Does Your Firming Body Wash Go Down The Drain?
DMDM HYDANTOINThis is a preservative that is often found in paraben-free firming body wash. It"s good to shop for paraben-free products, but other artificial preservatives are just as problematic. The inclusion of this one in cosmetics is restricted in countries around the world. It irritates the skin, can cause itching, burning, scaling, hives and blistering.
Natural body firming cream should not contain artificial preservatives. Naturally occurring vitamin E is an effective preservative that prolongs the shelf-life of oils and other ingredients. It"s also good for your skin"s health.
Fragrance
Natural body firming cream should not contain an added fragrance, even if it is a concentrated plant fragrance. Fragrances are some of the most common causes of allergic reactions and irritations.
One firming body wash contains a chemical fragrance and the company does not divulge the chemicals used to create it. Some of those chemicals are known to be toxic to the central nervous system. They can cause depression, irritability, anxiety and other psychological problems.
Petrolatum
This ingredient should not be present in natural body firming cream, but it is the workhorse of the cosmetic industry. It is actually nothing more than white petroleum jelly. It is a by product that is created when crude oil is refined to gasoline. It does not moisturize and respected dermatologists have said that it interferes with natural rejuvenation processes. In other words, it causes a prematurely aged appearance. The most popular (and cheapest) firming body wash contains petrolatum.
Functional Keratin, Wakame Kelp, Coenzyme Q10 and Jojoba
The best natural body firming cream contains a number of unique ingredients. These four are just some of them. Others include natural vitamin E, manuka honey, olive oil, grape seed oil and vitamin B5.
Most creams on the market contain one or two active ingredients, at most. But, if you want something effective for reducing stretch marks, softening heels and elbows, reducing scars, preventing infections, increasing firmness and countering all of the signs of aging, then you want to look for all of these ingredients.
In clinical studies, creams containing Functional Keratin have been shown to increase firmness by more than 40% in less than three weeks. Wakame kelp extracts inhibit the activity of an enzyme that breaks down hyaluronic acid, a glue-like substance that holds the skin"s cells together.
Jojoba oil and vitamin E have been shown to fade stretch marks and scars. Manuka honey has natural antibacterial activity. COQ10 is an effective antioxidant. You won"t find these ingredients in firming body wash. They"re too expensive to rinse down the drain.