Natural and non-toxic skin care: Anita Shannon deciphers the labels on body care products. (Women's Health).

How do we know what is in the products that we are using in our daily maintenance routines? From household cleaners and detergents to our personal care products, label language is becoming more difficult to decipher and is often misleading. Examining the ingredient listing is also a challenge in polysyllabic pronunciation techniques, not to mention requiring a chemistry reference book to understand what we are reading.

How do we find quality products, and why is it so important to be aware of the chemicals to which our bodies are exposed? Our bodies must process and discard substances that are perceived as foreign. Bombardment with these substances can lead to the breakdown of our immune system and eliminatory system. We become sensitized, and our bodies' defense system reacts to harsh chemicals that do not possess the balancing and buffering system that is found in nature. But that does not mean that "natural is better," necessarily. While arsenic is a wonderful homeopathic remedy, in other forms it is notably toxic while being totally natural.

Skin care and bath products are a vital part of taking care of ourselves. The skin is the largest eliminatory organ in the body and is closely related to the lung in activity. Our skin reflects much of what is occurring in our body in a very unique way. It is important to first assess the origin of the imbalance, then address it both inside and out. An example is a common condition of skin dehydration and dryness. The origin may be hormone- or lifestyle-related, or caused by medication or a systemic condition in the body. Internally, this problem could be remedied by simply increasing water intake, or it may require more involved diagnosis by a health care professional. From a skin care perspective, there are a wide variety of products available with non-toxic active ingredients to treat a host of problems.

Base ingredients can be a very active part of the formulation. Pure vegetable oils such as sesame, jojoba, grapeseed, hazelnut, borage, avocado, and evening primrose are rich in vitamins and essential fatty acids that can help reduce water loss, fight inflammation and normalize oil secretions. It is common to find water as a main ingredient, yet be aware that a high volume of water is included in less expensive products to extend them, and this causes us to use more. A well-formulated product will have a sufficient amount of water to produce a useable texture, and will last a much longer time. Another base ingredient is petroleum (mineral oil, petrolatum ...). This is used mainly because of its cheap cost. The only benefit to this ingredient is that it coats the skin, which would only be useful to anyone exposed to severe elements such as a ski instructor. This is why Vaseline[R] is used for lip ointments. The downside is that this coating will clog pores and stick dead skin cells together to form a "cement." Petroleum products are not one of our healthier choices. Beeswax is a wonderful alternative facial product ingredient, and used sparingly will not clog the skin. For the body, look for vegetable oils on the ingredient list.

Vitamin E, often listed as "-tocopherol," is top on the list as a very active substance in preventing skin aging. Studies indicate that vitamin E acts as a free-radical scavenger in topical applications. It is also effective as a protectant against sun damage, and reduces surface water loss from the skin. It is absorbed easily by the skin, and as an added benefit is a great product preservative. Another vitamin that is highly featured in current products is vitamin A, which promotes healthy cell regeneration. Vitamin C has gained a great reputation as an anti-oxidant, but be sure to look for the stable vitamin C, ascorbyl palmitate. Many other vitamins and active ingredients are not easily absorbed, and a hollow sphere called a liposome is often used to deliver the contents deep into the skin.

Acids have become very prevalent in the skin care market, and the different acids can be a little confusing. Alpha hydroxy acids include glycolic, lactic and arginine acids. Natural glycolic acid is derived from sugarcane, lactic acid is found in milk, and arginine comes from brown rice. Glycolic is the most aggressive and is best avoided for sensitive skin. Arginine is the least irritating but will still be effective against acne and hyperpigmented skin. Beta hydroxy acids such a salicilic acid are very active and should only be used for oily, acneic skin. The action of all of the acids, when applied topically, is to provide deep exfoliation that triggers two processes: cell turnover and collagen production. Topically applied collagen is not easily assimilated into the collagen network, so ingredients such as vitamin A and acids benefit us by stimulating our skin to produce its own.

Another very active group of ingredients are direct gifts from the plant world. "Phyto" or "plant" extracts and plant essential oils have come a long way in respectability in the past few decades. As we became obsessed with synthetic chemicals, we forgot about the delicately balanced chemical world of nature. The harmony of natural chemistry inhibits the side effects of the individual chemicals, while enhancing their activity. This is called synergy. Plant extracts are milder and contain most of the chemical structure of the plant, while essential oils are intensely concentrated and contain only the fat soluble constituents. Both work at a deep level to stimulate, sedate, or balance the functions of the skin systems.

The most common advice that is given is to avoid alcohol in skin care products. The problem with avoiding anything with "alcohol" on the ingredient list is that there are so many types of alcohol. It is ethyl alcohol that dries the skin and cause irritation. The fatty alcohols like cetyl, stearyl and ceteryl are used as emollients but are often wrongly associated with ethyl. DO avoid "fragrance," which implies a synthetic aroma and is number one of the top three sensitizers of skin. Another top sensitizer is artificial colors and dyes, which are petroleum-based. Red seems to be the worst, and that is why there are often breakouts where blush is applied. The last of the "top three" is preservatives. To protect themselves from product spoilage, manufacturers often overcompensate with high volumes of parabens, formaldehydes, and other potentially toxic substances.

Part of creating and maintaining a healthy daily lifestyle lies in our choices of products and their ingredients. Making an effort to read labels on everything from the food we ingest to our most personal care items will help create more conscious choices.

ANITA SHANNON is a practicing licensed massage therapist, cosmetologist and an aromatherapist. She is a national educator in massage therapy and skin care, and teaches at local massage schools and community colleges. She is also a co-host on Health Options Today with Dr. Mitchell Ghen on WGGS television. You can contact Anita at 828-232-1622 or [e-mail].