And why should you avoid many mainstream anti aging products?

Dry skin care is always and itchy subject. Because if you have a dryness problem such as dry itchy skin it really can be extremely annoying. So let’s examine some of the causes of dry skin and in particular consider what you should look for in a good dry skin lotion.

Having skin that is dry, itchy, exhibits a red rash and can sometimes be cracked and painful can be caused by a number of different factors. Some of them can be serious and we should caution you that it is always worthwhile to consult a doctor if you consider there is any possibility that your condition requires medical care.

There are a number of conditions which can result in dry itchy skin which are best the subject of care by a doctor or dermatologist. For example eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis are skin conditions which may well require competent medical care. You should not rely simply on skin shielding lotions or moisturizers to solve these problems, because it is unlikely that they will.

In particular, if you have cracked skin, you should always consult a doctor. One of the reasons that this is that cracks can allow the ingress of infection. And of course a doctor or dermatologist will be able give you individual treatment. For example if you need a good eczema treatment or dermatitis treatment that is best sought from a doctor.

But it’s also true to say that some skin conditions causing dry skin are not sufficiently serious to warrant the care of a doctor, and that the use of a good dry skin lotion or moisturizer may well solve the problem.

So let’s look at some other factors involved in choosing a good lotion for dry skin. The first thing that you need to understand is that many mainstream anti aging products, including many big name moisturizers, can actually be bad for your skin. Whilst that might come as a bit of a shock the fact is that many big name anti aging products, including moisturizers, contain ingredients that can irritate the skin. And the last thing that you need if you suffer from dry skin is to irritate it.

If you’re interested to read more about this then read our article about dangerous skin care products.

There are many natural ingredients including natural oils sourced from plants which are extremely beneficial to dry skin. Some examples are avocado oil, shea butter and olive oil, all of which are extracted from the nuts and fruits of plants. None of these are dangerous to your skin or irritate it, and none of these have any negative health effects. In fact all have been eaten by people for generations.

And as well as natural oils there is also a wide range of other natural ingredients which are extremely effective. Research has shown over the last few years, for example, that a seaweed found around the coast of Japan called Phytessence Wakame contains a range of natural substances which help promote better skin health. And Phytessence Wakame also helps moisturize and protect as well. In fact it’s one of the reasons that Japanese women look so good right into old age. They eat Phytessence Wakame.

But the sad fact is that the mainstream companies producing such products as moisturizers and other dry skin lotions continue to use chemical and petrochemical ingredients in their products. These ingredients, though in some cases being an irritant, are way cheaper than the natural alternatives, so allow them to keep the costs of the product down and direct more money to marketing, which is where profits come from.

You should always look for a dry skin lotion containing only natural ingredients. We have talked about how you use the Cosmetic Safety Database to research various ingredients in anti aging products so it’s quite possible to do some background research.

There are some excellent natural skin care products that work very well for anyone suffering from dry skin. They are not a specific dry skin lotion because they promote optimum skin health for all skin types. Better health means more moisture, and this includes reduced dryness.

Remember, dry skin can be a condition requiring medical care, but it can in some cases also be successfully treated using high quality anti aging products that moisturize and promote overall skin health. Read the rest of this entry

The Cosmetic Safety Database is one of the best resources you have.

We’ve talked before about the Cosmetic Safety Database. It’s a website where you can search to see if any particular personal product or ingredient in a personal product, such as a skin care or anti aging product, is safe to use.

Today we’ve decided to put up a video for you to actually see how to do this. It’s not difficult but for some it might be a little daunting and so seeing it done is always the best way to get started yourself. Just follow the same process that you see in the video.

This is the first in a series of videos about how to use the Database. Over the next few days we’ll be adding more, telling you about how to search individual products as well as how to search individual product ingredients, and even product manufacturers.

As we say in the video however, you can’t rely on the results of a search 100%. There are always shades of gray in these things. There are always data gaps, meaning that all of the data is not available. And it’s astounding the number of new chemicals that are used in these types of products that haven’t been tested for human safety, so no one even knows if they are safe or not. That’s a data gap.

But it’s about the best place to start if you’re worried about the possible health risks of some personal products that you may be concerned about buying or may use now. Use the information as a starting point to more research, and if you see a score of 7 or above consider using a safer alternative unless you can see powerful reasons to stick with that particular product.

But for the moment the Cosmetic Safety Database is the best tool we’ve got to find out more about the possible health risks of so many personal products.

Enjoy the video, we hope you find it instructive.

Here’s the link to the Cosmetic Safety Database.

And if you’d like to find out which skin care products we consider to be both the safest, and the most effective, click here.