Alcohol in skin care products- myths and facts

Alcohol-whats the controversy all about : 

all too often people refuse to buy products with alcohol content..but did you know the astringents oily skin people use has varying amount of alcohol in it..then should we stop using astringents??
read on and find out--

Who should use alcohol:
not dry skin as it can be drying..oily skin people can use alcohol

Safe alcohol to look for in products:

"not all alcohol are drying and irritating" says DR.Audrey, board certified dermatologist and the founder of dermadoctor.com
5"c"-alcohols (cetyl, cetaryl, cetostearyl, cetyl alcohol 40, c12-15..all the c-alcohols are derived from coconut..so people with coconut allergy should avoid c-alcohol), Steer-alcohol (stearyl), L-alcohol (lanolin) 

these are used as emulsifiers,thickening and stabilizing agents allowing skin care products to have silky-smooth formulations..S & L-alcohol provides additional moisture

but don't use high concentration alcohol daily..astringents should not be used daily..same goes with other products like sunscreen

Then why this poor reputation ??

-bad stuffs are regarding chronic alcohol drinking or abusing
chronic alcohol consumption (drinking) dialates capillary blood vesssels and gives your face flushed look..more aggressive cases presentwith rosaca with broken capillaries
-again chronic alcohol drinking reduces vit-A absorption from food..reduced vit-A concentration in body means less antioxidants and less antioxidants causes pre-mature aging

The bottom line is:
don't be scared of using skin care regime with low-concentration alcohol (following the guideline above of course ) but be fearful of excess alcohol content in your glass..stay safe dolls :)


info source: published articles from books and journals

sunscreen facts

oily or dry whatever your skin type, summer or winter whatever the season is, you need protection against both UV-a & UV-b rays..
y ??

UVradiation, from sun is a known carcinogen, can have a number of harmful effects on the
skin from photo-sensitivity, premature aging to ulceration and cancer...uv-c ray however mostly gets absorbed by ozone layer..

SPF facts:
you should use sunscreen with atleast SPF-15..
SPF of 30 doesn't mean that its twice as protective as an SPF of 15; rather,
when properly used, an SPF of 15 protects the skin from 93 percent of UVB
radiation, and an SPF 30 sunscreen provides 97 percent protection

Although the SPF ratings found on sunscreen packages apply mainly to UVB rays, many
sunscreen manufacturers include ingredients that protect the skin from some UVA rays as
well. These “broad-spectrum” sunscreens are highly recommended.
look for PA +'s label..it gives UV-A protection..the more +'s the more your sunscreen is protective against UV-A


Sunscreen active ingredients and controversies:

oily skin : water or alcohol based sunscreens both works
dry skin: water based..alcohol can be drying

Alcohol: 
alcohol in skin care products has some myths..know the facts-
use alcohol in low concentration..daily use of high concentration alcohol is not recommended
safe alcohols: 5"c"-alcohols (cetyl, cetaryl, cetostearyl, cetyl alcohol 40, c12-15.....all the c alcohols are derived from coconut,so people with coconut allergy should avoid c alcohol ), Steer-alcohol (stearyl), L-alcohol (lanolin)
these are not drying n irritating, yet moisturising n gives skin smooth apperarance


Is Sunscreen enough for sun protection?
no..most sunscreen provide good uv-B protection, not uv-A despite SPF level..taking extra precaution before going out doesnt hurt !
1) use generous amount of sunscreen product
2) wear protective clothing
3) seek shade, use sunglass and umbrella
4) get adequate dietary support of vit-A & D


picture and info source:
internet, books, published articles