Probably once or twice (or maybe more?) in our lifetime, we believed what beauty companies advertised about their skin care products. With the dire need to fix our skin woes, most of us have probably resulted in a buying spree with anti-aging products, hypo-allergenic products, dermatologist tested, and the list goes on. Companies promised us visible changes within months, some even within weeks of continued use. But to no avail, we’re left with a half-full bottle of a beauty product that didn’t deliver the results promised.
Below is a list of few of the lies about your skin care products. Maybe, just maybe, you will realize that getting a better and clearer skin is easier to achieve just by eating the right food, instead of slathering on layers of skin care products that probably won’t even work.
Anti-Aging
In reality, Science has yet to discover an ingredient that can actually slow down or reverse the aging process. If that’s the case, then why are they selling us anti-aging products? Especially when it’s not meant to slow down or reverse the process? Overall, sunscreen is the only scientifically proven product that can prevent (but not reverse!) signs of skin aging by protecting the skin from sun damage. But once the damage is done, there isn’t really any product that can reverse the damage. Unless of course, you’re loading up on foods rich in antioxidants that can speed up the healing of your damaged skin.
The term anti-aging is only used because it’s meant to boost sales and profits. Because, why the hell not? Everyone wants youthful skin forever! So why not use it to lure people into buying products that claim to make them look younger in weeks? It’s a brilliant idea, honestly. But then the term has no actual medical value.
Hypo-allergenic
The term itself means that the product has very little chance of causing an allergic reaction to the person, or overall will not cause any allergic reaction at all. In reality, there isn’t even a federal standard for this term. There is no scientifical test that can guarantee that a product will not cause an allergic reaction to an individual. One way or another, a certain ingredient can cause an allergic reaction to a person whether it was labeled hypo-allergenic or not. Why? Well, it’s because the person was selectively allergic to the ingredient! This isn’t even rocket science. If a person is allergic to an ingredient, it will always cause allergic reactions, period.
The products that are mostly labeled as hypo-allergenic often contain one ingredient in common–a preservative. Preservatives are known to cause skin reactions, especially to those who already have sensitive skin. So, why is it called hypo-allergenic? If this doesn’t scare you, maybe this will: the usual products that are hypo-allergenic are baby products!
Dermatologically Tested
Oh boy, this just means that at least one dermatologist has used or tested the product on his or her body once, or maybe twice, we honestly don’t know! And then, that dermatologist just decided that he or she can profit from it, so they began to endorse it, claiming that it has passed their standards and that it’s safe for everyone to use.
We all know how one’s skin may be different from the other, and what may work for one may not always work for everyone. With this in mind, how can one or two dermatologists vouch for all the product claims? Another red flag, right?
With these lies in mind, it’s safe to say that switching to natural remedies or eating healthy can be a better option for a youthful glow. These benefits are scientifically proven, and not only that it is safe, it’s also proven to be effective. Plus, it can give you a health boost.
Healthy or youthful skin can always be achieved with the right lifestyle. It’s not about the expensive bottles of skin care and high-end products that promised to give you youthful and glowing skin. If you’re not taking care of your body from within, it’s bound to manifest physically. Always remember that being healthy on the inside can also make you look healthy on the outside.
I can’t believe this. This is alarming! You’re trying to get your skin to be better, yet cosmetic companies trick you.
They do this simply for profit, not because they’re truly concerned about what happens to your skin. Although I’ve seen a couple of products in the market that has delivered decent results, you can’t really believe all the claims. It’s all hit or miss. Especially with the “hypo-allergenic” side of the spectrum.
This article is making is scared of the world around us. I haven’t really seen someone die from cosmetics.
(wish i saw more comments like yours, Ealine Wilham) It’s a lack of the complexity of chemistry study I’ve found and I will say it now, This is something that really frustrates me as a chem student. The author of the article, you participate in many areas ‘holistics;, ‘organic’ that are also very guilty of marketing and lies. It used to be guilt of hurting the planet but with the internet it has gone to scare tactics. There are many people involved in the formulating of cosmetics, formulators = chemists. What you are saying is we are murderers if what you are saying is true. The problem is we are looking at ppb which makes everything look toxic and you know what it is, everything has a relative toxicity which make the words ‘toxins’ and ‘non-toxic’ slightly ludicrous. Your organics included. Pesticides are allowed to be used in them as well and just because they’re natural doesn’t guarantee their toxicity level low. As I’ve said below formaldehyde is very natural and you will find it ubiquitous in the environment, its a simple composition. It is a carcinogen but group designations don’t actually take into account amount needed, just certainity (you will not be able to avoid formaldehyde). Your own cells mitochondria release oxidative stress agents during their natural respiration process. The try to clean them up but its not 100% success. Do you know the chemical composition of a strawberry? (btw i wouldn’t recommend applying it and leaving it on the skin, it can be quite harsh). Every time you mix food together you likely do not know what reactions may happen what can be created.
I would like to see a reduction in parabens but if you want to avoid them you’ll have to give up blueberries as well if you’re worried about the low percentage in your cosmetics.
