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SkinCents vs Natural Advantage |
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 I was recently watching an infomercial featuring Jane Seymour and “Natural Advantage,” a skin care program purported to turn back the clock by erasing lines and wrinkles and plumping out the skin. Given Jane Seymour’s amazingly youthful appearance (can you believe she’s 56??), I definitely wanted to know her secret. As I listened to the infomercial, they showed several women gushing over what a great product it was, how wonderful it was for their skin, how happy they were with it, etc., etc. You know the drill.
One thing they never mentioned was what was in it. They mentioned retinol as one ingredient, but they never said “all natural,” “healthy,” or “good for your skin.” So, I thought hmmm, what is actually in this miracle product and how good is it for us? I compared the ingredients to the Red Flag List of skin care ingredients. Here is the list of ingredients from one of their primary products: Daily Cleansing Gel
Water, Disodium, Coco Glucoside, Sulfosuccinate, Sodium Cocyl Isethionate, Triglyceryl Diisostearate, PEG-7 Glyceryl, Cocoate, Cocoamidopropyl Betaine, TEA Cocoyl Glutamate, Milkamidopropryl Betaine, Guar Hydroxypropyl Trimonium Chloride, Propylene Glycol (and) Diazolidinyl Urea (and) Methylparaben (and) Propylparaben, Citric Acid, Cetyl Triethylmonium Copolyol Phthalate, Acrylates Copolymer, Fragrance, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA. · PEG (Polyethylene glycol): Made by ethoxylating Propylene Glycol. Dangerous levels of dioxin have been found as a manufacturing by-product of the ethoxylation process. PEG based ingredients are in a wide variety of personal care, baby care and sunscreens. · DEA (Diethanolamine), MEA (Monoethanolamine), & TEA (Triethanolamine): Skin and eye irritants, causing contact dermatitis. Easily absorbed through the skin and accumulates in body organs, even the brain. Used to create foam in products like shampoo, shaving creams, and bubble bath. Repeated skin applications resulted in a major increase in the incidence of liver and kidney cancer. · Propylene Glycol (PG) and Butylene Glycol: Petroleum plastics which act as surfactants (wetting agents and solvents). -easily penetrate the skin and can weaken protein and cellular structure. EPA considers PG so toxic it requires workers to wear protective gloves, clothing and goggles and dispose of any PG solutions by burying in the ground. Because PG penetrates the skin so quickly, the EPA warns against skin contact to prevent consequences such as brain, liver, and kidney abnormalities. There isn't even a warning label on products where the concentration is greater than in most industrial applications. · DMDM Hydantoin & Urea (Imidazolidinyl): Just two of many preservatives that often release formaldehyde which may cause joint pain, skin reactions, allergies, depression, headaches, chest pains, ear infections, chronic fatigue, dizziness, and loss of sleep. Exposure may irritate the respiratory system, trigger heart palpitations or asthma, and aggravate coughs and colds. Other possible side effects include weakening the immune system and cancer. · Parabens: There are four types of parabens used as preservatives, and they aren't always called "parabens." Recently they have been detected in human breast cancer tissue. Parabens found in deodorants and antiperspirants are linked to breast cancer. Experts say parabens can demonstrate estrogenic-like activity in the body, which increases the risk of breast tumors and cancer." Parabens, as xenoestrogens, may contribute to sterility in male mice and hormone imbalances in females. Xenoestrogens (hormone disruptors) are suspected of contributing to early puberty in young girls and boys". · Phthalates: Xenoestrogens - hormone disruptors -commonly found in many products, although usually not listed on the labels. Health effects include damage to the liver and kidneys, birth defects, decreased sperm counts, and early breast development in girls and boys. · Fragrances: Mostly synthetic ingredients, fragrances can indicate the presence of up to 4,000 separate ingredients, many toxic or carcinogenic. Symptoms reported to the FDA include headaches, dizziness, allergic rashes, skin discoloration, violent coughing and vomiting, and skin irritation. Clinical observation proves fragrances can affect the central nervous system.
Out of an admittably incomplete list of 12 Red Flag Ingredients, this one product has 7 harmful ingredients! In comparison, here are the ingredients from a comparable product from the SkinCents line: Cleansing Facial Gel Deionized Water, Sodium Myreth Sulfate, Organic Aloe Vera Gel, Soyamide DEA, Cocoamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Sorbate, Glycerin, Organic Spirulina (Spirulina Maxima), Organic Sea Kelp (Macrocystis Pyrifera), Sea Lettuce (Ulva Lactuca), Laminaria (Laminaria Digitata), Irish Moss (Chondrus Crispus), Organic Algae Extract, Green Tea (Camellia Sinensis) Extract, Grapefruit (Citrus Grandis Extract), Chamomile (Chamomilia Recutita) Extract, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, Sweet Orange (Citrus Aurantium Dulcis) Oil, White Grapefruit (Citrus Grandis Peel) Oil, Bergamot (Citrus Bergamia) Oil, and Geranium Oil (Geranium Maculatum). Well, this product does have that DEA. Maybe “Soyamide DEA” is different? The rest of the ingredients read like a gourmet potpourri that you could eat! True, I’d love to look like Jane Seymour, but I’d also like to be disease-free as well. I’d prefer not to take the risk of using all of the bad ingredients in “Natural Advantage” and stick with the all natural, good-for-you ingredients of SkinCents! |
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