Beware of these beauty trends

Beware of these beauty trends

Many a times, the beauty and skin care trends circulating on the web can be harmful and should not be followed by everyone. With the ongoing COVID19 crisis, there has been a spurt of online shopping. The youngsters tend to get tempted to follow the online trends which can be detrimental to health. I often come across patients at my skin and hair clinic in Bangalore and would like to dispel some myths around these trending beauty trends. First of all , we need to understand the risks and factors to be considered before you pick up something from the shelf or check-out online.

• Clean Beauty Trend

2020 is all about a clean beauty movement which implies that cosmetics should not have toxic ingredients and neither it should be non-transparent about the ingredients. This is a need of the hour especially in an unregulated skin and hair care industry. As more and more folks approach us and other dermatologists virtually to understand the labels, there are a subset of patients  who fall prey to the false claims. ‘Organic’ and ‘natural’ are two terms which are often misused and misunderstood by masses. 

The Pitfalls:

1. Certain ingredients have multiple names making it difficult to understand the labelled ingredient.

2. Most of the preservatives actually keep a product safe from bacterial and fungal contamination. None of the companies advertising such brands give any added instruction to the patient that they need to keep the lid tightly closed or that they need to change the dispensing medium to air less for example in a pump spray.

3. Most of the products claiming to be 100% organic only guarantee the pesticide free cultivation. There is no comment on the conditions of import, packaging and despatch. Certain molecules need a cold chain to be effective in order to be preservative free.

Think before you pick

1. Read the Ingredients carefully

2. Vegan and cruelty free products do not necessarily give you an advantage in skin care. Though they are good for the environment.

3. Words like parfum are used in place of fragrance. Consult Your dermatologist before  you choose a product especially if you have sensitive skin.

4. Omit ‘suspicious’ and not necessarily ‘synthetic’ ingredients. A good moisturiser in a jar certainly needs preservative of ‘low allergenic potential’ to prevent contamination

• THE CBD RAGE

Cannabidiol (CBD) oils are low tetrahydrocannabinol products derived from Cannabis sativa that have become very popular over the past few years. Reports of benefits are arriving in conditions like a variety of conditions, particularly pain, without the intoxicating adverse effects of medical marijuana. In June 2018, the first CBD-based drug, Epidiolex, was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for treatment of rare, severe epilepsy, further putting the spotlight on CBD and hemp oils.  The FDA has approved  few legal sources  like industrial hemp in which the active THC content is non toxic. 

The Proposed benefits:

1. Anti-inflammatory 

2. Reduces sebum production

3. Hemp Seed oil is a rich and balanced source of omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Anecdotal evidence indicated that dietary hempseed oil might be useful in treating symptoms of atopic dermatitis

4. Anti-ageing benefits

The pitfalls:

1. The right formulation

2. The right concentration of the THC - Whether the formulation delivers the appropriate concentration of cannabinoid.

3. The Risk – Certain studies show that the cannabinoids exert pro inflammatory or pro neoplastic ( Increased risk of cancer). There is conflicting evidence of the benefit - risk ratio and hence very few Dermatological formulations are available.

• Glassskin

Considered as a rage in South Korea, The ‘glass skin’ projected shiny, radiant, dewy skin which is almost as transparent as glass. The regimens promoted were a mixture of cleansers, exfoliators and moisturisers to achieve the look. 

The pitfalls

Cleansing and exfoliating is over emphasized in glass skin regimen. It may cause increase in acne breakouts and aggravate pre existing sensitivity. It may cause irritant rashes. Consult a Dermatologist to customize the skin care according to your skin needs and skin type.

Do not adopt any beauty trends without your Dermatologist’s advice. Keep watching this space to know more.