damaged skin. Aloe vera can cause allergic reactions by itself or via the preservative needed to put it into a cosmetic.

Many creams are artificially coloured and perfumed in order to mimic the effect of a fruit or plant. There are, for example, apricot, cucumber and passion fruit creams. These products can also cause allergic reactions.

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SKIN CARE: COSMETICS TODAY

admin — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 08:41:19 +0000

The large, reputable cosmetic companies test their cosmetics very carefully. It is fair to say that very few side effects occur given the number of cosmetics used by the average person. However, new chemicals are constantly being introduced into cosmetics with uncertain long-term side effects. Cosmetics are not regulated by health authorities and do not have to undergo strict toxicity testing before being released on to the market. Less reputable companies may not have strict quality control, so the ingredients they use may be more suspect.

How are cosmetics tested for safety?

Because cosmetic companies have come under increasing pressure not to test their products on animals, many tests are now done on human volunteers. There are four main categories of safety testing which are routinely carried out by the larger manufacturers:

- Irritant reactions. The biggest problem with most cosmetics is that they can produce irritation or stinging when applied to the skin. New cosmetics are now routinely tested on human volunteers to check for such reactions. Cosmetics intended for the eye area or for babies must be less irritating than other cosmetics.

- Allergic reactions. Because cosmetics contain so many different chemicals, they can easily produce allergic reactions. The average cosmetic contains between ten and twenty chemicals, many of which can cause allergies in certain individuals.

The two main causes of allergic reactions are perfumes and preservatives. Most cosmetics contain some sort of perfume in order to mask the smell of the other chemicals. Preservatives are used in all cosmetics to prevent decay.

There is no such thing as a cosmetic which doesn’t contain preservatives.

Cosmetics are tested for allergic reactions by repeated patch testing on volunteers. Nonetheless, allergic reactions can still occur in susceptible individuals.

- Acne production. Many skin care products contain moisturizers which are likely to cause blackheads, whiteheads and even acne lesions. Testing cosmetics for acne production is very crude. Testing is not performed on the human face but on the human upper back or on a rabbit’s ear. Neither the ear nor the human back is an adequate predictor of acne production on the face.

- Bacterial count Preservatives are necessary in a cosmetic to prevent bacterial and fungal growth and to prevent decay. Bacterial counts must be lower in cosmetics for the eye area and in baby cosmetics. Without preservatives bacterial count would be unacceptably high, and so would the risk of serious skin infection.

Despite all this rigorous testing, however, the long-term safety of many substances used in cosmetics is not known. Some potentially dangerous ingredients have been incorporated into cosmetic products. A recent example was urocanic acid which was used in some moisturizers. This substance has been linked to the production of skin cancer in animals.

Dermatologically tested cosmetics

The more reputable cosmetic companies employ dermatologists to test their cosmetics. Cosmetics are tested in different ways, mainly for lack of side effects, especially irritant and allergic reactions. A cosmetic range which has been tested by a dermatologist is more likely to include suitable products for a wide range of skins. However, just because a cosmetic product is dermatologically tested does not mean that it will be suitable for acne skin or that it will prevent or treat wrinkles. Overall, dermatologically tested ranges are more reliable than those which are ‘adequately’ tested, and are labeled as being dermatogically tested.

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SKIN INFECTIONS: HERPES SIMPLEX

admin — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:22:43 +0000

Herpes simplex—’cold sores’—is a common, blistering condition caused by the Herpes Hominis virus. There are two distinct strains of this virus. Type I is responsible for the more common lip or eye disease, while type II is responsible for the genital disease.

The initial type I infection occurs mainly in infancy and childhood, when it is usually minimal and often unnoticed. The incubation period is between four to five days and is followed by raised antibody levels in the blood and other body fluids such as saliva. These antibodies, however* do not prevent recurrences. Recurrences vary in frequency from weeks to months to years, and appear to be due to reactivation of the virus rather than reinfection. This is thought to be perhaps due to chronic infection of the salivary or tear glands. Alternatively, the virus may persist in the nerve cells of the peripheral nerves, supplying the infected area. Although most type I infections are on the lips, no part of the skin is immune to infection. Fingers, shoulders, buttocks and legs are frequently affected. Commonly, itching or burning precedes the small, grouped blisters by an hour or two. These blisters then rupture and ulcerate, and occasionally become secondarily infected. They normally heal in seven to ten days, sometimes with scarring.

Type II infections occur on and around the genitals of both sexes. They are the commonest cause of genital ulceration seen in the V.D. clinics of Australia, England and the United States. The virus is spread by sexual intercourse, and can cause very painful and long lasting blisters and ulceration. Infections have been on the increase in recent years in most western countries. This is thought to be because of increased sexual activity, young people’s increased mobility, and the replacement of condoms and sheaths by the oral contraceptive pill. There is also some evidence that cancer of the cervix may be more common amongst women who have been infected with the herpes type II virus. Other complications are infection of the newborn, if an infant is born to a mother suffering from active genital herpes. To avoid this, caesarean section is performed in these cases.

The complications of type I infections are quite different and may also be very serious. Corneal (eye) ulcers may occur, and the infection may occasionally become generalized over the entire body, or may affect internal organs, including the liver, heart or brain. This is rare, but can be fatal. Infants or children with atopic eczema should not, for this reason, be nursed or kissed by people with active herpes infection. Similarly, patients with atopic eczema should not be vaccinated with smallpox I variola) vaccine, for fear of developing a generalized eruption.

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