Journal

Considering the amount of dangerous chemicals used today in the skin care and beauty world, it is important to take a closer look at the potential harmful effects of these ingredients. On this week’s part of a five-week series, we would like to further investigate and educate about the risks of Acrylate, a plastic compound that is commonly used in many luxury brand skin care products today.

Many think that if a brand is in the high-end market, it must contain only the highest quality ingredients and substances. Unfortunately, this is often not true due to the nature of the processed chemicals like Acrylate that are used. A synthetic, stabilizing, and binding ingredient, this toxic chemical forms a film barrier over the skin, giving a false sense of smooth, protected skin.

Acrylate gives the appearance of rejuvenation, but this is merely an illusion that makes women think that their skin is properly hydrated and repaired. This toxic chemical compound actually has been proven to work against the skin’s natural mechanisms to accelerate the aging of the skin. Formulas that consumers trust to make their skin more youthful and firm actually is aging them quicker.

Not only do these high-end brands wrongfully market their products as skin care saviors, but using this chemical in skin care or cosmetics also can be toxic for the body. Our skin is a living organ that readily absorbs anything that is directly applied to it and then sends these chemicals throughout the bloodstream to the rest of the body.

Applying a plastic like Acrylate to the skin has been proven as a serious health concern. This dangerous chemical is a known irritant with the ability to cause not only skin, eye, and lung problems but government-led studies also found links to devastating diseases like cancer or organ-system toxicity. These studies also showed a clear connection between Acrylates and neurological, cellular, and reproductive-system damage.

The EPA has classified Acrylates as a possible human carcinogen, with exposure linked to an increased rate of colorectal cancer, lung damage, nerve damage, and skin allergies. While government agencies can see the link between this chemical and the harm it creates, there are no legal grounds for regulation on the usage of Acrylates lower than 100 percent concentration. This means that modern cosmetic brands are able to use however much of this chemical they wish with zero prohibition as long as it is slightly lower than 100 percent concentration.

With all of these studies making clearly defined connections between Acrylate plastics and serious health issues, it is vital to check before using luxury and high-end skin care brands which often utilize these toxic and harsh chemicals. It is now more important than ever to commit to brands that use only pure, natural, alive ingredients with zero dangerous chemicals.