A question for Dr.Todorov

[MARISHKA]

I've read the article 5 beauty products you should avoid. They give you a big list of ingredients that are at some point could be very harmful for humans. Many skincare brands do use those ingredients. I use Lancome, Estee Lauder, Cellex, Phytomer and etc, because they help me with my skin problems but they all have some of those harmful ingredients in them. So now I am so confused. What should we all do? To start using some organics skincare brands. Personally I do not mind but as I read in DrDenese's book she says plants oil are good for plants but not for your skin. Which means that she does not think that they could probably help with some serious skin problems like fine lines and wrinkles but most of organic skincare brands use the plants's ingredients to achieve anti aging results. Thank you DrTodorov for your help.

[drtodorov]

I don't follow the ingredient in specific brands, there are just too many of them. Generally, common cosmetic ingredients are not acutely toxic - otherwise manufacturer will be out of business very soon. Whether some ingredients produce low level damage is often difficult to judge because the effects are not dramatic and studies are expensive. Furthermore, the very same ingredient would often cause no discernible damage to some and would produce dermatitis in others. Keep in mind that not all synthetic chemicals are damaging just because they are synthetic. And some natural substances may be damaging too.

One possible approach is to find a simple base with reasonably safe inactives, select one or two good actives, and DIY a fresh batch frequently and refrigerate (that way you won't need to use much preservatives).

[MARISHKA]