If you are reading this, I will bet you already know something about the facial care market.  Like me, you might have tried a few (or more) products, and while some provide good results others fail to deliver on their promises.

It is true, the facial care market is a highly lucrative industry that generates millions of dollars each year.  Consumers are flocking to facial skin care products like never before, eager to find the best solutions to things like under eye circles, puffy eye bags, and crow’s feet.

But what if I told you that many of the ingredients in these products do not help your skin?  Unfortunately, it is true. While many of the ingredients manufacturers tout on the fronts of their bottles might be great for skin, there are often a lot of additives in these products on the facial care market which harm skin and could potentially make you sick.

What are these additives?  Here is a list:

1.  Fragrances – Sure you would like to smell good, but do you really need sweet smells on every square inch of your body?  Most manufacturers in the facial care market think you do.  But creating these smells in facial creams involves adding chemicals which irritate skin, negating the reason why you apply the product in the first place.  If you want to smell good, wear perfume or cologne and stay away from fragrances in skin products. 

2.  Mineral Oils – Believe it or not, mineral oils are produced from petroleum sources, the same place we get gasoline that powers our cars.  Mineral oils clog up our skin’s pores, particularly on the face, causing spots to form.  It is amazing how many facial creams contain mineral oils.  The latest studies link mineral oils to cancer.  Stay away from products containing mineral oils at all costs.

3.  Parabens – Parabens are often a preservative in plenty of skin products, allowing them to last longer without going bad.  Unfortunately, parabens, especially those in the facial care market have also been linked to cancer, influence estrogen levels, and accumulate in tissues.  Products containing parabens basically indicate a long shelf life, and are most likely to have a high number of unnatural substances. 

Since a great amount of the substances your skin absorbs eventually makes it to the blood stream, it is essential to both skin and overall health that skin products contain natural substances. 

Look for substances such as Cynergy TK which naturally stimulates the amount of collagen and elastin in skin.  Phytessence Wakame is another powerful natural substance–it contains a high amount of B vitamins and has 15 times more calcium than milk.  Moreover, Phytessence Wakame stops the degradation of the skin’s hyaluronic acid, which is responsible for “holding water” in skin to give it volume and elasticity.

Plenty of options exist in the facial care market.  Be sure to do your research and follow the tips above when buying that next facial product.  By avoiding many of the harmful substances mentioned here, and by exposing your skin to all natural ingredients, you will be doing your skin a significant favor, and will reap the results in the long run.