Monthly Archives: August 2014

Applying Face Cream

About Alcohols in Your Skin Care Products

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Most of us assume that alcholols in your skin care products will result in dry, irritated and inflamed skin. However, there are good and bad alcohols.

The bad alcohols include ethanol, denatured alcohol, ethyl alcohol, methanol, benzyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, and sd alcohol, which not only can be extremely drying and irritating to skin, but may be cytotoxic. Alcohol helps ingredients like retinol and vitamin C penetrate into the skin more effectively, but it does that by breaking down the skin’s barrier—destroying the very substances that keep your skin healthy.

With regular exposure to alcohols in your skin care products, cleansing becomes a damaging ordeal. Once alcohol dissolves your skin’s barrier, it can no longer provide a seal against further damage from outside elements, this allows other substances like cleansing agents and water to cause further damage to the deeper layers of skin, further eroding the skin’s barrier. For those with oily skin, alcohol can stimulate oil production at the base of the pore, causing over production of sebum.

The good alcohols include cetyl, stearyl and cetearyl. These are known as fatty alcohols, and their effects on the skin are quite different from those of ethyl alcohol. When fats and oils (see fatty acid) are chemically reduced, they become a group of less-dense alcohols called fatty alcohols that can have emollient properties or can become detergent cleansing agents.

Cetyl Alcohol

Extracted from coconut oil, it is an emollient that is included in skin care products to stabilize the formulations or to alter their consistencies, or to increase their foaming capacity. It is often included in lotions, hand creams, shampoos.

Stearyl Alcohol

Stearyl alcohol is also derived from coconut oil. Because it is an emollient as well as an emulsifier, it can be substituted for cetyl alcohol to firm skin care formulations. It is mostly found in creams and conditioners.

Cetearyl Alcohol

Cetearyl alcohol is a white, waxy, solid material in the form of flakes. It is oil soluble, but it is not water-soluble. It is a mixture of fatty alcohols. Cetearyl alcohol is an emulsifying wax that is used to soften thick formulas like skin ointments. Derived from natural oils and fats, it is very efficient in stabilising skin care formulations because it gives an emollient feel to the skin. It is widely used in creams and cleansers.

Epsom salt bath

How to Take an Epsom Salt Bath

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Benefits of Epsom Salts

Magnesium sulfate is the chemical compound that makes up Epsom salt. It can help with your skincare routine and also detoxify your body. Magnesium helps keep your bodily functions running smoothly, including some of the pathways that lead toxins right out of your body. Sulfate helps to strengthen the walls of your digestive tract so that it’s easier to release toxins. As a compound, magnesium sulfate also raises the amount of digestive enzymes in the pancreas. The compound also helps in purifying and detoxifying your body of heavy metals. Epsom salt baths may be used to allay psoriasis symptoms, soften and exfoliate skin or even to restore the body’s internal levels of magnesium and sulfate. It can help relieve muscle cramps, pain and inflammation due to the magnesium. Helps reduce pain and swelling for people with arthritis or sports injuries.

How much to use

If you’re ready for an Epsom salt bath, consider your tub size and water depth before you begin pouring in the salt. More salt isn’t necessarily better. A common formula is to add a cup or two of Epsom salt to warm water in a standard-size bathtub. If you’re a lover of hot, steaming bath water, know that it’s not doing your skin any favours. The water you use in a bath should be warm, not hot. Warm or tepid water is best for your skin because it doesn’t strip away as much protective oil, and it helps to dissolve the Epsom salt. Before you climb into the bath, make sure that all of the salt has dissolved so that it can be more easily absorbed into your skin. Any salt that hasn’t dissolved in the water may dry on your skin as an opaque white powder. If you see this residue on your skin after the bath, don’t worry; excess salt should be harmless and is easily rinsed off. It’s generally recommended to soak in an Epsom salt bath for about 15 minutes for the greatest therapeutic benefits. Do not apply moisturising cream for about two hours after an Epsom bath as the body will still be detoxifying.

 

Cautions

Despite the benefits, Epsom salt baths aren’t for everyone. They generally aren’t recommended for people who have conditions such as heart problems, high blood pressure or diabetes. Epsom salt is not recommended for children under 6. While the salt solution is not necessarily harmful in and of itself, accidental ingestion may cause sudden diarrhea or more serious side effects. If you aren’t sure whether an Epsom salt bath is safe for you, consult your doctor first. Epsom salt has been a cure-all for generations: It has been used to soothe aches and pains, and more recently for softening skin, preventing wrinkles and detoxifying your body.