Fragrances and preservatives are the main ingredients in cosmetics. Fragrances are the most common cause of skin problems. More than 5,000 different kinds are used in products. Products marked “fragrance-free” or “without perfume” means that no fragrances have been added to make the product smell good.

Preservatives in cosmetics are the second most common cause of skin problems. They prevent bacteria and fungus from growing in the product and protect products from damage caused by air or light. But preservatives can also cause the skin to become irritated and infected. Some examples of preservatives are:

• Paraben
• Imidazolidinyl urea
• Quaternium-15
• DMDM hydantoin
• Phenoxyethanol
• Formaldehyde

The ingredients below cannot be used, or their use is limited, in cosmetics. They may cause cancer or other serious health problems.

• Bithionol
• Mercury compounds
• Vinyl chloride
• Halogenated salicyanilides
• Zirconium complexes in aerosol sprays
• Chloroform
• Methylene chloride
• Chlorofluorocarbon propellants
• Hexachlorophene

So next time when you shop, read the label and better yet, print out the ingredient above when you shop. If you see them on the label, avoid them. But the truth is, how many cosmetics don’t come with them?

Source: Office on Women’s Health

How do we do that? Wear sun screen. Wear as much and as often as possible. Don’t go out to the beach until later in the day. Even the best Sun screen can’t protect you 100%. Number two, wear lotion and facial cream. Moisturize your skin 24/7. If you have the discipline to do that, then you will have beautiful skin for long than most women.

Most women don’t realize that the sun can really damage their skin and premature their look. It’s true that tanned skin looks healthy and beautiful. But you will pay the price later on in life. As people age, their skin loses fat and becomes thinner. So wrinkles and age spots start showing. The best way to protect your skin is to stay out of sun between 10 am to 4  pm.

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

There are some tips that can avoid frowning at night. Keep your bedroom dark and quiet. Don’t go to bed worrying about stuff. Either solve the issue or forget about it. Take a relaxing bath and read some enjoying books before going to bed.

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

• FDA approval is based on controlled, clinical study of these products when used in the face.

• The safe use of these products with Botox or other wrinkle therapies has not been evaluated in a controlled, clinical study.
• The safe use of these products repeatedly over a long period of time has not been evaluated in a controlled, clinical study.
• The safety of these products is unknown when used during pregnancy, while breast feeding or in patients under 18 years of age.

The last and the worst part is that health insurance does not typically cover elective surgical procedures such as wrinkle correction.

Source: the FDA

Certain habits that we have such as frowning also wrinkle the skin. So stop frowning as soon as possible if you still can. Some of our habits are easier to change than others. You may not be able to change how you lie when you sleep, but you can quit smoking. Not smoking is a great way to prevent wrinkles.

We often see ads in the media that certain new products promise to remove wrinkles. We see these skin care products all over the stores. Even though a lot of claims are made about how to make wrinkles go away, not all of them work. The ones that truly work usually need to be done by the doctor. The best doctor to talk to about your wrinkles is a dermatologist who can answer your questions and concerns.

Source: National Institutes of Health

Unlike age spots, skin tags are small, usually flesh-colored growths of skin that have a raised surface. They are associated with aging, especially for women. You can find them on the eyelids, neck, and body folds such as the arm pit, chest, and groin. Skin tags are harmless, however, a doctor can easily remove them if they bother you.

Source: National Institutes of Health

Even though over the counter wrinkle creams all claim to reverse wrinkles, they don’t really deliver the result. However, they can moisturize and nourish your skin. Limiting your exposure to the environment is probably the most helpful thing to do to avoid premature skin aging. Limiting Sun exposure is the single most important factor in skin protection.

If you laugh a lot and smile a lot, such habits also wrinkle the skin. There other one is like frowning. Some of these habits are easier to change than others. You can’t really control how you use your facial expressions, especially when you sleep. But you can avoid other factors such as smoking.

Many research has been done to reverse wrinkles. Some work and others don’t. Some of them require surgery and procedure done by a doctor. Talk to a dermatologist if you are really concerned about your wrinkles.

Source: National Institute of Aging (NIA)

There’s a simple preventive thing you can do to avoid skin cancer. Avoid direct sun light. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun is the main cause of skin cancer. But there’s another cause that most people are unaware of,  sunlamps and tanning booths, can also cause skin cancer.

Most skin cancer patients get them after the age of 50. But the damage has been done way before that. You should start protecting your young children at early age. And if you’re in your 20s and using tanning beds, think long and hard.