Science vs. Fiction: Skin Care Marketing, Misinformation & Safety

We’re often exposed to terms in the media and through marketing channels, that over time, have a way of misguiding our real understanding of what they mean. At Dermastore®, we’ve always tried to give our customers and readers the unedited facts.

Facts are the things we can’t change, and they always remain true.

Fact 1: Natural

Unless a skincare company is sourcing ingredients from another planet or outer space, everything that originates from their earth (and therefore everything that we know) is natural. For ingredients to find their way into a jar or cream, extensive processing is required, everything in a cosmetic product is pretty unnatural. Remember, not everything found in nature is good for your skin. All the most toxic chemicals in existence are natural.

Fact 2: Organic

Raw organic ingredients can contain 100’s (or more) of individual constituents or compounds. If a bottle of cream lists 6 raw organic extracts on it, someone with unscientific knowledge or background could be formulating 1000s (or more) compounds they haven’t tested for in their final preparation.

Fact 3: Synthetic Ingredients

Simply put, everything in nature can be synthesised. Like natural ingredients, there can be ones that are good or bad for you, but very few skin care companies will invest a lot of money to replicate a bad natural ingredient (it might be bad for business). The human body cannot distinguish the difference between a synthetic molecule and a natural one. Most times clinical skin care companies will isolate & synthesize individual constituents from a raw extract that is beneficial for the skin. Synthesis also allows scientists the opportunity to control concentration, as a raw extract might only contain a low percentage of the beneficial constituent or compound, and therefore not have the desired effect.

Fact 4: Are Parabens Actually That Bad?

Current evidence shows that paraben levels in cosmetic products are safe for human use. Many of the preservative replacements found in products these days have less health safety data than parabens do. With this said parabens are hardly found in cosmetic products anymore.

Fact 5: Chemicals

Everything is a chemical, including water and oxygen. The only chemical-free thing is space. When you see ‘Chemical-Free’ be wary, that company might not understand basic chemistry.

Fact 6: Toxins

There are safe quantities of every substance. The leading principle of toxicology is the dose that makes the poison. Think of Botulinum toxin, a highly toxic substance, administered in micro-quantities that poses little threat to patients who wish to smooth facial lines. Scientists have sophisticated measuring tools available and conduct extensive clinical trials on whether a substance will pose a health risk and in what quantities a substance is considered safe.

Fact 7: The Risks

Raw botanical extracts containing potentially hundreds of compounds may cause increased sensitivity, allergic contact dermatitis and photo-allergic reactions which can lead to skin darkening as experienced by our Dermatologist in his many years of private practice.

Fact 8: Safety First

Efficacy second. Most reputable clinical skin care companies prepare their formulations according to a strict formulation charter and run extensive toxicology and safety trials on their formulations before taking them to market. If your skincare brand isn’t doing this, then you’re at a higher risk with the products you use.

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