Are there cancer-causing chemicals in your facial cleanser cream? California recently sued a number of cosmetic companies, requiring them to change their formulations, pay a fine or include the warning label “this product may cause cancer” on their bottles.

The state named four different companies in the suit. All of which were supposed to be providing all natural and/or organic body and facial cleansers. We often pay more for what we believe are safer, more environmentally friendly products. It seems there may be better ways to spend our money.

California’s suit concerned the chemical Dioxane. It forms when a petrochemical called ethylene oxide is used to make other ingredients water soluble. Companies can easily vacuum strip the Dioxane residue out of their cleaning products. They choose not to, because they are not required to, and because it would cost them a few pennies extra.

They could also use other processes to make the ingredients water soluble. They prefer to use petrochemicals, because they are cheaper. The rising cost of crude oil may encourage them to look at safer alternatives, which will provide us with safer facial cleanser cream.

Right now, you can protect your safety by not buying facial cleansers that list ethylene oxide as an ingredient. If you want the safest facial cleansers, you’ll look for a brand that does not include any petrochemicals, at all.

For daily cleansing, the safest and most effective ingredients are tea tree oil, orange oil and active manuka honey. If you have sensitive skin, orange oil can be irritating, but tea tree oil is very soothing and has antibacterial activity.

The antibacterial agent included in the average facial cleanser cream is triclosan. Environmentalists would prefer that we avoid that one, because it is damaging the ecosystem. It ends up in the water supply and is not biodegradable.

Like tea tree oil, active manuka honey has antibacterial activity. It is also an effective antioxidant that can help prevent free radical damage. Free radical damage is one of the causes of winkle formation, lost firmness and all of the signs of aging.

One of the best facial cleansers on the market is a deep cleansing mask that you use every two weeks. It combines manuka honey with other anti-aging ingredients, along with clay extracts that pull dirt out of the pores and absorb excessive oils.

Unlike the average facial cleanser cream, it does not dry to a hard shell that is difficult to remove. You simply rinse it off after 20 or 30 minutes.

Some of the most popular facial cleansers contain mild acids designed to exfoliate or remove dead skin cells. The idea of exfoliation is kind of silly, in the first place, because regular washing removes dead skin cells. It is also highly irritating, causes redness and inflammation, which is another of the causes of the signs of aging.

My recommendation is this. Use a safe and gentle daily facial cleanser cream and a bi-weekly deep cleansing mask. You’ll look better for it.

Originally posted 2010-01-10 05:15:46. Republished by Old Post Promoter

Related posts:

1. Facial Cleanser Cream You Can Trust
2. What To Consider Before Buying An Olive Oil Facial Cleanser
3. Olive Oil Facial Cleansers – are They for You?