Do you suffer from acne or is your skin oily and prone to clogging? Ever wonder what is causing these annoying breakouts? It could be the very products you’re using to cover up those blemishes and improve your skin.
Many of the beauty products on today’s shelves contain pore-clogging ingredients which are actually bad for your skin. Here are five ingredients to watch out for if you are prone to spots.
Lanolins
Lanolin is produced by sheep to keep their wool lovely and soft. While this is great for sheep it’s not so great for humans. Lanolin is used in skincare products because it makes them go on smoothly and it can appear to moisturise and soften skin. However it has been discovered that this ingredient is one of the most pore-clogging around for individuals who have acne-prone skin. Avoid it and you may find your breakouts easing off.
Isopropyl Myristate
This synthetic oil is used in many popular products, again because it gives cosmetics a lovely smooth texture. Ever been offered the chance to test a cream or cosmetic at the makeup counter and then been sold by its feel? That’s the Isopropyl Myristate and it won’t do your skin any favours in the long run.
Red dyes
This is a recent discovery but one of the most important considering how common the colour red is in cosmetics, especially blushers. It has now been found that synthetic red dyes have a very high tendency to produce or aggravate acne.
Petroleum oil
Petroleum oil, the main ingredient in popular skin product Vaseline, is actually one of the worst ingredients you can use if you suffer from spots, as it is essentially a layer of oil which doesn’t allow your skin to breath. It is fine to use it if you don’t have problem skin but is not suitable if you do. It can also irritate sensitive skin.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
This ingredient is used in many detergent products and foaming face washes as it lifts off dirt easily. Unfortunately it is also an irritatant which can strip your skin of its natural oils. This makes it bad news, even for people with oily skin, because if your skin is parched it will produce more oil to compensate. This in turns leads to clogged pores and more spots.
Cosmetic companies have recently realised that many of the ingredients they are using are damaging to skin and have searched for alternatives. Try to buy gentle skincare products, free from the ingredients listed above, and you should be able to look forward to happier, healthier skin.
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