What Skin Care Ingredients Should I Avoid? Doctor Answers, Tips
Skin Care: Q&A
Ask a Question

What Skin Care Ingredients Should I Avoid?

Every time i read about skin care products i hear i should be avoiding one ingredient or another. There are soooo many ingredients in skin products so which ones are best to stay away from?

 

Tags:
beauty product ingredient
Comment on this
4 Doctor Answers | Asked by anon
+6

Any cream that says it has anti-aging properties without...

Any cream that says it has anti-aging properties without any proven ingredients should be avoided. You see, the regulatory agencies have very little control over claims in cosmetics, even when they are outrageous. For example, neuropeptides are way overrated. Sure, the skin needs them as they decrease with age. But there is very little evidence in any scientific literature that topically-applied (applied to the skin) neuropeptides actually get into the skin, and there are no studies to... more
+3

Mature skin that is thin should avoid having too much...

Mature skin that is thin should avoid having too much acid applied to it (e.g. glycolic acids). As long as the skin is not overly sensitive or thin, there is no intrinsic reason that mature skin needs to avoid any specific ingredient. Granted, it may be necessary for mature skin to gradually get accustomed to some ingredients and this may necessitate application of product every third night instead of every night but in most instances, mature skin will tolerate most ingredients if they are... more
+3

The skin care market is flooded with exotic ingredients...

The skin care market is flooded with exotic ingredients that don't deliver promised results. Ingredients such as pearl dust and caviar, I would recommend wearing the first and eating the second, but avoid putting it on your face.
+1

Just check with your doctor.

There is no way you can know about/ avoid all the ingredients that you are 'supposed to avoid'. Many products do not even have all the ingredients listed. Just check with your doctor about a product you would like to use, and he/she can then tell you if it is okay for you to use that product, given your skin's requirements. Otherwise, I do not think your shopping will ever be done! Good luck!
Doctors will not see your comments on their answers. If you'd like to follow up, please go here to ask another question.

Comments (1)

Nikita22 27 Sep 2012
Checking with a doctor on a product hardly leads to any reliable advice. Sure, the doctor may know a few compounds and combinations, but cosmetics have way more ingredients that any doctor would never be able to completely learn about. It takes many years of research and training for biologists and chemists to come together to formulate a cosmetic ingredient. Being a manufacturer and R&D head my self, I know the gargantuan number of ingredients out there any of which can serve hundreds of purposes. So except for a few well known active ingredients, its illogical to assume that a doctor would know the intricacies, toxicological data, clinical trial studies, cellular mechanisms, etc of the thousands of other ingredients that go into skin care products. The best way is to do a patch test and see if a product irritates, read the product literature to see usage details, look at customer reviews and ask the company for safety information.

Ask a Question

Welcome Back

Sign in with Facebook

Your information remains private and will not be posted without your permission.

Forgot your password?

Don't have an account? Create one now.

Join RealSelf

Join with Facebook

Your information remains private and will not be posted without your permission.

Please enter a valid email address
 Did you mean ?

By creating an account, you are indicating that you have read and accept the RealSelf Terms of Use.

Already a member? Sign In.

Retrieve your password

Enter your username or email address and we will send you a link to login.

Check your email

Check your email. We've sent you a link to reset your password.

Ok