Confused about ingredients

[Guest guest]

I have been reading these messages for a couple months and they have

helped me a lot. Especially the concept of Less is More. I needed to

be steered away from the " Hope in a Bottle " syndrome!

I am pleased that everyone shares so much information about

ingredients, but I have a much more basic question. What ingredients

should I be avoiding? I know that everyone here is different, and have

different sensitivities, but are there any ingredients that most

people ought to be avoiding?

The reason this comes to mind now is that I need to find a sunscreen

that will work. I look at labels and it just all looks undecipherable

to me.

Any guidance would be appreciated.

Claire

[Guest guest]

on 4/27/02 1:03 AM, clairepowers at clairepowers@... wrote:

> I have been reading these messages for a couple months and they have

> helped me a lot. Especially the concept of Less is More. I needed to

> be steered away from the " Hope in a Bottle " syndrome!

> I am pleased that everyone shares so much information about

> ingredients, but I have a much more basic question. What ingredients

> should I be avoiding? I know that everyone here is different, and have

> different sensitivities, but are there any ingredients that most

> people ought to be avoiding?

> The reason this comes to mind now is that I need to find a sunscreen

> that will work. I look at labels and it just all looks undecipherable

> to me.

> Any guidance would be appreciated.

> Claire

Hi Claire,

Ingredients are confusing because there are so many and there is no rule for

rosaceans per se. Even with some knowledge about what they are, I've found

you still really have to try them...judiciously!

Here are a few generalities though:

Botanical ingredients and fragrance oils seem to irritate many sensitive

skins. (quite often products billed as " for sensitive skin " include many

plant extracts which ironically irritate senstive, esp. rosacea skin)

Petroleum products sometimes cause redness for rosaceans. (like mineral oil)

Chemical sunscreens irritate frequently. Go for the sunblocks like zinc

oxide and titanium dioxide. (Though some find those ingredients are

bump-causing.)

Heavily occlusive creams often increase irritation/inflammation of rosacea

skin. (ie: very oily and/or too thick a layer.)

The " ...cones " seem to be soothing: dimethicone, etc. but can be

comedogenic.

There is more I'm sure, but that's what comes to mind at the moment....

Here's a couple good websites to start researching ingredients:

a's Choice - Cosmetic Dictionary

http://www.cosmeticscop.com/dictionary/dict7.htm>

Pharmaceutical Specialties

http://www.psico.com/>

Hope all this is helpful!

[Guest guest]

on 4/27/02 1:03 AM, clairepowers at clairepowers@... wrote:

> I have been reading these messages for a couple months and they have

> helped me a lot. Especially the concept of Less is More. I needed to

> be steered away from the " Hope in a Bottle " syndrome!

> I am pleased that everyone shares so much information about

> ingredients, but I have a much more basic question. What ingredients

> should I be avoiding? I know that everyone here is different, and have

> different sensitivities, but are there any ingredients that most

> people ought to be avoiding?

> The reason this comes to mind now is that I need to find a sunscreen

> that will work. I look at labels and it just all looks undecipherable

> to me.

> Any guidance would be appreciated.

> Claire

Hi Claire,

Ingredients are confusing because there are so many and there is no rule for

rosaceans per se. Even with some knowledge about what they are, I've found

you still really have to try them...judiciously!

Here are a few generalities though:

Botanical ingredients and fragrance oils seem to irritate many sensitive

skins. (quite often products billed as " for sensitive skin " include many

plant extracts which ironically irritate senstive, esp. rosacea skin)

Petroleum products sometimes cause redness for rosaceans. (like mineral oil)

Chemical sunscreens irritate frequently. Go for the sunblocks like zinc

oxide and titanium dioxide. (Though some find those ingredients are

bump-causing.)

Heavily occlusive creams often increase irritation/inflammation of rosacea

skin. (ie: very oily and/or too thick a layer.)

The " ...cones " seem to be soothing: dimethicone, etc. but can be

comedogenic.

There is more I'm sure, but that's what comes to mind at the moment....

Here's a couple good websites to start researching ingredients:

a's Choice - Cosmetic Dictionary

http://www.cosmeticscop.com/dictionary/dict7.htm>

Pharmaceutical Specialties

http://www.psico.com/>

Hope all this is helpful!

[Guest guest]

on 4/28/02 7:09 AM, emarjency at emarjency@... wrote:

> , I find posts like yours so helpful. Some of my information

> differs slightly -- for example, I've heard only some of the

> simethicones are comedogenic,

I was generalizing the " cones " . It may be that it is only the simethicones

that are comedogenic. I would like to get more specific in the database.

>and I've not heard about petroleum

> products causing redness (what would be the mechanism for that?).

