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Straight Talk About Stretch Marks
It isn't a stretch (pun intended) to say no one wants stretch marks on any part of their body. Once these grooved, tread-like marks show up, the quest to find something, anything, to get rid of them begins. As a result, bogus products for stretch marks abound—and lots of consumers end up disappointed.
What Exactly Are Stretch Marks? Essentially, stretch marks are a scar that has formed from the inside out, rather than scarring that occurs when skin is externally wounded. Why Me?
Prescriptions and Procedures That Help As mentioned above, there are no cosmetic ingredients or skin-care products that can improve or prevent stretch marks. It is impossible for any cosmetic to raise the indentations back to where the skin level used to be or repair snapped elastin fibers. Falling for the ads will simply be money thrown down the drain. Rather than do that, here’s what you should consider for improving the appearance of stretch marks:
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Product Reviews  $$$ NICOLE MILLER Dual-Phase Eye Makeup Remover ($26.50 for 3.75 ounces) is an outstanding silicone-enhanced makeup remover. It works swiftly to remove all types of makeup, including waterproof mascara. Let me temper my enthusiasm by stating that the price is exorbitant, especially when you consider you can find similar products for less than $10 from Almay, Neutrogena, Sephora, and L'Oreal. If you're stuck on Nicole Miller you may want to consider this, but I can't think of one reason why you should be, and again, the price—ouch! One more comment: The company maintains that they're using honeysuckle extract as a natural preservative. That sounds great, but there is no convincing research that honeysuckle can provide a broad spectrum of activity against common bacteria, molds, or fungi that can contaminate cosmetics. Luckily, this contains other ingredients that have preservative action, although they don't sound as natural and so are not mentioned. The claim was merely to make this eye-makeup remover seem more natural and special than it is. BARE ESSENTIALS Buxom Lips Full Color ($18). Like the original Buxom Lips, this full color version pledges to naturally create the look of fuller lips, something most lip glosses with light-reflecting shimmer can do. These opaque, sparkling glosses contain menthone glycerin acetal, which can be irritating, but the amount used doesn't even cause a tingling sensation, which means it's not doing much. That's not such a bad thing; as this is an OK lip gloss whose stickiness doesn't make it preferred to many others, and the plumping effect is minimal at best. ORIGINS Blade Runner Energizing Shave Cream ($15 for 5 ounces). Blade Runner (no relation to the science fiction film of the same name) has been in the Origins line for years. I wish that were great news, but, alas, this is one of the most irritating shaving creams around, if not the most irritating of all time! The plant tea water that forms the basis of this formula is composed of irritants, and this is closely followed by fragrant oils that serve as even more potent irritants. In fact, the ingredient list for this shaving cream is practically a “who's who” of common plant irritants. For the sake of your skin's health and appearance, do not subject your face to this product. Instead, consider the gentle and much less expensive shaving gels from Aveeno or Edge. If you prefer a shave cream, go for those from Aramis Lab Series, Clinique Skin Supplies for Men, or even Edge Shaving Skin Care Gel for Sensitive Skin, saving you money and taking better care of your skin.For the latest new product reviews, reference Beautypedia.com, the completely searchable, continually updated version of my book, Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me. It features over 40,000 detailed product reviews for only $24.95/year. |
Dear Paula Dear Paula, I wonder if you might comment on this article about the skin lightening active hydroquinone that appeared mid-January in the The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/16/health/16skin.html?em I wonder if use of hydroquinone in the strength brands such as DDF and Paula's Choice use puts the consumer at any risk. What about prolonged use? Debbie, via email Dear Debbie, My team and I have seen this article too, and it is not only misleading, it avoided using the actual research on the issue. According to research, hydroquinone is not a problem as used in cosmetics regulated by the FDA. The products the article called into question caused problems because of the potent steroids, mercury, and other illegal ingredients they contained. These imported products somehow skirted the regulatory guidelines imposed for skin lightening products in most countries. They stand in direct contrast to skin lightening products such as those from Obagi, B. Kamins, Peter Thomas Roth, Neostrata, Paula's Choice, TriLuma (prescription-only), or DDF. Hydroquinone, when not adulterated or used in amounts beyond what has been approved, has a long history of safe use—more so than for any other skin lightening agent ever discovered. In fact, many of the plant extracts claiming to have skin lightening benefit actually break down into hydroquinone on the skin which is why they have some efficacy, but of course not as much as pure hydroquinone. It is important to only buy skin lightening products from reputable companies, not from neighborhood beauty supply stores, hair salons or from companies you've never heard of or can't find information about the product online. You definitely don't want to buy any skin lightening product that keeps its ingredients secret; complete ingredient labels are critical. You want to make sure the brand is up front about the amount of hydroquinone the products contain (buy only those listing a percentage). Be assured reputable brands are not adulterating their products with substances such as steroids or mercury; you couldn't find a certified cosmetic lab in this country that even has those ingredients available for use, period. |
Ingredient Spotlight
sodium ascorbyl phosphate. A stable, lipid-soluble form of vitamin C that functions as an antioxidant (Sources: Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology, August 2009, pages 130–135; International Journal of Cosmetic Science, December 2008, pages 453–458 and November-December 2003, pages 589–598). There is limited but promising research demonstrating that concentrations above 1% have an antibacterial action against acne-causing bacteria while concentrations of 5% reduce the inflammatory response related to acne (Sources: International Journal of Cosmetic Science, February 2009, pages 41–46 and June 2005, pages 171–176). See vitamin C and antioxidant. |
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