Study: Cosmetic Dangers Increasing

Skin care companies add preservatives to keep bacteria out of products. But a new medical review questions whether many “over preserve” products – and in the process increase serious health risks for women. Here’s what you need to know. – By Colette Bouchez

If you’ve ever developed a red itchy rash – or even a case of hives – after using a skin cream, body lotion, a shower gel or even a foundation, then you’ve already come in contact with “Contact Dermatitis” – a type of allergic skin reaction that often develops in response to chemical preservatives used to keep these products fresh on the shelf.

Now a new medical review out of Denmark claims so many manufacturers are now overloading their products with these questionable chemicals, the risk of getting a reaction grows more likely every day.

" Allergy to preservatives is one of the main reasons for contact eczema caused by cosmetics. As development and elicitation of contact allergy is dose dependent, the over preservation of cosmetics potentially leads to increased incidences of contact allergy, “ says study author Michael Dyrgaard Lundov, a researcher from the Department of Dermatology, National Allergy Research Centre, Gentofte University Hospital in Denmark. His research was just published in the journal Contact Dermatitis.

Preservatives are necessary to control the growth of bacteria in any product that contains water. Among the most harmful of those bugs are pathogenic micro-organisms such as Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Both can lead to serious, even life threatening infections, and both are frequently found in contaminated cosmetics.

But while there are some 50 approved preservatives available to help keep these and other harmful pathogens under control, the new review also found the market is dominated by a just a few: parabens, formaldehyde, formaldehyde releasers, metylchloroisothiazolinone, and methylisothiazolinone.

Overuse of these chemicals may be especially bad since studies show they are also among the most irritating chemical preservatives in use today.

“Approximately 6% of the general population has a cosmetic-related contact allergy mainly caused by preservatives and fragrances,” says Lundov.

Moreover, in the US, the patch tested prevalence of allergies to formaldehyde is as high as 9%, according to Lundovs' research paper.

Cosmetic s & Chemicals: More Problems on the Horizon?

As irritating as contact dermatitis can be experts like Vassar’s Dr. Janet Gray say they are less concerned about skin rashes and localized allergies then they are about the potential of long term health consequences linked to overdosing – including an increased risk of cancer.

Indeed, at least some of these chemical preservatives have already been identified by the World Health Organization, the CDC as others as carcinogens, while at least one study found parabens had been collected and stored in what turned out to be malignant breast tissue. And while there is no clear indication that the parabens either caused, or even exacerbated a malignancy, it's an association that has a number of researchers worried.

"The evidence may not be as definitive as some would like, but there are some strong associations suggesting women, particularly younger women, routinely exposed to some of these ingredients may increase their risk of developing breast cancer later in life," says Gray, who, together with experts from the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute compiled a report on what we know thus far about the environmental links to breast cancer.

In the US these concerns may be even more significant since manufacturers and importers are not required by law to report to the FDA which preservatives they even use in a product, let alone how much. Any reporting that does take place is strictly voluntary. Indeed, a passage straight from the FDA's own website confirms that, “[Cosmetic] Manufacturers may use any ingredient or raw material, except for color additives and a few prohibited substances, to market a product without a government review or approval."

Cosmetics & Chemicals: How To Protect Yourself

While it’s clear that some type of preservatives are necessary to give products a shelf life – and keep them affordable - Lundov and his group believe we can cut a great many of the risks by simply cutting down on the amount used in these products.

But that may be easier said than done. Determining the threshold at which bacteria does get out of hand is going to require some serious – and expensive – medical testing. And right now, it appears as if manufacturers would simply rather over-dump then pay the price of discovering how much of these chemicals are really necessary to strike a balance.

So what can you do in the meantime? Certainly, many natural products contain far less harmful preservatives - so that’s one shopping option. You can also cut down on some exposures by making some simple switches - from a shower gel or cream, to a bar of soap for example.

But in the end cancer prevention experts like Julia Smith, MD says avoiding one jar of face cream or one tube of foundation isn't going to make as much difference as how you live your life overall.

“Ultimately it’s going to be your cumulative exposure to all chemical and environmental toxins that matters most, “say Smith, director of the Lynne Cohen Breast and Ovarian Cancer Prevention Center at the NYU Cancer Center in New York City.

