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Reading Beauty Labels: What is Stearic Acid?

Normally, I’d say it’s a bad idea to put any kind of acid on your face or body. But if you start reading the labels on your favorite health and beauty products, you’ll probably run into this one: stearic acid. Stearic acid is a saturated fatty acid, also known as octadecanoic acid. (That’s a mouthful and a half, so I’ll stick with calling it “stearic acid” thank you very much!) Fatty acids are a good thing for the body. They are the acids produced when fats are broken down. Fatty acids are not highly soluble in water and can be … Continue reading →

Reading Beauty Labels: What is Urea?

It’s time for another closer look at the stuff that goes into our favorite beauty products. Today’s target: urea. Urea (sometimes known as carbamide) is an organic chemical compound. It is produced by humans and many other mammals, amphibians, and some fish. It is produced when the liver breaks down ammonia and protein or ammonia and amino acids. The kidneys then send urea out of the body along with urine. Urea helps carry excess nitrogen out of the body. Um… sounds like kind of a yucky thing to put into beauty products! But it’s used in cleansers, conditioners, hair dyes, … Continue reading →

Reading Beauty Labels: Petrolatum

You may run across petrolatum as an ingredient in some of your favorite skin care products. Or, you may be familiar with petroleum jelly — a staple in many medicine cabinets. Moisturizers in beauty products fall into two categories: humectants (which draw moisture out of the air and into the skin) and occlusives. Occlusives trap water in the skin and prevent it from evaporating. Petrolatum is most definitely an occlusive, reducing water loss from the skin by as much as ninety-eight percent in laboratory tests! Other studies have pointed out that petrolatum can help fill in spaces between skin cells … Continue reading →