Complete List of Ingredients to Avoid

Skin Care Products: Ingredients to Avoid

Print this Page and take it with you to the Store. Read the label of your Skin Care Products.

If an evil genius wished to harm the skin of women, he could not have devised a better tool than cosmetics. For if the complex oil in sebum create such havoc in acne prone skin, then rubbing more oils into the skin is the worse possible thing an acne sufferer can do. --- James E. Fulton Jr, MD, PhD.

Work Sheet - print this work sheet and use it when you check the ingredients of any skin care product

Acetone

Acetylated Lanolin - comedogenic oil

Algae Extract

Benzophenones

Blushers - D&C Pigments. Red Tintes used in Blushers. Comedogenic. Dyes produced from Coal Tar which is very comedogenic.

Butyl Isostearate - highly irritating fatty acid

Butyl Stereate - see Isopropyl Myristate

Collaoidal Sulfur

D&C Pigments - red tint used in blushers. Comdeogenic.

Decyl Oleate - see Isopropyl Myristate

Ethanol

Ethoxydiglycol

Ethoxylated Lanolin - comedogenic oil

Foundations – see “notes” below

Fragrance

Hexadecyl Alcohol

Isocetyl Stearate-see Isopropyl Myristate

Isopropanol

Isopropyl Alcohol

Isopropyl Isostearate-see Isopropyl Myristate

Isopropyl Myristate - highy irritating fatty acid (used in rust removers). Very bad for skin!

Isopropyl Palmitate-see Isopropyl Myristate

Isostearyl neopentanoate-see Isopropyl Myristate

Lanolin-comedogenic oil

Laureth-4 – comedogenic detergent

Lauric Acid-highly irritating fatty acid

Myristic Acid-highly irritating fatty acid

Myristyl Myristate-see Isopropyl Myristate

Octyl Palmitate-see Isopropyl Myristate

Octyl Setearate-see Isopropyl Myristate

Oleth-3

Organic Solvents

PABA-Para-aminobenzoic acid

Parabins

PPG 2 myristyl propionate-comedogenic and irritating

Preservatives

Propylene Glycol

Red Tints used in Blushers-comedogenic

Sesame Oil - irritant

Sodium Chloride

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

Stearic Acid – potent fatty acid. Causes trouble for acne prone patients.

Strong Surfactants

Talc

Wheat Germ Oil

Notes

Isopropyl Myristate - emulsifier, surfactant, helps cosmetic apply smoothly with thick or sheer feel. Penetrating oil.

D&C: means government approved for drugs and cosmetics

Loose Powder or Pressed Powder – better for acne prone skin. Less penetrating

Carmine – excellent substitute D&C Pigments. Found in Eye Shadow

Mineral Oil – some are safe others are not. Depends on Source. Johnson & Johnson Baby Oil is GOOD! Most mineral oils refined in the US are ok. This is a great moisturizer!

Oils – Castor Oil is ok. Sesame Oil is an irritant.

Foundations – comedogenic.

Creams – go on smoothly because of heavy oils like Lanolin, sheer feel is from isopropyl myristate.

Better to use FLUID foundation.

Oil Free Claims on Makeup Labels – often simply “not true”! They contain no animal, vegetable or mineral oils, but they contain synthetic oils. The label has a small * and in small print it will say “contains no animal, vegetable or mineral oil”.

HypoAllergenic – this term has not strict definition. Not meaningful.

Check you Cosmetics for Oil – Apply a thick streak of cosmetic onto a piece of 25% bond cotton paper. 24 hours later check for an oil ring. Size of ring is clue to amount of oil in product.

Water Based and Glycerin Base Products are best Foundations for Acne Prone Skin – Almay Pure Beauty Foundation for Oily Skin and Clinique Pore Minimizer are two of the best. Be careful, their Foundations for oily skin are ok. Their Foundations for dry skin may contain acnegenic ingredients.

Avoid Liquid Base Makeup – use loose powder. This is safer!

Best Eye Makeup Remover – Mineral Oil! Wash thoroughly with soap and water after removing eye makeup.

Lipstick – if you have little pimples around your mouth, your lipstick might be at fault. Make sure the oil is castor oil, mineral oil or petrolatum (rather than isopropyl myristate). The wax portion of the lipstick does not penetrate into the skin.

Blushers – most have D&C red dyes. Use products that contain Carmine. You may have to use eye shadow as your blusher. Use “Rosy-Tinted” Eye Makeup.

Moisturizers – drink lots of water and use a humidifier in your home. Most moisturizers are an oily film to prevent water from evaporating from the skin. Moisturizers DO NOT put moisture into the skin. People with oily skin do not need a moisturizer! Many moisturizers contain comedogenic ingredients. Best moisturizers is a thin coat of mineral oil or petrolatum. Thin coat of mineral oil under the eyes at night might be all you need!

Cleansers – soap and water the best. Acne can not be cured by cleansing, but it can be CAUSED by cleansing with the wrong product. Only use a cleanser that can be washed off with water. Ivory soap for oily skin and Dove soap for dry skin are good choices!

Medicated Acne Soaps or Soaps with scrubbing Grains – waste of money. They do not work and may be harmful

Hair Products – Acne in the hairline or on the forehead, temples and nape of neck could be because of ingredients in your Hair Products! Thick pomades and hair gels are big offenders. Check your hair product for offending ingredients mentioned in the list above.

Men’s Grooming Products – shaving cream, aftershave products and suntanning lotions could have irritating and acneogenic ingredients.

Acne Medications – these can contain acnegenic and irritating ingredients. Check the label! Make sure your acne cream does not contain isopropyl myristate or Laureth-4! Not all ingredients are listed on non-prescription medications, only the “active-ingredients”, so you have to be very careful. If it makes your skin worse, stop the medication. This goes for Benzoyl Peroxide, RetinA and some OTC Hydrocortisones (Hytone Cream).