Men's Skin Care, If It's Broken Fix It - Navigating the Toxic Sea of Confusion

By Jolene M. Zabek

It is quite obvious these days the skin care industry for men is booming. Their needs, wants and desires to look better, smell better and be ever so smoother than ever have hit an all time high. The handsome guy on the horse comes to mind or the women chasing an unsuspecting victim simply because he used a body spray that morning. Are images making men ask themselves," How do I become the most interesting man in the world? And oh yeah it should all come in one bottle." Sorry, achieving great skin doesn't work that way but that's another article.

While the choices of men's skin care and men's moisturizers can be an overwhelming experience and force the regular guy to go back to just using soap for everything. There is a very positive light at the end of the wrinkle war tunnel with higher quality skin care being offered. But how do you determine what is a superior product? Ingredients. Not all ingredients are equal and while men are wonderful most of you don't take the time to research what you're putting on your body as long as you get the girl or the guy for that matter. In fact some are incredibly harmful and toxic especially for men and gentlemen you deserve to be informed. As a highly skilled Aesthetician with over 15 years experience in the skin care arena and being passionate about researching ingredients and how they affect our bodies and not just our beautiful mugs. I was shocked at what I discovered and how few people knew exactly just what they were putting on their skin. So at the urging of one of my male clients to keep it simple, here is a list of the top 5 ingredients (I do have more) to completely avoid in your magic potions of power.

1.Silicones (Cyclomethicone, Dimethicone, Trimethicone,) Cheap fillers that literally suffocate the skin making it appear temporarily plumper. Contains no true moisturizing properties and can actually trap dirt, sebum and bacteria which could provoke breakouts and allergic reactions. Possible organ system toxicity.

2. PEG-8 PEG-150 PEG 120 (PEG/POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL): This is a very misleading ingredient. There are serious possible contaminants associated with this surfactant ingredient called ETHYLENE OXIDE,1,4-DIOXANE that according to the California EPA Proposition 65 is linked to as a possible human developmental toxicant and that's just the beginning.

3. Sodium Laurel Sulfate: Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) & Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES): Used as detergents and surfactants, these closely related compounds are found in car wash soaps, garage floor cleaners and engine degreasers. Yet both SLS and SLES are used more widely as one of the major ingredients in cosmetics, toothpastes, hair conditioner and about 90% of all shampoos and products that foam. According to the American College of Toxicology, other research has indicated SLS may be damaging to the immune system, especially within the skin. It is possibly the most dangerous of all ingredients in personal care products.

4. Parabens: In 1998 British researchers at Brunel University discovered that Parabens mimic estrogen in the body. High paraben concentrations in males can lead to more body fat, lower muscle mass and Gynecomastia (the development of breasts in men!). More recently Japanese research linked the estrogenic activity of parabens to male reproductive system damage, including infertility and decreased testosterone levels. More frightening, the damage occurred at doses well below the accepted daily intake.

5. Methylisothiazolinone: Methylisothiazolinone is a widely-used preservative; has been associated with allergic reactions. Lab studies on the brain cells of mammals also suggest that methylisothiazolinone may be a neurotoxin.

Now that you're armed to make better decisions not only can you stop sneaking your woman's moisturizer but you can choose products with advanced ingredients in anti-aging that not only affect the positive changes you want to see, but more importantly protect your health on a level you can feel extremely proud of.

Jolene M. Zabek is a licensed Aesthetician with special certification in Anti-Aging and Ingredient Technology with the American Institute of Aesthetics. Find out more about non-toxic skin care products for men at www.DominusRxSkinCareForMen.com. Put the power in your hands!

Methylisothiazolone Linked to Dyshidrotic Eczema

I was diagnosed with Dyshidrotic Eczema as a small child and suffer regular outbreaks.

Tiny blisters form on the skin of my hands, begin to itch unbearably, eventually break open & peel and burn, and are sometimes followed by deep, painful lesions. Several stages of the chronic problem could be happening at once, so that my hands are both itching with blisters and raw & burning, with painful cracks. Usually, the outbreaks resolved themselves on their own after a few weeks, though I had to occasionally use a topical steroid to rid myself of a long outbreak.

This last year, however, the symptoms became incredibly severe, with major swelling and excruciating pain. My fingers began looking like sausages and I had virtually no skin left anywhere on my hands -- even the backs became covered in blisters. I visited six different doctors, each multiple times. All prescribed some form of steroid -- creams, ointments, shots, oral cycles, etc. In each case, the steroid would work, briefly; within weeks or even days, however, the symptoms eventually returned full force. I read about natural remedies and began diet changes -- I went on a vegetable fast, then an apple fast, supposedly to clean out my digestive tract and rid my body of the toxins causing the skin ailment -- to no avail!

Finally, a dermatologist sent me to an allergist who performed a patch test used for determining contact allergies (the doc said that if the patch test hadn't turned up anything, he'd have checked for food allergies next, followed by environmental allergies).

As it turns out, I'm allergic to a chemical called methylisothiazolone (also called methylisothiazolone, metatin GT, Mitco, Acticide, algucid, amerstat 250, Euxyl K 100, Fennosan IT 21, Grotan TK2, Kathon, Mergal, Chloromethylisothiazolone, etc.), which is present in most hand soaps, shampoos, conditioners, baby wipes, cosmetics, detergents, fabric softeners, dish soaps, and even paint. The chemical, which is also present in a compound for which I tested positive, is known as a common allergen and is widely used as a preservative in cleansing products, since it has antibiotic and anti-fungal properties.

If your skin is compromised in any way (if you suffer from any form of Eczema, your skin often is!), then continued exposure to this chemical very commonly causes an escalating allergic reaction which may be confused for a regular outbreak. Ironically, because I had so many lesions over the surface of my skin, and have two young children in diapers, I washed my hands constantly, and when washing became too painful, I used baby wipes (both, I've discovered, had the chemical). Gloves have always made my skin even worse, so good hygiene seemed a necessary evil. I now realize that I was, of course, making things even worse for myself.

My doctor told me that complete avoidance is extremely difficult, as the chemical is prevalent in so many products. I've had to replace tons of products with substitutes from a local natural food & drug shop (although I found the chemical in a few of the products there as well!). The chemical takes up to three weeks to break down in the skin, so even after exposure is limited as much as possible, you may continue to exhibit symptoms while the break-down process happens. Also, the chemical transfers easily; my husband and son now have to change their products as well. In addition, we've had to re-launder towels & sheets, to hopefully speed the rate of break-down for items that have already been exposed.

I recommend allergy testing to anyone suffering from this incredible painful form of eczema -- you, too, may have developed underlying issues which are interfering with your body's ability to heal itself. It's a simple procedure and was covered entirely by even my (crappy!) insurance (I payed hundreds of dollars in doctor & specialist co-pays before finding this root cause).