Two Ingredient Moisturizer

If you were sent to live on a desert island and could only bring one beauty product with you, what would it be?  I would probably pick soap.  But if I was allowed to bring two things, it would be soap and a good moisturizer.  Moisturizer helps to prevent and heal dry, cracked skin, and provides a protective barrier.  A good moisturizer will give your skin a healthy glow and is one of the most important aspects of any good beauty regimen.

Image Source:  iClipart

The Problem

At the beginning of the year, I was actually using three different moisturizers.  For my face, I was using Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture with Sunscreen.  For my body I used Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion.  And as a new mom, I had begun to notice a lot of little wrinkles developing around my eyes, so I decided I needed a specialized cream designed exclusively for the eye area.  The most affordable one I could find was L’oreal Eye Defense – priced around $15 for just half an ounce! 

One of the things I’ve learned this year is that all these different types of moisturizers contain basically the same types of ingredients, so paying up to (or above) $30 an ounce for a so-called specialized moisturizer is really just a rip off.  Especially when you consider that some of the ingredients may not be completely safe:

• Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture with Sunscreen (SPF 15) has a rating of 6 (moderate hazard) in the EWG’s SkinDeep database. 

o   It includes Polyparaben and Oxybenzone, both of which are considered High Hazard ingredients, and have been linked to endocrine disruption. 

o   It also contains the questionable ingredients Octinoxate, Diazolydinyl Urea (a Formaldehyde Releaser), Triethanolamine, Ethylparaben, Methylparaben, PEG-100 Stearate, and Dimethicone, all of which have been rated as Moderate Hazard ingredients for various reasons, including endocrine disruption, allergies, organ system toxicity, and ecotoxicology.

• Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion has a rating of 2 (low hazard), which is actually not too bad.  Still, it could be better, because it does contain some Moderate Hazard ingredients: Benzyl Alcohol, Petrolatum, Distearyldimonium Chloride, and Dimethicone.

• And my $30 per ounce “affordable” eye cream, L’oreal Eye Defense, has a rating of 6 (moderate hazard), because it is chock full of parabens, which have been linked to endocrine disruption:  Propylparaben, Butylparaben, Ethyl Paraben, and Methylparaben.  It also contains Propylene Glycol, which is rated as a Moderate Hazard ingredient due to allergies, organ system toxicity, and enhanced skin absorption.

I decided to come up with a way to moisturize my face and body with as few ingredients as possible.  Almost all moisturizers contain at least two types of ingredients:  humectants and emollients (Gabriel 2008).  Humectants attract water into the skin and help it to “plump up”.  Emollients help prevent water from leaving the skin, and also help to maintain the skin barrier, heal cracked skin, etc.  

Since humectants are by definition water attractant, and emollients are typically oily, they don’t naturally mix together.  Therefore, in order to create a lotion containing both types of ingredients, emulsifiers are needed to blend the water loving and oil loving ingredients, and stabilizers need to be added to keep the formula at a uniform consistency.  

Water is almost always one of the first ingredients listed on any moisturizer.  It helps provide the proper texture and also acts as a penetration enhancer (Gabriel 2008).  Typically once water is added to any beauty product, it becomes necessary to either refrigerate the product or add preservatives, otherwise the water will breed harmful bacteria, viruses and fungi.  

Unfortunately, most of the preservatives that keep harmful microbes at bay (Making Cosmetics, Inc.)  are classified as Moderate to High Hazard ingredients in the EWG Skin Deep Database (see summary table below).  While there are some Low Hazard natural preservatives available, their antimicrobial activity is not as effective as most of the more widely used, broad spectrum synthetic preservatives (Making Cosmetics, Inc.).