I have a problem with the terms in the article but I also have a problem with the other marketing terms as well. Opthamology tested is another as well as ‘organic’ (which in this usage doesn’t have scientific basis) Organics (with GMO especially) are often marketed as sustainable which isn’t really holding up.
I never want to talk about it because it causes too much agro (accusations: ‘who do you work for?’ pity: ‘little sheeple’ or straight up being insulted: ‘moron’) but sometimes I’ve had enough I sick of this ‘these are the liars but we are righteous’ but I see as soon as you’re drawn into this you can sometimes get too defensive of conflicting advice. I used to be anti-nuclear, anti-gmo anf pro-organic but once I decided I could stomach looking at the other side without catagorising them as conspiractors, evil or people who couldn’t care less it wasn’t as simple as the black and white thinking I was doing. I think there are a place for organics still but I don’t buy all the marketing. I can attack Monsato without thinking GMO are inherently bad because they aren’t the only ones in control btw and certainly not the main feature in my country. Once I read claims both ones you and I critique and the ones I critique that are more favourable to your natural outlook I wonder how much the formulators have a say in the marketing, turns out they have very little say and its a shame because then we could remove it all and make it simple.
I was one of those people who hoarded beauty products that claimed to be anti-aging. Although from years and years of purchasing different skincare products from different brands, I’ve learned that there really isn’t a thing that can reverse aging. However, moisturizing products can reduce the fine lines that you have, or remove those dry patches in your face that makes you look older. I honestly think that anti-aging was just a gimmick. This article said it too. But some products compensated on other things that gives the illusion of glow and youthfulness, but never expect it to rewind the current aging. It’s just a couple of concoctions that provide “illusion”, not exactly “anti-aging”.
moisturising appears to be important and so far demostrated at therapeutic doses (those permited percentages in shelf cosmetics) are retinol and a few of its derivitives at actually having some effect. I would recommend not wasting anyrthing on anything else.
Always make sure that before you purchase a product, you read reviews online or research first. It’s been a very handy habit for me. The internet is your bestfriend for research. People nowadays that review cosmetics online provide such in-depth reviews, some are even very scientifical in nature! Information is the key to not purchasing something that has claims that lie right to your face. It can also rule out allergies that can happen.
Very useful information for those who want a truth punch! A healthy lifestyle may cure those skin woes. If you’re healthy on the inside, I think there won’t be any problem on the outside.
Antioxidant rich foods can cure all of this. Although it doesn’t really give you that satisfying feeling of slathering products on your face, it’s still the better alternative.
True! There are a lot of natural treatments out there too. Safer!
natural doesn’t mean safer. This is a fallacy.
Buying beauty and skincare products from any brand should leave consumers feeling satisfied and excited. But that’s not the case for most of us. It’s either it breaks us out, or we don’t even see results at all.
The beauty industry is massive. It involves everything from teeth-whitening toothpaste to ridiculously expensive shampoo that will transform your hair from “ordinary to extraordinary,” if you believe an advertisement for a product that contains white truffles and caviar and costs more than $60 for an 8.5-ounce bottle. It involves celebrity-endorsed cosmetics, perfumes, and a host of fashion products. And it involves numerous fitness and slimming gimmicks. I will make no attempt to undertake a comprehensive analysis of every allegedly beautifying product that is touched by a celebrity. The number is infinite. It’s enough to know that the beauty industry is a huge cultural force in a tight, symbiotic relationship with celebrities and the celebrity-oriented media. The size and influence of this industry creates challenges for anyone seeking to get to the truth about the products it makes and promotes.
Beauty companies can say what they don’t mean – and get away with it. Especially when wanting to achieve the status of a “wellness brand” because they know it motivates consumers to buy, buy, buy.
Totally agree with this. It’s the scary truth behind everything.
Recently organic has been doing the same, the feel good despite not being substainable or backed up by science and have been using scare tactics. That is also a scary truth I’ve realised.
Ingredients in beauty and personal care products like phthalates and parabens, which are still common in drugstore and high-end brands, are endocrine disruptors. This means they mimic estrogen in the body. Spray tan formulas, makeup, and nail enamel can also contain formaldehyde precursors as preservatives, which then release formaldehyde, which is used to preserve dead bodies and is a known carcinogen. Yet we still rely on cosmetics than just eating healthy.
They are not as strong as Oestrogen itself though. If you’re really scared of them you should be scared of Oestrogen. Formaldehyde is also ubiquitous in the environment naturally it has been a simple building block of the earth. the sun’s rays a known carcinogens both are natural but you won’t hear that comparison when people are selling you the appeal to nature fallacy.
Your diet keeps your body slim and healthy, but its impact doesn’t stop there. The food you eat—from wrinkle-fighting antioxidants in fruits and vegetables to hydrating healthy fats in fish—may matter to your skin almost as much as it does to your waistline.
science isn’t that strong on this. Antioxidants eaten aren’t known to benefit skin. In fact if we want to talk lies lets go with the bunk in organic too (organic is not baked up by science) as well as the appeal to nature fallacy touted very commonly. They are lies as well and I will call them out as strongly. as these labels mentioned here.
It may be sad to know that we’re being lied to about those benefits that they claim, I just think it’s too obvious that some of those promises aren’t really true, and we already know that.