So, in this respect Smith says cut down on exposures when and where you can , eliminate those products that are not important to you, then use the products you really think you need without excess fear or worry.

"You do what you can, and hope it might make a positive difference in your life”, says Smith.

For more free tips on how choosing safer cosmetics, visit RedDressDiary.com - The destinatation for Fabulous Women Over 40!

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Copyright by Colette Bouchez 2009 - All Rights Reserved.
In addition to US Copyright, the text of this RedDressDiary article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License. All formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license, and Colette Bouchez retains all rights in those elements.

The DNA of Looking Young

New research into gene expression has yielded an unexpected result: New ways to make skin look and act young. Here’s the anti aging news you’ve been waiting to hear! By Colette Bouchez

Decoding the human genome was a heady project by any standards –and certainly not intended for the front page of a beauty magazine.

But if researchers at Proctor and Gamble (P&G) are right, gene sequencing – the act of decoding how our genetic framework functions - may in fact be the ticket to finding the skin care ingredients that make old skin look and act like young again.

“Such a genomics approach is one of the unexpected benefits from the human genome project”, P & G scientist Rosemarie Osborne recently told Cosmetics Design.

More specifically, P&G scientists say that by better understanding how skin ages on a molecular level, the easier it will be to uncover what it will take, on an ingredient level , to intervene with the process, and either stop or reverse it.

The Genetic Search for Younger Skin

The process of applying sophisticated genetic research to skin care began at P&G roughly ten years ago. At the time they used the technology to test various skin care ingredients to see how they reacted, on a molecular level, and ultimately how that reaction impacts the way skin looks and feels.

More specifically, they focused on the way skin metabolizes lipids –compounds like essential fatty acids which play a major role in keeping skin healthy and young. Of greatest interest: How that metabolic process changes with both age, and environmental factors such as sun exposure.

What they found: Specific lipids, including ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids - all essential to skin health - decrease as skin ages, both naturally and via sun exposure. This in turn appears to reduce the ability of aging skin to repair itself, the way skin does naturally when we are young.

The next step in the process was finding ingredients that could intervene in that declining process. In short, find the compounds that, on a genetic level, tell “old skin” to act young again, stepping up lipid production and the repair process that follows.

Anti Aging Skin: The New Science

Fast forward a decade and the research comes full circle with the introduction of Hexamidine, the ingredient that P & G claims was identified as the compound that, along with niacin amide
( vitamin B 3) yielded an increase in the gene expression linked to lipid production and use in skin. Both ingredients are found in P&G’s Olay line of Pro X-L skin care products.

“The tissue engineered models act as a sort of pre screen to a clinical trial when the effect of the compound can be seen in vivo,” said Osborne.

While P&G might have been the first to harness the power of gene sequencing in skin care, they are hardly alone in the lab. L’Oreal SA claims to use genetic analysis to test the impact of proteins on the skin, while Estee Lauder boasts they use gene-expression technology as well.

At the same time, when it comes to the everyday application of human genome research, Alan Guttmacher, acting of the National Genome Research Institute recently told the Wall Street Journal “Marketing tends to be ahead of science”.

That said, P&G is backing up their claims with peer reviewed science. In the past decade their scientists have published over 40 medical papers in prestigious scientific journals concerning not only aging skin, but also the genetic underpinnings linked to dandruff and gingivitis.

To learn more about the new anti aging ingredients, click here.

You might also be interested in reading:

Hope or Hype? Can You Really Look Younger?

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For all the latest health and beauty news for women over 40 visit: RedDressDiary.com

Copyright by Colette Bouchez 2009 - All Rights Reserved.
In addition to US Copyright, the text of this RedDressDiary article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License. All formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license, and Colette Bouchez retains all rights in those elements.

Study: Eat This and Reduce Hot Flashes and Midlife Depression

New research from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows a common food compound can ease both the hot flashes and depression common to midlife changes in women. Here’s what you need to know – Colette Bouchez

As the witty – and clearly prophetic – actress Bette Davis once quipped: “Gettin’ old ain’t for sissies”. While I’m not sure how old she was when she said it, I’m guessing the menopause years might have been on her mind.

