Cosmetic products like fairness creams, anti-wrinkle creams, chemical peels, moisturizers, bathing soaps, and manicures could be harmful to your skin.

Depending on the susceptibility of your skin, the areas on which you apply a products or use a cosmetic procedure, how frequently you use a product, adverse results could occur from products as innocuous-sounding as face powder, from procedures as commonplace as hair - waxing. Virtually no cosmetic products category or cosmetic procedure can be termed as 100% safe, all the time, for everyone. It is one of life's small ironies that the very things we do or use to enhance our appearance can sometimes mar, even disfigure, our looks - leaving us worse off than before. The consequences could range from a temporary skin rash to permanent scarring, from darkened patches of skin to an outbreak of acne. "Even in the case of well-researched products marketed by multinational companies, you could have adverse reactions," says dermatologist Thomas. Here is just a sampling of what you might end up with.


One of the most common types of allergic reactions to cosmetics is allergic contact dermatitis, that is, inflammation and irritation of the skin due to contact with a substance that a person is hyper-susceptible to. "Everyone's skin does not accept whatever is hurled at it," says Thomas, "and allergic contact dermatitis could occur in some persons even through the use of soaps, moisturizing creams and cleansers. A common culprit in causing this type of allergic reaction is lanolin (used as a base in moisturizers and many other skincare products)."

Another problem product is the very popular black henna (Arabic henna). Thomas elaborates, "Black henna is used for decorating the hand. Through my investigations, I found that this black henna is nothing but a permanent hair dye which is available in powder form that is made into a paste, filled into cones and applied on the hands and other body parts. Black henna contains a "coal tar" color called P-PhenyleneDiamine, also known as PPD. Now, this is very, very alarming because a product which is supposed to be used on a non-living tissue of the body (i.e., hair) is introduced on to the skin, it gets absorbed, and it invites allergic reactions. A week to three weeks later, you can get a user coming in with a severe itchy rash, only on areas where the black henna was applied. This allergy takes a few weeks to settle down with intensive treatment, and it leaves behind stains." PPD, of course, can also cause an allergic reaction when you use a hair dye in which it is the active ingredient. "The allergy," says Thomas, "manifests not only on the scalp, but also on the ears and forehead, with puffiness of the eyes and swelling." He also shatters the popular fallacy that herbal products are completely safe and do not cause allergy.

A second type of allergic reaction from cosmetics is known as photo allergy. This is a reaction produced on the skin when the chemical/s in a product interacts with light rays. In other words, sunlight is necessary to produce the allergic reaction, and it is therefore sun-exposed areas of the skin that take the hit. "The allergy manifests as a red, itchy rash, sometimes a few fluid-filled lesions and crusting of the skin," says Thomas. It's usually the fragrance mix that causes such allergy in response to sunlight, he reveals. "The psoralen group of plants is one fragrance source with the potential to cause photo allergy. Musk is another fragrance that brings on this allergy in a significant number of people. But, the source of the fragrance apart, it's also its concentration in the product that matters. The higher the concentration (indicated on the label as "parts per million" or ppm), the greater the risk of an allergic reaction."


Some skincare products - touted as "beauty drugs" because they have biologic effects such as reversing the signs of skin aging - are irritants that can cause redness, swelling and peeling of the skin. The fairer the skin, greater the effects are. One such product is tretinoin (Retin-A), which works to minimize the appearance of fine wrinkles and to reduce skin roughness. Another category of irritation-inducing products are the Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs) which typically contain acids such as glycolic acid or lactic acid, and which work as exfoliants, giving skin a "healthy glow".

Inflammatory responses to the use of these products are less severe when over-the-counter creams are used, because of the lower concentration of tretinoin or of AHAs. But 'cosmetologists' and dermatologists use higher concentrations, and while results are more dramatic, side-effects - including flare-ups - are also more severe. Sun Sensitivity

Those who use tretinoin or AHAs are also more sensitive to the sun, specifically to the sun's ultraviolet (UV) radiation. UV exposure can damage the skin, more so in the case of lighter-complect persons who have less of the protective skin pigment, melanin.



Pigmentary Changes

Darkening of the skin in some areas can occur if a person's skin is sensitive to one or more ingredients in the product. Again, this can happen with the best of products, says Thomas. And again, it's the fragrance mix that's most often responsible, he adds.

Acne and Comedones

Some cosmetic products can also trigger or worsen acne or comedones (blackheads) in susceptible persons. Thomas says, "Petroleum jelly, ingredients such as liquid paraffin or white soft paraffin, is most to blame. Therefore reactions like pimples and acneiform eruptions (i.e., eruptions resembling acne) are most likely to occur with the use of products like moisturizers, in both teenagers as well as the middle-aged." Other cosmetic ingredients that can aggravate acne include lanolin and cocoa butter. Pressed face powder - as in a compact - contains some oil and can worsen acne in susceptible users.

Infections

Eye pencils, brushes and mascara wands can spread nasty bacteria that may cause your eyelashes to fall out; eye-liner worn on the rim of the lower lid next to the eye often leads to infection and is not advisable. Even the overuse of lip balm can lead to trapped bacteria and yeast, causing further inflammation or infection of the lips.


