People tend to put a large amount of trust in the skincare products that they use, believing that anything available commercially would be safe for their skin.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. There are many skincare ingredients out there that are approved for use in cosmetics yet, at the same time, are known for producing some potentially shocking side effects. Read on as Venofye talks you through some of the biggest culprits so that you know which skincare ingredients to avoid at all costs.
Sulfates
Sulfates are some of the most commonly used skincare ingredients around. They’re mainly found in cleansers, soaps, and other products designed to remove impurities from the skin. This is because sulfates are surfactants, meaning cleansing agents. They attach themselves to dirt that’s embedded in the skin, enabling it to then be washed away.
The problem with sulfates is that they’re a little too good at cleansing. In addition to removing dirt, they also strip away some of the skin’s protective barrier each time they’re used. As you can imagine, this won’t do the skin any favors in the long term. Instead, it weakens the skin’s defenses, leaving it susceptible to irritation and sensitivities, as well as dehydration.
Although there are several different sulfates out there, they all have similar effects, making them all worth avoiding. Luckily, all of the various types will have the word ‘sulfate’ somewhere in their names, making them easy to spot on a skincare ingredients list.
What can you use instead? There are numerous sulfate alternatives available, and more and more cleansing products are now becoming sulfate-free. Venofye’s Blossom Bee Clarifying Cream Cleanser is one. Rather than using sulfates, it’s formulated with coconut-derived surfactants. Not only are these far gentler on the skin but they also have a moisturizing effect, leaving the skin feeling beautifully soft and supple.
Oxybenzone
There’s no denying that sun protection is vital if you want to keep your skin looking and feeling healthy. The sun is responsible for causing so much damage to the skin, leading to everything from wrinkles to dark spots to skin cancer.
One of the best ways to protect your skin from sun damage is with a sunscreen. However, don’t go reaching for the first one that you see. If you spot a sunscreen containing oxybenzone, you may want to give that product a miss.
Why? Because there simply isn’t enough data on the ingredient to guarantee its safety. With that said, scientists do know that oxybenzone is absorbed through the skin and into the bloodstream at a much greater rate than what was previously believed. Traces of the ingredient have even been found in urine and breast milk, weeks after the ingredient was applied. Other similar skincare ingredients have potential hormone-disrupting effects once absorbed, and more research is needed to find out whether oxybenzone does the same.
Even more worryingly, the European Commission advises that products shouldn’t contain more than 2.2% oxybenzone. However, in the USA, manufacturers are allowed to use up to 6% of the ingredient. This could potentially be extremely detrimental to anyone who uses these products.
The good news is that there are several other UV filters out there that work just as well. You’ll find a few of them in the Venofye Orchard Bee Brilliance Cream SPF 30, showing that it’s more than feasible to produce high-quality sunscreens without resorting to the use of oxybenzone.
Alpha Hydroxy Acids
Just about everyone touts the benefits of regular exfoliation. It clears away built-up dead skin cells while also giving the skin a deeper cleanse, pulling blockages and other impurities out of the pores. Regularly exfoliate and you should notice your complexion taking on a smoother, brighter, and more radiant finish.
When it comes to choosing an exfoliant, many people opt for chemical exfoliators. These usually make use of alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), which dissolve the bond that keeps dead skin cells attached to the skin’s surface. This allows those cells to be washed away.
Many believe that the more concentrated their exfoliant is, the better it will be at its job. As a result, they often opt for formulas with an AHA content of 10-20%.
What’s the problem with this? Hydroxy acids commonly cause adverse reactions, especially when used at such a high concentration. While some people can tolerate them just fine, others find that even a single use of a potent AHA product can leave them dealing with the symptoms of over-exfoliation. These range from excessive dryness and sensitivities to swelling and acne breakouts. Continue using that product and you’ll end up severely damaging your skin’s protective barrier, which could require several months to heal.
While AHAs most definitely have their place in some skincare routines, anyone with sensitive, easily-reactive skin should opt for exfoliators that don’t contain them, such as the Venofye Blossom Bee Facial Peeling. This formula works beautifully on all skin types, effectively exfoliating the skin without damaging it.
