Cosette's Beauty Pantry

Hello everyone! Is your bathroom cabinet stuffed with toxins?  Is your make-up or toiletry bag a blend of chemicals that could harm you?   YES is probably the answer to both questions.  The skin is the body’s largest organ and up to 60% of some of the chemicals we put on it may be absorbed into our bloodstream . It is actually worse to put toxins on your skin then it is to eat them.  Your liver contains detoxifying enzymes which break down toxic elements. What you apply to your skin can go directly into your bloodstream. Check out the infographic below to find out which dangerous ingredients you should try to avoid and why.   Via Green People Always c heck  the ingredients list on your bottles and jars:  the higher up the list  these  dangerous ingredients  come,  the greater the concentration .   Read the labels and the ingredients list very carefully before purchasing!

Hello everyone! My previous post was all about SPF and  misconceptions about sunscreen .  Read it  here .  Today's post is about sunscreen ingredients you should avoid ! So, what’s wrong with our sunscreens? Research has found that many sunscreens contain chemicals that mess with our hormones and can play a significant role in cancer development.  You should avoid these chemicals and find a safer alternative .     More on  Campaign for Safe Cosmetics . Active ingredients in sunscreens come in two forms,  mineral  and non-mineral/ chemical  filters.  Each ingredient has different uses for protecting the skin and keeping its stability under sunlight.  Yet each may be  hazardous to human health .  The most common sunscreens on the market contain chemical filters.  These products typically include a combination of two or more of these active ingredients:  oxybenzone ,  avobenzone ,  octisalate ,  octocrylene ,  homosalate ,  octinoxate ,  retinyl palmitate  and

Hello everyone! Did you know that not only skincare products but also hair care products, can cause acne ( acne cosmetica )?  If you breakout primarily around your hairline and/or forehead, your hair care products could be the cause.  That’s because, greasy or irritating ingredients in sprays, gels, mousses and waxes can clog pores. hair gel Furthermore, your shampoo and conditioner may also cause acne around the hairline and/or forehead.  As I previously told you in Choosing facial cleansers , most shampoos contain Sodium Laureth Sulfate and Sodium Lauryl Sulfate .  The percentage varies in different shampoos, but these chemicals are highly comedogenic and are known to cause breakouts in some people.  Besides, silicones like Dimethicone are also comedogenic ingredients commonly found in hair care products, particularly conditioners.  (Read Silicone-based hair care products if you want to know more. shampoo and conditioner So, if you tend to breakout around the

There are different types of facial cleansers, and they have different effects on the skin.  Facial cleansers can be divided mainly into two groups:             Foaming cleansers             Non-foaming cleansers Foaming Facial Cleansers You can find various types of foaming facial cleansers, including lotions, creams, gels, mousses and scrubs. These facial cleansers lather, like soap, and have to be rinsed off with water.  Many people prefer these kinds of cleansers because they believe that they do a better job at cleansing the pores, than non-foaming ones. Usually, a high foaming cleanser contains harsh deterging agents which, not only cleanse but also strip the skin from its natural oils.  Consequently, those kinds of cleansers dry and irritate the skin.  Both Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Laureth Sulfate are   foaming agents used in most drugstore cleansers, soaps, shampoos, detergents, toothpaste   and other products.  Both chemicals are very effective f

Hello everyone! If I had to ask how many of you pay attention to the ingredients list when choosing a beauty product, the answer would probably be very few.  The main reason for this is that the majority of us (the consumers) have no idea what the scientific names of the ingredients mean.  Nonetheless, I do think that is it crucial to understand the importance of ingredients, especially for those with sensitive and/or acne-prone skin. But what does Comedogenic mean?  This means that the product may contribute to the production of comedones (blackheads and whiteheads), and therefore may cause or aggravate acne.  When ingredients are tested for their comedogenic or irritating level, they are ranked on a scale of 0-5. 0 means that the ingredient is non-comedogenic and non-irritating, while an ingredient that receives a 5 is the worst in terms of comedogenic/irritating levels. Remember that all ingredient lists are in order of predominance, with the ingredients used in the great