I don't know the mechanism per se, however I react to pure petroleum with

almost immediate redness and heat. I've seen quite a few messages on this

board over time saying same/similar. I suspect that it is somehow irritating

to those areas of my face that have damaged blood vessels close to the

surface... Personally I seem to do ok with -some- (mineral oil) in a

product, but definitely not as the main ingredient (like Vanicream which is

predominantly white petroleum - redness, heat, some stinging.)

See msg# 2479: Dr. Nase on petroleum/mineral oil for some information.

> overall, this is great. I totally support your idea about posting

> product ingredients, if that can be done legally, and I wonder if

> posting common skin irritants and comedogentic ingredients would fit

> right in.

Yes, I agree this would be a very helpful and useful guide in deciphering

ingredient lists!

>> Here are a few generalities though:

>>

>> Botanical ingredients and fragrance oils seem to irritate many

> sensitive

>> skins. (quite often products billed as " for sensitive skin " include

> many

>> plant extracts which ironically irritate senstive, esp. rosacea

> skin)

>>

>> Petroleum products sometimes cause redness for rosaceans. (like

> mineral oil)

>>

>> Chemical sunscreens irritate frequently. Go for the sunblocks like

> zinc

>> oxide and titanium dioxide. (Though some find those ingredients are

>> bump-causing.)

>>

>> Heavily occlusive creams often increase irritation/inflammation of

> rosacea

>> skin. (ie: very oily and/or too thick a layer.)

>>

>> The " ...cones " seem to be soothing: dimethicone, etc. but can be

>> comedogenic.

>>

>> There is more I'm sure, but that's what comes to mind at the

> moment....

>>

>> Here's a couple good websites to start researching ingredients:

>>

>> a's Choice - Cosmetic Dictionary

>> http://www.cosmeticscop.com/dictionary/dict7.htm>

>>

>> Pharmaceutical Specialties

>> http://www.psico.com/>

>>

>> Hope all this is helpful!

>>

>>

[Guest guest]

> Yes, I think it has ALOT to do with damaged blood vessels....that

> is where my skin tends to be inflamed.

, then I don't understanding what you mean by damaged blood

vessels, or why you believe a new mechanism of action is required to

explain a reaction to an ingredient. It seems to me that places where

skin is most inflamed are the same places where the protective

barrier is most impaired, and therefore most likely to react to any

product a person is sensitive to.

> I guess I should have been clearer too....my comments were about

> rosacea skin!

Are you saying that rosacea skin is uniquely reactive to petroleum?

If so, why do you think that?

> I would disagree that Dr. Nase was simply saying that ANYTHING can

> cause a reaction in unhealthy skin. He was talking about petroleum

> products in particular in that message.

Yes, I know Dr. Nase was talking specifically about petroleum, and I

know he didn't say anything can cause a reaction in unhealthy skin. I

was trying to make sense of what he was saying from a medical

perspective. But maybe there's something I'm not considering or aware

of?

Marjorie

Marjorie Lazoff, MD

[Guest guest]

> Yes, I think it has ALOT to do with damaged blood vessels....that

> is where my skin tends to be inflamed.

, then I don't understanding what you mean by damaged blood

vessels, or why you believe a new mechanism of action is required to

explain a reaction to an ingredient. It seems to me that places where

skin is most inflamed are the same places where the protective

barrier is most impaired, and therefore most likely to react to any

product a person is sensitive to.

> I guess I should have been clearer too....my comments were about

> rosacea skin!

Are you saying that rosacea skin is uniquely reactive to petroleum?

If so, why do you think that?

> I would disagree that Dr. Nase was simply saying that ANYTHING can

> cause a reaction in unhealthy skin. He was talking about petroleum

> products in particular in that message.

Yes, I know Dr. Nase was talking specifically about petroleum, and I

know he didn't say anything can cause a reaction in unhealthy skin. I

was trying to make sense of what he was saying from a medical

perspective. But maybe there's something I'm not considering or aware

of?

Marjorie

Marjorie Lazoff, MD

[Guest guest]

> Yes, I think it has ALOT to do with damaged blood vessels....that

> is where my skin tends to be inflamed.

, then I don't understanding what you mean by damaged blood

vessels, or why you believe a new mechanism of action is required to

explain a reaction to an ingredient. It seems to me that places where

skin is most inflamed are the same places where the protective

barrier is most impaired, and therefore most likely to react to any

product a person is sensitive to.

> I guess I should have been clearer too....my comments were about

> rosacea skin!

Are you saying that rosacea skin is uniquely reactive to petroleum?

If so, why do you think that?

> I would disagree that Dr. Nase was simply saying that ANYTHING can

> cause a reaction in unhealthy skin. He was talking about petroleum

> products in particular in that message.

Yes, I know Dr. Nase was talking specifically about petroleum, and I

know he didn't say anything can cause a reaction in unhealthy skin. I

was trying to make sense of what he was saying from a medical

perspective. But maybe there's something I'm not considering or aware

of?

Marjorie

Marjorie Lazoff, MD