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Allergens & Irritants

·      Preservative methylisothiazolinone (MI) is responsible for epidemic of allergic reactions.

·      People become allergic to MI so when they use products with any amount of MI, they get a reaction.

·      Latex allergy doesn’t cause a rash on hands but the chemicals known as accelerators used to speed up the rubber making process do.

·      Many botanicals are allergens, some botanical oils are useful in skincare, but many trigger irritation.

·      Some botanicals from the Asteraceae family can be allergenic.

·      Some ingredients happen to be allergens and irritants for particular people not across the board bad or good.

·      Allergic reactions to beauty products are actually uncommon.

·      Allergic reactions happen after repeated exposure, and never after the first exposure. 

·      Once allergic, always allergic

·      Allergic reactions may not happen immediately and can spread beyond exposure site.

·      Impossible to be allergic on your face and not body.

·      Irritation can happen after single exposure.

·      Irritations don’t happen after every exposure and there other factors at play such as water, soap, personal care products, cold temp, sun, low humidity, and pollution.

·      Irritation can happen immediately and go away quickly after exposure ends.

·      Irritation is dose dependent.

·      Irritation decreases with age

·      Irritation is more common in women.

·      Irritation happen more frequently in delicate skin such as face, eyelids, and groin.

·      Menthol and camphor in lip balms are potential irritants.

·      Top Allergens:

• Fragrances

• Preservatives

• Hair dyes

• Lanolin

• Synthetic detergents

• Botanicals

• Nail cosmetics

• Sunscreens

Fragrance

·      When P&G puts fragrance in its products, consumers don't what the precise ingredients are that make up the fragrance. 

·      Scientists now have the ability to design any smell/odor with a technique called head space analysis and can replicate the scent in everything (moisturizers and scented candles).

·      Three fragrance molecules that are chemical allergens banned from cosmetics in the EU: atranol, chloroatranol, hydroxyisohexyl 3-cyclohexene caboxaldehyde (HICC or Lyral).

·      Laundry scents can be designed to last weeks.

·      "Fragrance in skincare is like sugar in food."

·      Watch out for fragrance free products that contain fragrance in the form of botanicals. 

Regulations

·      Health Canada doesn’t screen cosmetics and "cannot assure consumers that products comply with the Food & Drugs Act and are safe."

·      EU regulations on allergens are most stringent but many manufacturers don't follow the EU regulations.

·      Skincare sector should be regulated better, and legislation in Canada is not great either.

·      Ingredient safety needs to come from organizations not funded by industry and do not have conflicts of interest, 

Shampoo

·      Shampoos don’t just affect the scalp because it rinses down the body and affects all skin.

·      Detergents used in haircare are more aggressive than facial cleansers. 

·      Scalp is tough to irritate but backs of ears, eyelids can become irritated from shampoo.

·      Shampoo is a prime suspect for rash on the front or sides of the neck.  

Washing

·      Daily washing of entire body and tendency to apply lots of skincare products with long ingredients lists that include potential allergenic and irritant substances.

·      For bathing kids, you don't want them sitting in soapy water, so let them play in the water first then wash hair and skin at the end.

·      Syndet bars are better than conventional soap because they combine 10% real soap with a milder synthetic detergent, which damage skin less. 

·      Bodywashes can be worse for skin than soaps.

·      Micellar water is a good way to clean your face because they do not strip skin.

·      When you shower only was parts that are dirty and use cleanser under arms and groin, not your entire body every time.

·      For babies, use no soap during their first year. Avoid soaps and cleansers that increase ph such as products with sulfates and real soap. 

·      For diaper area use cloth, water and mild cleanser.

·      For hands when you are trying to prevent irritation, use sanitizer rather than washing with soap and water unless you have dirt on hands.

·      Study found that the cleaner the kids were or the more baths they had per week, the more likely they were to develop eczema and asthma. 

Moisturizing

·      To ward off dry hands from frequent handwashing, use a barrier cream rather than a moisturizer.

·      Olive oil is not good for the skin barrier. 

·      Moisturizers will immediately reduce appearance of fine lines by about 15% but not permanently.

·      Humectants can actually pull water out of the skin and exacerbate dryness. Examples include glycerin, sorbitol, urea, and AHAs.

·      Emollients block moisture from evaporating off skin and have a smoothing function.

·      Lips and hands require special considerations because they have distinct environments and constant exposure. 

Sunscreen

·      SPF gives no indication of protection from UVA rays which are the major contributor skin cancer and aging, it only shows protection from UVA rays which are the rays that cause burns.

·      Only sunscreens that protect against UVA rays are allowed to call themselves broad spectrum & those with the UA symbol have UVA protection that is at least 1/3 of the overall SPF rating. 

·      Physical sunscreens that use zinc oxide and titanium dioxide protect against UVA and UVB.

·      Physical sunscreen better for sensitive, reactive, or eczema skin.

Skin Aging

·      Sun avoidance and sunscreen is cornerstone of anti-aging.

·      For slowing the aging process, skin needs protection from the sun, barrier function (moisturizing), reduction of oxidative stress, cell signalers which boost turnover of cells & collagen production, and exfoliation.

·      Grounded in science anti-aging ingredients are topical antioxidants vitamin C, B3, E.

·      Retinoic acid spurs production of collagen and triggers an exfoliative effect.

·      AHAS were among the first anti-aging products on the market and many studies show they slow aging and appearance of sun damaged skin by increasing collagen density.

·      Exercise will make your skin look better.

·      Nanoscale particulate matter (from microscopic metal fragments to organic compounds) can contribute to inflammation, wrinkles, and loss of skin elasticity.

·      Curtail body's production of glucose and fructose to curtail glycation which ages skin.

·      When it comes to what is good for your skin, ethnicity and the amount of sun damage is a bigger issue than your age.

Microbiome & the Future of Skincare 

·      In future skincare, we won’t destroy all microbes, and may use good bacteria to selectively pick off bad bacteria by applying it to the skin.

·      Antibiotics should not be used to prevent infection but to treat it.