   

Preservative	Skin Deep Rating	Hazard Level
Methylparaben	4, Limited	Moderate
Ethylparaben	4, Limited	Moderate
Propylparaben	10, Limited	High
Butylparaben	7, Limited	High
Imidazolidinyl Urea	6, Limited	Moderate
Diazolidinyl Urea	6, Limited	Moderate
Methylchloroisothiazolinone	5, Limited	Moderate
Methylisothiazolinone	5, Limited	Moderate
Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate	4-6, Limited	Moderate
Methyldibromo Glutaronitrile	7, Limited	High
Sodium Benzoate	3, Fair	Moderate
Chloracetamide	8, Limited	High
EDTA	2, Fair	Low
Phenoxyethanol	4, Limited	Moderate
Triclosan	7, Fair	High
DMDM-Hydantoin	7, Limited	High
Quaternium-15	8, Limited	High
Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE)	3, Limited	Moderate
Rosemary Extract	0, Limited	Low
Tea Tree Oil	0, Limited	Low
Neem Seed Oil	0, Limited	Low
Thyme Oil	0, Limited	Low
Vitamin E (Tocopherol)	1, Fair	Low
Vitamin C (Asorbic Acid)	0, Fair	Low

It's not that it's impossible to find a safe, effective, commercially prepared moisturizing lotion.  There are plenty listed in Skin Deep.  The problem is that most of them are a little pricey, and I feel like it's more cost effective just to purchase the raw ingredients myself.  

I could try making lotion at home and keep it in the fridge, but that requires an extra level of time and research that I'm not willing to invest at this time.  I’m already making my own hairspray, sunscreen, bodywash and laundry detergent.  I can’t stay in the kitchen all day whipping up cosmetics and household products.  :)

 

Instead, I use just two ingredients that don’t need to be preserved because I don’t emulsify them.  It’s a simple, two-step process.

The Solution

Step One – Glycerin

Glycerin is one of the most widely used cosmetic ingredients, and is a very effective humectant, which again, means that it attracts water into the skin.  It is rated 0 (Low Hazard) by Skin Deep.  I purchased a bottle of NOW Brand Vegetable Glycerin from Whole Foods ($8.99 for 16 oz).  There are a couple of different processes for making vegetable glycerin, and when purchasing, it’s best to get the kind that is not a byproduct of biodiesel manufacturing.  Vegetable Glycerin is very thick and syrupy, and needs to be diluted with water to achieve the desired effect.  Some people are allergic to it, so be careful and avoid it if you think you may be allergic.

Right after I get out of the shower, while my skin is still damp, I take a small amount of glycerin and mix it at least an equal part of water in the palm of my hand.  I begin by applying it on my face and neck, and then move on to the rest of the body, all the way down to the tips of my toes.  The beauty of mixing it with water immediately before applying is because my skin’s needs vary based on the weather, time of the month, body part, etc., and I can make it more diluted when my skin is oily or less diluted when my skin is dry and needs extra moisture.  As I apply the glycerin, I can literally feel my skin getting more plump as it soaks up the moisture.  The past couple of weeks, it has been extremely hot and humid, so there have been a few days when I just applied a light dilution of glycerin and left it at that.  But on most days, I feel like I also need an emollient to hold in the moisture.

Step Two – Plant Oil

All oils are emollients, but some are more emollient than others, and they all have slightly different properties.  The two oils most widely used in cosmetics are mineral oil and petrolatum.  Skin Deep has mineral oil rated as 1-3 (Low-Moderate Hazard), depending on usage.  From what I can tell based on the database results, it looks like there is only a concern with toxicity if mineral oil is used in aerosol form.  Petrolatum (also known as petroleum jelly), is rated 4 (Moderate Hazard), due to concerns that it can be contaminated with PAHS (a possible carcinogen and endocrine disruptor) and association with organ system toxicity.  So, based on the Skin Deep assessment, I would venture to say that mineral oil is usually pretty safe to use, but petroleum jelly, not so much. 

Mineral oil is also very inexpensive, which makes it a tempting option for someone like me who is looking to save money.  There are some who claim that mineral oil forms a thick occlusive film over the skin, trapping in dirt and grime and causing blocked pores (Gabriel 2008, Petty 2011), but there are other people who say that this simply isn’t true, and that mineral oil doesn’t block pores any more than plant oils do (Begoun 2009).  Quite frankly, I haven’t been able to find enough evidence to support either position.

Dimethicone is a silicone ingredient that is also widely used as an emollient ingredient in cosmetics.  It is a very lightweight moisturizer with a nice, non-greasy feel.  I’ve found that it is even used in many “green” and “natural” branded cosmetics, but Skin Deep has it rated at 3 (Moderate Hazard) due to concerns with organ system toxicity and ecotoxicity.  It’s not the worst ingredient I found in my beauty cabinet this year, and I really used to enjoy that “non-greasy” feeling of the dimethicone-based moisturizers I was using, but I think it’s better to avoid it if possible.

