Anti-ageing creams 'increase cancer risk'

Many products claiming to rid skin of wrinkles and fine lines actually strip away the protective top layer and leave it vulnerable to sun damage and dangerous toxins, according to Dr Sam Epstein, chairman of the US Cancer Prevention Coalition.

He said the active ingredient alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs), found in many leading brands of face cream, were “probably the most dangerous cosmetic products on the market”. 'Miracle cream reverses ageing' Dr Epstein is campaigning for the creams to be regulated in the US and has urged British consumers to be aware of the health risks.

“So many women, and even some men, slather these products all over their skin in the naive belief that they have nothing to fear but ageing,” he told the Daily Express.

In Britain there is no requirement for a warning to be placed on creams containing AHAs, but the alleged dangers ahve already been recognised in the US. The US Food and Drug Administration has warned consumers that AHAs “could destroy the upper layers of skin, causing severe burns, swelling and pain”.

Dr Epstein, who is Professor emeritus of environmental and occupational health at the University of Illinois, added: “Anything that strips the surface of the skin not only risks sunlight penetrating the exposed layer but also allows other toxic products in. “All of the toxic effects are massively increased by AHAs.” Exposure to the sun's harmful rays can cause skin cancer.

Dr Epstein also expressed concern about other ingredients commonly used in anti-ageing products, such as limonene. “Apart from being an irritant, it is a well documented carcinogen,” he said. Britons spend £673million a year on skin care products, with 42 per cent of all moisturisers claiming to combat ageing.

A spokeswoman for the Cosmetics, Toiletries and Perfumeries Association, told the Daily Express that cosmetic firms were not required to warn consumers if their products contained AHAs but only if they contained these ingredients at such high levels they could be dangerous. She added: “There is a legal requirement for these products to be safe.”

Make Your Own Natural Salve for Dry Skin

Spotted this recipe and after trying had to share with you!

I have really, really dry skin. For years, I bought whatever super-creamy, generally pricey cream I saw advertised for treating dry skin. And each and every product either smelled weird, had ingredients I wasn't comfortable slathering on my skin, or just flat-out didn't work.

The original recipe for this salve was to use one cup of olive oil, one cup of calendula blossoms, ¼ of a cup of shaved beeswax, and shea butter. At the time, I was fresh out of calendula (but I did have plenty of dried lavender buds) and I didn't have any shea butter on hand. I decided to wing it and use what I had around the house. The results were absolutely wonderful. I changed the procedure a little, mostly because I didn't want to watch the concoction for twenty minutes while it steeped. It seemed to work well, though.

How to Make Skin Salve

Ingredients:
One cup of olive oil
One cup your choice of blossom. Try lavender buds, calendula blossoms, dried rose petals, rosemary, or mint leaves.
¼ cup of beeswax, grated or shaved
Jar or other container to store finished salve
Cheesecloth, or a fine mesh strainer

Making the Salve:
Place one cup of olive oil and your choice of blossoms or leaves into a saucepan over medium heat.
Heat until the mixture is just below a simmer.
Turn the heat off, move the pan to a cool burner or a trivet, and let the flowers or leaves steep for twenty to thirty minutes.
Strain the oil through a strainer or cheesecloth into a clean bowl. Squeeze as much oil as possible out of your flower buds or leaves with a spoon.
Add beeswax to the oil, and stir it in until it melts.
Pour your salve into a clean jar or container (I used a clean baby food jar), and let it finish cooling, uncovered.
Cover and store.

What can you use this salve for? As I mentioned above, I love to slather it on my hands to keep them soft, but it's also great on your knees, elbows, feet - anywhere you have rough, dry skin. And for you parents out there, it is an awesome alternative to store-bought diaper rash ointments.

I love it that this is all-natural and cheap, and I love even more that I was able to make it with something I grew in my very own garden :)