What ingredients in cosmetics will disfigure your face? What ingredients in cosmetics will damage your face?

Many chemical ingredients are added to skin care products. Different chemical ingredients have different effects. Some ingredients are bad for the skin if used too much. Let’s take a look at the skin care ingredients that are harmful to the human body.

What ingredients in cosmetics will disfigure your face?

Alcohol will make the skin dry and dehydrated, and make the skin sensitive. Salicylic acid will damage the skin's stratum corneum, reduce the skin's resistance and cause redness and allergies. Fruit acid, like salicylic acid, will make the skin thinner and more sensitive, and will make the skin darker if used during the day. Mercury is the most harmful ingredient, which can damage the liver, kidneys and spleen. Arsenic can cause dermatitis, pigmentation, and skin cancer. Lead can damage the body's hematopoietic and reproductive systems. Cadmium can induce heart disease and damage bone tissue.

What in skin care products can ruin your appearance?

Mercury, arsenic, lead and cadmium are banned ingredients in cosmetics. Skin care experts have listed the hazards of mercury, arsenic, lead and cadmium to the skin, which leads many people to mistakenly believe that these heavy metals are also components of cosmetics. However, in fact, the "Hygienic Standards for Cosmetics" of the People's Republic of China prohibits the use of mercury, arsenic, lead, cadmium and their compounds as cosmetic ingredients[2]. That is to say, these metals are banned ingredients in cosmetics and they should not appear in the ingredient list of cosmetics. However, since cosmetics may be contaminated by mercury, arsenic, lead, etc. during the production process, the "Cosmetics Hygiene Standards" also stipulates total amount limits for pollutants that may exist in cosmetics.

Limits for the total amount of common contaminants in cosmetics

Careful readers will find that there is one more note about mercury. The "organic mercury preservatives" (phenylmercuric salts, thimerosal) mentioned in the remarks can only be used in eye cosmetics and eye makeup removers in cosmetics. The concentration limit is 0.007% (in terms of mercury) and must be indicated on the cosmetic label. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) points out that mercury compounds in cosmetics can be absorbed by the skin and accumulate in the human body, which may cause allergies, skin irritation and neurotoxic symptoms. Therefore, it is strictly prohibited to use it in other cosmetics except eye cosmetics. At the same time, the FDA also stipulates that mercury compounds are only allowed to be used when there are no other safe and effective eye cosmetic preservatives available, and the concentration must not exceed 0.0065% (measured in mercury). Although my country's standards for the use of organic mercury preservatives in eye cosmetics are not as strict as those set by the FDA, as long as cosmetics manufacturers comply with national regulations, trace amounts of organic mercury preservatives in cosmetics should be safe for the skin. At the same time, it is now rare to see organic mercury used as a preservative in eye products. If you are really worried, you can stay away from these two preservatives when you see them on the label. Therefore, mercury, arsenic, lead and cadmium, as banned ingredients in cosmetics, should not appear in the ingredient list of qualified cosmetics, and they cannot be considered as "disfiguring" cosmetic ingredients.

Alcohol is a controversial ingredient, but it is far from disfiguring

The addition of alcohol can make cosmetics feel more refreshing and have a stronger sense of penetration. Many cosmetics with the concept of "import" contain alcohol to help the active ingredients in the cosmetics dissolve and penetrate the skin. These are all to cater to consumers' demands for cosmetic functions and usage experience. However, the high permeability and volatility of alcohol make it irritating to the skin and may cause inflammation. When it evaporates, it will also take away moisture from the skin surface, causing dry skin. At the same time, studies have shown that acute or chronic alcohol exposure may increase reactive oxygen free radicals, thereby causing tissue damage[4]. However, this damage is mainly caused by free radicals during alcohol metabolism, and there is no direct research on skin aging caused by external use. There have been reports of contact dermatitis caused by disinfection with 70% alcohol. We can only speculate that when used topically, the high osmotic pressure of alcohol causes irritation and inflammation, resulting in skin damage. But in fact, the alcohol concentration in cosmetics is usually not high. If alcohol appears in the last few places in the cosmetic ingredient list, you don’t need to worry too much; only when it appears in the first few places in the ingredient list, you may have to worry about causing dry skin or dermatitis. Of course, people who are sensitive to alcohol should try to avoid contact with alcohol. (If swelling into a "pig head" due to allergies is considered disfigurement, then alcohol can really cause "disfigurement". But the skincare expert really said disfigurement, without even putting quotation marks, which is a bit exaggerated.)

Reasonable use of salicylic acid and fruit acid is beneficial to the skin

Salicylic acid and fruit acid are widely used in cosmetics, and there are clear usage restrictions in the "Cosmetic Hygiene Standards", including concentration and minimum pH value. The relevant provisions on salicylic acid and fruit acid (α-hydroxy acid) in the "Cosmetic Hygiene Standards". Large image here: The 2003 supplement of the International Journal of Toxicology specifically evaluated the safety of salicylic acid and its derivatives in skin care products, and concluded that salicylic acid is safe if used reasonably]. Salicylic acid can be used as a skin conditioner to safely remove dead skin cells, especially old dead skin cells on the inner wall of pores. Its anti-inflammatory effect can also be used to treat common acne, and it will not cause irritation if used properly. It is also non-genotoxic and neither photosensitizing nor phototoxic. Studies have also shown that salicylic acid derivatives have some anti-aging effects, but the effect is relatively weak. Therefore, salicylic acid can be used safely at the appropriate concentration and pH value to address a variety of skin problems. Fruit acids belong to α-hydroxy acids. Lactic acid from milk, malic acid in apples, citric acid in lemons...are all fruit acids. Although most of the fruit acids used in skin care products are chemically synthesized, mainly glycolic acid and lactic acid, there is no essential difference between them and fruit acids from natural sources. Fruit acids have moisturizing, exfoliating and anti-inflammatory effects. Fruit acid also has the effect of increasing epidermal thickness and inducing the expression of hyaluronic acid and collagen in the dermis. However, fruit acids require the right pH value and appropriate concentration to work. The concentration of fruit acid in general skin care products is less than 10%. Higher concentrations are used by surgeons for chemical peels to treat melasma, solar keratosis, seborrheic keratosis, keratosis pilaris, etc., and need to be performed by a doctor in a hospital. The fruit acid that plays an exfoliating role in cosmetics generally has a concentration of more than 4% and a pH value of less than 4. At low concentrations or when the pH is neutral, fruit acids mainly play a moisturizing role. Although fruit acids increase the skin's sensitivity to UV rays, this sensitivity is reversible and can be prevented by increasing sun protection. (Even if you don’t use fruit acid, sun protection is essential in your daily skin care routine.)

What to add to cosmetics to hurt your face

Cosmetics containing lead, mercury, alcohol, formaldehyde, preservatives, etc. will damage the skin and affect the health of the body. The content of substances such as hydroquinone, mineral oil, monoethanolamine and diethanolamine in products must be strictly controlled, and excessive use may cause harm to the face. Mercury is often used in freckle creams, cadmium and lead are mostly used in lipsticks. More than 40 mg of lead is considered excessive, so you must pay attention when purchasing. Frequent use of alcohol can easily cause thinning of the stratum corneum and allergies, so it should be used appropriately and used with caution on sensitive skin.