Hi,
There are so very many ways that applying substances to the skin can
cause harm. The skin is an organ. It's function is to allow water
carrying some chemicals out of the body. It features in the body's
ability to regulate temperature. The hair on your skin helps with this
task. When you get cold the hair is raised to protect your skin.
Although most of us don't have enough hair any more and all this does
is create "goose bumps". It needs to breathe - to have free access to
air - in order to function.
It also acts as protection. The same hair raising effect that we get
when we are cold is a protection. Have you ever seen a cat fluff up
it's fur and hiss? That's the same thing your hair fillicles aretrying
to do when a scare gives you goose bumps. If you had a lot of hair, it
would stand up and make you more frightening to whatever is scaring
you.
The skin also reacts to foreign substances that can cause damage by
sending signals to the brain - these may include itching, stinging,
burning, pain and other warning signs of danger to our body.
It also lubricates our skin with oil through pores that attach to
glands in the lower levels of the epidermis (skin).
Putting on a cover of makeup blocks the pores that allow oil and water
to escape to the surface of our skin. These blocked pores can become
clogged and infected. Simple infections are called pimples and are
cleared up by using an astringent that causes the pores to expel the
blocked oil. But using astringent can dry your skin and cause it to
produce even more oooil to moisturize the dry areas. Keep using makeup
and astringent cleaners and you interfere with the natural balance of
your skin.
Creams and lotions can harm your skin, too. Some reactions are due to
skin sensitivity to certain products. Lanolin is a big offender and is
used in a lot of softening products, but other ingredients amy be just
as offensive to your skin. Allergies exist to all sorts of "natural"
and man made things.
Perfumes can cause all sorts of reactions. If they contain a lot of
alochol (most do), they act as astringents and can have the same
effect as astringents that you use for cleaning blocked pores.
Allergies are another problem with scents. Oil based perfumes can
signal your skin to stop oil production and you wind up with skin that
gets too dry.
This is an excellent site to find out more about the skin as the
largest organ in your body - or should that be ON your body?
http://www.about-skin-conditions.com/index.php3
Solving Problems Related to the Use of Cosmetics & Skin Care
Products...
http://www.aad.org/pamphlets/cosmetic.html
Here is a site that discusses acne resulting from blocked oil glands -
one of the causes - cosmetics.
http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/Mosby_factsheets/acne.html
Adult acne and some discussion of the skin as an organ
Transitions For Health: Not Just for Kids, Adult Acne
http://www.tfhwomensinstitute.com/content/pdf/not_just_for_kids.pdf
This site - selling skin care which I am not endorsing - has some good
information on the skin and acne.
http://www.oceanhealth.com/acne.html
and skin sensitivity
http://www.oceanhealth.com/senskin.html
More on Acne and the skin
http://www.mckinley.uiuc.edu/health-info/dis-cond/misc/acne.html
This site talks about the use of fragrances
http://www.herc.org/news/perfume/sweet_poison.htm
and Fragrance Sensitivity
http://allergies.about.com/library/weekly/aa022299.htm
Cosmetic Ingredients: Understanding the Puffery comes from the FDA to
help consumers understand some of what is being applied to their skin
http://www.fda.gov/fdac/reprints/puffery.html
But cosmetics are not all bad - there are products that provide
protection from the sun and other environmental hazards.
The skinny on natural skin-care products
http://www.welljournal.com/n6/a1.htm
Some skin care products that really care for your skin are discussed
in this article.
http://www.healthwell.com/delicious-online/d_backs/Sep_99/makeup.cfm?path=hw&cond=95&mcat=10
The American Academy of Dermatology has some suggestions for winter
protection
http://www.aad.org/PressReleases/snowflies.html
"Skin care products, if used correctly, can have tremendous benefits
for the skin,"
http://www.aad.org/PressReleases/FacingFacts.html
Some cosmetics are actually useful for moisturizing and help with skin
conditions like eczema.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/features/eczema.shtml
Emollients and moisturisers can help correct dry or scaly skin.
http://www.dermnetnz.org/pre/dna.emoll/emoll.html
There is also the issue of animal testing of cosmetics. Although this
is not a protection or harmful effect for human skin, it is an ethical
issue that many believe should be curtailed. Animals are used to test
the ingredients to make sure that they are not harmful to human skin.
In the process the animals may be maimed, killed or endure pain.
http://www.frame.org.uk/Cosmetics.htm
search terms:
skin sensitivity rashes
blocked sebaceous glands
protecting your skin
As with most products, using cosmetics can be beneficial or harmful,
depending on how informed you are and how wisely you use them.
Regards,
bcguide-ga |
