September 5, 2003 – Grapeseed oil, seaweed extracts, even animal-sourced amniotic fluid … all of these are found in beauty products that promise to make you look like you used to be. 20 years. But what is it really?
The rule of thumb, dermatologists told The Canadian Press, should be that if a product’s miraculous properties sound too good to be true, they probably are.
The health benefits of a multitude of products, whether it’s green tea, soybean oil or good ol ‘milk, are well known to consumers. However, people would believe too quickly that because they are good for the health, these products will also automatically be good for the skin, simply because they have been incorporated into a cream or a soap.
And since these are “natural” products, consumers also come to the conclusion, not necessarily correct, that they are necessarily better for the skin than chemicals.
The only substance that science has shown to benefit the skin is vitamin A, which has a positive effect on the collagen which gives the skin its elasticity. Vitamins C and E, two well-known antioxidants, may also limit the damage inflicted on the skin by free radicals.
What’s more, many of these products, including vitamins and antioxidants, fear light and heat. A cream bought at a high price will therefore begin to lose a little of its effectiveness as soon as the jar is opened.
Jean-Benoit Legault – PasseportSanté.net
From Canadian Press; September 2, 2003.