Safety Savvy

This long list of possible adverse effects resulting from the use of cosmetics does not mean you should swear off all cosmetics. There are several steps you can take to protect yourself from ingredients that may pose risks. For e.g.:

Use fewer products: By cutting down on the number of chemicals in contact with your skin every day, you will reduce potential health risks associated with your products. For instance - lip balm is best reserved for protection in cold weather.

Use milder soaps: Soap removes dirt and grease from the surface of your skin, but also strips away your bodies own natural skin oils. Choosing a milder soap may reduce skin dryness and your need for moisturizers to replace oils that your skin can provide naturally. Medicated soaps are hardly ever called for, and are themselves a possible cause of allergic skin reactions. So are deodorant, highly-perfumed or highly-colored soaps.

Do a spot-test before first-time use: It is advisable to test any cosmetic product you're using for the first time on a small area of skin (the inner arm is a good spot) and keep it on for 24 hours before applying it to a larger area. If you experience reactions such as itching, swelling or irritation, stop using the product and consult a doctor.

Protect and pre-treat: If you use a product that increases your sensitivity to UV radiation, it's wise to use regular and adequate sun protection before going out in the sun. Apply a sunscreen with an SPF (Sun Protection Factor) of at least 15. Thomas adds: "In conditions where you don't sweat, sunscreen is effective for approximately 3 hours, so if you're going to be out of doors during the day, you need to apply sunscreen at least thrice during the day. And if you swim or if you sweat profusely, you need to re-apply sunscreen more frequently. A 'water-resistant' sunscreen loses its efficacy in 40 minutes, while a 'waterproof sunscreen loses efficacy in 80 minutes."

If you're using an AHA or tretinoin product, it is important to use sunscreen even if you haven't used the tretinoin or AHA on that day. Also, it's suggested that you use sunscreen even if your AHA product contains sunscreen; that's because your AHA product is a skin treatment product — not primarily a sun-protection product.

Prefer cosmetic products that are labeled: In U.S, of course, this is a preference you won't often be able to indulge, since most cosmetic product packs carry puffery, not facts. Even when you find a product that lists ingredients; it may not be of much practical use unless you are yourself well-informed about what the ingredients mean and what results you can expect from them. Thomas says, "Many lay people may not even know the difference between preservatives and active ingredients."

Many imported cosmetics do carry substantive labeling, including not only ingredients but also the amount and proportions in which they are present in the product. But the list is generally not user-friendly, because cosmetic ingredients are often complex chemical substances. Still, a product with labeling is better than one without. At least, you know what's in that cream jar or lotion bottle. And, in case of adverse reactions, the product label is a useful reference point for the doctor you will need to visit.

Read labels and product literature: That may sound self-evident, but most people don't. There may sometimes be important instructions and cautions that you should heed. For instance, if you suffer from acne, you should avoid a product that states it is "not safe for use on injured or damaged skin."

But - know that labels don't always say what they mean.

A good example: Products that claim to be "fragrance free" on the packaging may not be. They could contain masking fragrances that give off a neutral odor. Read the ingredients label, if there is one — in products truly free of fragrance, the word "fragrance" will not appear in the list.

Know that products marketed as 'herbal' or 'natural' are likely to have synthetic add-ons: 'Herbal' cosmetics containing one or more synthetic ingredients are now a fairly common form of misadventure in the Indian beauty business. "Besides the coloring agents, herbal cosmetics also use preservatives to ensure an extended shelf life, and these are usually synthetic," says Thomas.

Hygiene first and last: Keep brushes and hands scrupulously clean when you use cosmetics. Periodically, wash cosmetic brushes and face puffs with soap and water. Always remove make-up at night, including eye make-up. Failing to remove eye makeup, especially mascara, each night can clog up the hair follicles on the eyelids, leading to infection.

Prefer tubes to jars so that you avoid dipping your finger into the product and possibly contaminating it. And remember to keep tubes tightly closed after use. If you have poured out lotion from a bottle, do not return any excess to the container; discard it. Sharpen eye pencils before each use (to avoid transferring bacteria that may have taken up residence around the pencil point, straight to your eye area). Never spit on powder shadow or lick eye pencils - both practices can lead to infection. Don't borrow or lend make-up.

Avoid buying cosmetic products off the net: There are many risks here. The product may not work; you may be allergic to one or more of the ingredients in it; it may contain toxic substances; it may even contain illegal substances. Seeking advice from a dermatologist is a safer, smarter way to deal with problems like acne and other breakouts, wrinkles, scars and blemishes.

Beware the "secret I formula".

Thomas sounds a note of caution about the youth-in-a-jar products touted by beauty parlors, "where the beautician tells the client that the product has been made from a secret formula whose ingredients s/ he cannot reveal. Here, not only are you not aware of what the ingredients are, whether they have been used in a safe or a toxic concentration, you do not even know the kind of quality control exercised-whether the product was prepared under stringently hygienic conditions or with dirty hands. And that can be alarming... But these products are packaged very attractively and priced very high, so clients feel they are exclusive products, which only some people like them can afford."

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