Now, two new Canadian studies promise to take the sting out of at least two of the most troubling side effects of menopause – hot flashes and depression. And doing so may be as simple as including one simple nutrient in your daily diet.

That nutrient: an omega 3 fatty acid compound known as ethyl-eicosapentaenoic acid - or E-EPA for short.

Indeed, in the first study - a randomized clinical trial just published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition - a daily intake of a supplement containing just 1.05 grams of E-EPA, plus 0.15 grams of ethyl-docosahexaenoic acid offered a promising new alternative treatment for midlife depression.

A second study garnered from the same research group promises the same supplementation also impacts hot flashes – with results to be be published in the journal Menopause in March.
Both studies are believed to be the first of their kind .

“To our knowledge, the current trial is the first to compare the effect of ethyl-eicosapentaenoic acid omega-3 supplementation with placebo on [psychological distress] and depressive symptoms in middle-aged women,” wrote lead author Michel Lucas in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

“Because EPA and DHA supplements have beneficial outcomes on cardiovascular diseases, have no serious side effects, and might be helpful in reducing hot flashes, research should be encouraged in middle-aged women with PD and depressive symptoms,” added Lucas.

Depression & Hot Flashes: Better Control

The research involved 120 menopause-age women all of whom were diagnosed with mild to moderate depression. Additionally, at least one quarter of the women had experienced at least one major depressive episode.

A the start of the 8 week study the women were randomly divided into two groups – one to receive the omega 3 supplement, the other to receive a placebo supplement of sunflower oil.

The result: While the women who had suffered more severe forms of depression saw little improvement with the EPA supplement over placebo, those experiencing the much more common menopause-related mild to moderate depression saw a significant decrease in symptoms over the 8 week study period.

These results reinforce those published last year in the Journal of Affective Disorders by a group of Norwegian researchers. Here studies on some 21,000 people found that long-term intake of omega-3 fatty acid-rich cod liver oil appeared to reduce the risk of depression.

The second leg of the new research looked for the impact of the same omega 3 supplement on hot flashes in the same group of women.

At the start of the study the women reported a moderate amount of hot flashes – about 3 per day. After 8 weeks on the omega 3 supplement, the incidence of flashes was cut by nearly half – compared to almost no decrease seen in those taking the placebo .

Eat Your Way To A Healthier Menopause.

While taking an omega 3 supplement may be one approach to combating menopause symptoms, many nutritionists believe you can garner similar effects by loading up your diet with foods rich in omega 3 fatty acids.

Among the most potent are fatty fish – such as salmon, sardines and mackerel . What's more you only need about 6 ounces a couple of times a week to start seeing results.

And while many other foods such as s walnuts, flax seed oil, and some mayonnaise brands also claim to offer a high level of omega-3 fatty acids, nutritionist Elizabeth Somer, RD cautions you might not be getting the benefits you think.

“What you get in foods like walnuts and flax seed oil is an omega-3 acid known as ALA -- alpha-linoleic acid,” says Somer. While it’s good for your health, she says, in order to gain the menopause benefits of omega 3 it requires the body to convert ALA it to DHA – the kind of omega 3 found helpful in the menopause study.

The problem with the conversion, says Somer, is a variety of individual health factors, including our overall nutritional status, can hamper that process, leaving youwith less protection – and less symptom relief than you might think.

The good news: There are a variety of foods now available that are fortified with DHA so no conversion process is necessary. These include certain brands of eggs, egg whites, soymilk, whole wheat bread and cereal. Make sure you read the label to find out if your brand o these foods is offering these special benefits.

Also remember, you can take a omega 3 supplement , alone or in conjunction with the omega-3 rich foods.

For the latest information on foods that help symptoms of menopause - as well as a variety of natural treatments for hot flashes pick up a copy of The Hot Flash Solution by healthy lifestyle expert Colette Bouchez.

For more health and beauty news for fabulous women over 40 visit RedDressDiary.com .

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Copyright by Colette Bouchez 2009 - All Rights Reserved.
In addition to US Copyright, the text of this RedDressDiary article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License. All formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license, and Colette Bouchez retains all rights in those elements.