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I can't help it. I saw this today and it screamed at me to comment. Justin Bieber, the "teen sensation" if you will, is now a spokeperson for Proactiv, the well-known "industry standard" in the war against acneNo doubt though, this is a brilliant move on Proactiv's part. Both kids and adults alike all love Justin Bieber. Personally I don't get it. It must have something to do with the fact that he is adorable... or at least in some peoples' eyes. Puppies are adorable. Babies are adorable (especially mine). Justin Bieber looks like a human puppy, so I can see why some people think he's so adorable.
Of course they boast their clear skin in 3 simple steps. Before anything else, let's look at the products:
Renewing Cleanser: Active Ingredient: benzoyl peroxide (2.5%). Inactive Ingredients: water, magnesium aluminum silicate, glyceryl stearate, PEG-100 stearate, disodium PEG-12 dimethicone sulfosuccinate, sorbitol, dimethyl isosorbide, tridecyl stearate, neopentyl glycol dicaprylate/dicaprate, polyethylene, cetyl esters, anthemis nobilis flower extract, sodium hyaluronate, , sodium PCA, xantham gum, tridecyl trimellitate, propylene glycol, imidazolidinyl urea, methylparaben, propylparaben, fragrance (parfum).
Revitalizing Toner: Ingredients: water, glycolic acid, hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel) extract, anthemis nobilis flower extract, rosa canina fruit extract, aloe barbensis leaf juice, sodium PCA, panthenol, glycerin, propylene glycol, allantoin, polysorbate 20, hydroxyethylcellulose, sodium hydroxide, benzophenone-4, tetrasodium EDTA, imidazolidinyl urea, methylparaben, propylparaben, fragrance (parfum), blue 1(CI 42090), yellow 5 (CI 19140).
Reparing Lotion: Active Ingredients: benzoyl peroxide (2.5%). Inactive Ingredients: water, ethoxydiglycol, cyclotetrasiloxane, propylene glycol, cetearyl alcohol, dimethicone, glyceryl stearate, PEG-100 stearate, cyclopentasiloxane, panthenol, allantoin, xanthan gum, ceteareth-20, carbomer, triethanolamine, diazolidinyl urea, methylparaben, propylparaben, fragrance (parfum).
By now you're probably noticing the trend. And in my usual fashion I've highlighted the not-so-nice ingredients in red. The cleanser and lotion both contain benzoyl peroxide as an active ingredient. Now I do understand the purpose of the ingredient and you should too. The idea is that it "cleanses" deep into the pores and in the case of the lotion I suppose you get the double whammy of cleansing those pores and then providing the added protection of the "moisture". Chemically burn it all out is more like though. Let's just back this tractor up a bit here and check out the benzoyl peroxide MSDS. Aside from big warning labels like "TOXIC", "HIGHLY FLAMMABLE", and "EXPLOSIVE", under its Toxicology section you'll also find statements like: "Possible tumor promoter. May act as a mutagen. Toxic by inhalation. May be harmful if swallowed and in contact with the skin. Eye, skin, and respiratory irritant." One other toxic stat I'd like to point out: "Typical TLV 5 mg per cubic metre." Using a simple calculation (and I admit I am skewing this to the extreme a bit) this value basically states that an average human may experience chronic toxic effects at 0.5 ppm of benzoyl peroxide under daily, repeated exposure. Admittedly, there are any number of variables on getting that chronic exposure but rest assured, at this small a proportion, a chronic toxic exposure can be reached. The 2.5% found in Proactiv's products is equivalent to 25,000 ppm. Without really getting into my own opinions (I am not a toxicologist), with this concentration of benzoyl peroxide, used once daily (or twice) in two products (one of which remains on the skin rather than being washed away) with no intention of stopping usage, would you still feel safe using this product? And one of the issues with Proactiv and other similar products is that they create a dependence on the product. The idea being that you get results, and then if you think you can stop - and you do - the breakouts come back and you need to go back to using them.
And that's just all stuff to say about the Active Ingredient! Among our inactive ingredients we've got the usual slew of garbage. Filler ingredients like propylene glycol, dimethicone (silicone), polyethylene (plastic), and hydroxyethylcellulose (another thickener). Toss in some emulsifiers and preservatives like tetrasodium EDTA, triethanolamine, some PEG compunds, polysorbate, cyclo-siloxanes, the two parabens, and the two urea compounds, and you've got your hormone disrupters & mimickers, skin & respiratory irritants, carcinogens, and potential organ mutagens. Again yes, I'm generalizing here but I think you still understand my point.
Back to "The Beeb" though. As if Justin Bieber already didn't look like a girl, all these estrogen-mimicking ingredients are just going to keep pushing him in that direction.
Now all that in mind, I also feel compelled to add that yes, there are natural alternatives to acne. Keeping in mind that everyone's skin is different and what good for the goose isn't always good for the gander, options exist. One of our good customers has had some experience with some of our products, and she was kind enough to review her experience. Check it out here. Aside from her experience with Black Soap, Pangea Organics (one of our premiere suppliers) offer some exceptional products that follow the same regime, some are formulated specifically for demanding & blemish-prone skin. Products like the Cleanser, Toner, and Facial Cream serve the same purpose without the toxic burden. Consider also acne-fighting oils like Argan Oil and Tamanu Oil and rest assured there are options. And you don't necessarily have to spend a lot on these products too. Gentle exfoliants like Organic Cleansing Grains have helped many as well. I could probably go on but again, I bet you get my point.
I've always been bad at conclusions. Instead I'll just leave you with this other adorable image:
Little JB probably has never even had acne yet! His poor skin... I hope for his sake they don't actually make him use that crap to be a promoter.
ReplyDeleteAs an adult prone to acne and skin starting to show fine lines, I realized I had to start taking care of my skin. I'd only ever washed with water and never really used makeup, so cosmetics are a whole new world to me. Horrified with all the crap in so many products, I made the switch to Pangea Organics about 6 months ago. I now use the cleanser and facial cream, I have a non-toxic toner from another company, and sometimes use Argan oil at night. My skin has never looked better, and I feel less stress about my skin care regime. I have had almost no acne (can't do anything about hormonal acne), and a slight decrease in fine lines. I'm still not wearing makeup though, I figure I'll keep that as my secret weapon when I'm in my 30's.
Once upon a time I tried everything for my acne, prescription drugs, the dermatologist's recomendation of "spectro gel" and a miriad of ordered products including- you guessed it- proactiv. and while it seemed to work I also had the sneaking suspicion that it was being harsh on my skin, and as I started learning about chemicals, switched off for regular natural products cold-turkey. That's right: not even ones geared at acne! (At the time I didn't have any at my disposal.) Now after a bit of a painful de-tox that my skin went through, and although I still get a little acne here and there- and most of it seems to be stress related or on hormonal cycle, I have noticed that it is a much smaller amount than even while using proactiv! And to top it off, my skin looks healthier than ever! (now keep in mind, I also work to have a healthy diet and drink pleanty of water)
ReplyDeleteThe main point being, that even products not geared towards acne are helping significantly. You have to wonder if all those harse chemicals were, in fact, aggrivating my skin and making the problem far worse! Throwing in the occational natural product geared towards acne on top of that and voila, I'm happier with my skin since pre-puberty! (and in my mid-late 20's it's about time!)