Hydroquinone
Hyperpigmentation is extremely common. It’s usually caused by over-exposure to the sun. This stimulates the skin into producing more melanin, which is the pigment that’s responsible for your skin’s color. It’s normally distributed evenly throughout the skin, but when the skin produces too much of it, it ends up clumping in certain areas. This causes those parts of the skin to turn darker in color.
While those dark spots aren’t harmful, they can make the skin look uneven and dull. As a result, once people start to see them appear, they look for ways in which they can get rid of them ASAP. This leads them to hydroquinone, a chemical compound that lightens dark patches.
Hydroquinone can be used to lighten everything from freckles to acne marks, making it a popular ingredient. However, there’s a darker side to it too, one that many aren’t aware of…
Like the other skincare ingredients on this list, hydroquinone can be extremely irritating to the skin. Not only will it cause the usual symptoms, such as stinging, redness, and dryness, but it can also trigger painful blistering. If you have a dark skin tone, it could even make your hyperpigmentation worse. This is why the ingredient is banned in over-the-counter products in many countries, as its side effects can become quite serious.
Fortunately, there are some great alternatives out there that are just as effective yet don’t cause side effects. You’ll find several of them in the Venofye Blossom Bee Vitamin C Serum. In addition to containing two forms of vitamin C, it’s also infused with bee venom, vitamin A, and vitamin E. All are known for how they lighten the visibility of dark spots, making them ideal if you’re dealing with hyperpigmentation.
Keeping Your Skin Safe From Side Effects
The skincare ingredients featured above are just a few of the many that can cause shocking side effects. Sure, in some cases, you may notice these effects straight away and can stop using that product. However, at the same time, not all of those side effects occur immediately. Skin damage often accumulates, meaning that you’ll only see the problems that you’ve dealt to yourself after some time passes.
To prevent that from happening, here are some tips to keep in mind when shopping for new skincare products:
Avoid Products That Don’t Disclose All of Their Ingredients
Most importantly, if you spot a skincare product that appeals to you but you can’t find its ingredient list anywhere, be cautious. By law, companies need to disclose the skincare ingredients that they’ve used in products. However, some may make it difficult for consumers to find this information, particularly when shopping online.
If a company has nothing to hide, then they’ll make their ingredients known, so be wary of any that don’t.
Don’t Believe ‘Hypoallergenic’ and ‘Dermatologist-Tested’ Labels
When a product’s packaging states that it is hypoallergenic and dermatologist-tested, this gives that product some extra credibility. People are more likely to believe that said product is high quality. After all, a dermatologist has tested and approved it!
Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. Any company is allowed to use these terms – there aren’t any regulations involved. Some products may claim to be hypoallergenic and dermatologist-tested but, in reality, aren’t. It’s a clever marketing ploy that many companies use, so be aware of this.
Less is More
With the 10-step Korean skincare routine becoming increasingly popular over the years, people are now applying so many more ingredients to their skin than they used to. At the same time, the skincare industry is always advancing, and the ingredients that it uses are becoming more and more potent.
There’s no denying that layering your skincare can be effective, but go overboard and you could run into some problems. Not only could this lead to you applying way too many ingredients to your skin in one go, but it also increases your chances of mixing incompatible skincare ingredients. As you can imagine, this leaves you even more susceptible to unwanted side effects.
If your skin has been looking red or feeling irritated lately, try stripping down your skincare routine. Take it back to basics, using just a handful of products each day, and see if your skin improves.
Always Perform a Patch Test
Although a patch test isn’t going to save you from any long-term damage that some skincare ingredients can cause, it will keep you safe from immediate side effects.
A patch test is when you test a new skincare product out on a small patch of skin, usually on the arm. You then wait for 24-48 hours before testing it again on a small patch of your face. If your skin doesn’t react at all to the product that you’re testing, then go ahead and use it.
However, if you notice any sort of negative reaction, then this means that your skin isn’t tolerating one or more of the skincare ingredients in that product.
Summary
Your skin is your body’s largest organ, so it deserves the best when it comes to the topical products that you use. This makes it worth spending some time familiarizing yourself with which skincare ingredients you should and shouldn’t be using. This way, you’ll be much better informed to make the right choices when choosing products, and the results of this will no doubt soon be visible in your complexion.
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