For now, I’ve decided to use natural plant oils. As long as you aren't allergic to them, they are safe to use.  The oils below each have a rating of 0, Low Hazard in the Skin Deep database.  Also, many plant oils contain antioxidants and vitamins that benefit the skin.  Here are my personal favorites:

Sweet Almond Oil

Sweet Almond Oil is my favorite all-around emollient moisturizer.  It’s fairly inexpensive (about $9-$10 for a 16 oz. bottle) and available on the “healthy living” isle of my regular grocery store, HEB.  Sweet Almond Oil is nourishing enough to soften skin all over the body, but still lightweight enough that it can be used on the face.  It is also high in Vitamin E, an antioxidant which has been shown to protect against UV damage (Miles 2006)

Coconut Oil

I love the smell of coconut oil (although there are unscented varieties available).  It’s pretty inexpensive (about $9-$10) for a 28 oz. container, and is sold on the baking aisle at the grocery store.  Coconut oil is extremely emollient.  I’ve found that it causes breakouts when I use it on my face and back, but it works wonders for extremely dry skin and rough areas like knees, elbows, and heels.  I love using it during the winter to stave off dry flaky skin.  Coconut oil is full of fatty acids which plump up the skin (Nakhla 2011, Petty 2011)

Argan Oil

There seems to be a lot of buzz about argan oil lately.  Cosmetics companies are pitching it as an ancient Moroccan secret with miraculous anti-aging properties.  It does contain a large amount of tocopherols and other antioxidants which benefit the skin (Petty 2011).  However, other than that, the evidence that argan oil is a miraculous fountain of youth is a bit underwhelming.  That being said, I still wanted to try it, and I have to say, it was one of my favorites.

I found that it has a very nice lightweight texture, doesn't seem to cause breakouts, and gives the skin a warm glow.  Argan oil extraction is a labor intensive process, much of which must be done by hand.  The good thing about this is that it creates jobs and is an important source of income for Moroccan women.  The downside is that argan oil is very rare and expensive.  If you decide to try it, I recommend buying 100% pure argan oil in bulk for a good price.  I do not recommend paying top dollar for a commercially prepared moisturizer that contains a token amount of argan oil and the false promise of eternal youth.

Some other good moisturizing plant oils include olive oil, grapeseed oil and jojoba oil.  I tried all of these, but they weren’t my favorites for various reasons.  The olive oil seemed to be too heavy for the face, and while I love the smell of olive oil on my hands when I’m kneading pizza dough, I don’t necessarily want my entire body to smell like that on a regular basis.  Grapeseed oil is very lightweight, but I felt like it was a little bit too lightweight for my skin.  Jojoba oil was okay – the results were kind of similar to sweet almond oil, actually, but too expensive in my opinion.

After applying glycerin, I wash my hands, and apply a layer of whatever plant oil I happen to be using that day.  A little goes a long way.  I have to say, at first, it takes some time to get used to the feeling of the oil after using lightweight silicone based moisturizers for such a long time.  Now that I have gotten used to it, though, I love the way it gives my skin a healthy glow that lasts all day long.

References

Begoun, Paula.  (2009).  The Original Beauty Bible:  Unparalleled Information for      Beautiful and Younger Skin at Any Age.  Renton, WA:  Beginning Press.

Gabriel, Julie.  (2008).  The Green Beauty Guide:  Your Essential Resource to Organic  and Natural Skin Care, Hair Care, Makeup, and Fragrances.  Deerfield Beach, Florida:    Health Communications, Inc.

Making Cosmetics, Inc.  How to Use Preservatives in Cosmetics.  Renton, WA.   http://www.makingcosmetics.com/articles/01-how-to-use-preservatives-in-  cosmetics.pdf, last accessed October 3, 2014.

Miles, S. (2006). Topical antioxidants. Alive: Canada's Natural Health & Wellness  Magazine, (287), 146-147.

Nakhla, Tony.  (2011).  The skin commandments:  10 rules to healthy, beautiful  skin.  St. Louis, MO:  Reedy Press.

Petty, L. (2011). BOTANICAL BALMS: Plant oils for beautiful skin. Alive: Canada's  Natural Health & Wellness Magazine, (343), 35-38.