Cerave

[Tabitha28]

Hi! I recently bought the CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser because everyone recommended it to me and I used it twice. Both times my skin became very red after. I have combination-oily skin. Does anyone have any recommendations on what other cleansers are good?

[selmav19]

I’ve had the same issues with that, after checking the ingredient list myself I realized that there are some pretty harsh chemicals including multiple parabens, alcohol and propylene glycol!!

i threw both my Cleanser and moisturizer out ASAP 

[RGbrown]

 @selmav19 

I'd suggest expanding your ingredient education a bit instead of subscribing to the rampant fear-mongering that plagues certain ingredients. Some ingredients get villainized for no good reason, and this gets perpetuated through fear and an attempt to shame anyone who uses them, even though there is no factual evidence that makes them inherently bad.

Propylene glycol

Spoiler

• Rating: GOOD
• Categories: Texture Enhancer

Along with other glycols and glycerol, propylene glycol is a humectant (hydrating) and delivery ingredient used in cosmetics. 

There are websites and spam e-mails stating that propylene glycol is really industrial antifreeze and that it’s the major ingredient in brake and hydraulic fluids. These sites also state that tests show it’s a strong skin sensitizer. 

They further point out that the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) on propylene glycol warns users to avoid skin contact. As ominous as this sounds, it’s so far from the reality of cosmetics formulations that almost none of it holds any water or poses any real concern. 

In fact, research from toxicologists has shown that propylene glycol and similar ingredients don’t present a health risk for people when used in cosmetics. 

It’s important to realize that the MSDS refers to a 100% concentration of a substance. Even water and salt have frightening comments regarding their safety according to their MSDS reports. 

In cosmetics, propylene glycol is used in small amounts to keep products from melting in high heat or from freezing. It also helps active ingredients penetrate skin. In the amounts used in cosmetics, it’s not a concern in the least.

The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Board and other groups have analyzed all of the toxicology data and exposure studies concerning topical application of propylene glycol as commonly used in cosmetics products. Their conclusion was that it is safe and does not pose a health risk to consumers.

 
Credit: Paula's Choice Ingredient Dictionary

Parabens

Spoiler

• Rating: GOOD
• Categories: Preservatives

Parabens are a group of controversial preservatives that include butylparaben, isobutylparaben, propylparaben, methylparaben, and ethylparaben. All of these were at one time the most widely used group of preservatives used in cosmetics. Parabens were so popular because of their gentle, non-sensitizing, and highly effective profile in comparison to other preservatives but also because they were derived naturally from plants, a rare phenomenon for a preservative. Parabens are found in plants in the form of p-hydroxybenzoic acid (PHBA), a chemical that breaks down to become parabens for a plant’s own protection.

Over the past 10 years parabens have become criticized and condemned for use in cosmetics due to their alleged relation to health concerns affecting women and men. The research about parabens is conflicting and polarizing. Some research indicates they are safe as used in cosmetics and are preferred over other preservatives to keep a formula stable. These studies also showed parabens did not have any effect when compared to natural hormones in the body.

However, other research has concluded they are indeed problematic: Some studies determined a 100% concentration of parabens caused skin samples (meaning not intact skin on a person) to break down. However, these studies don’t apply to the tiny amount (1% or less) of parabens typically used in cosmetics. In low amounts, parabens were not shown to harm skin; in fact, they offer a benefit due to their ability to thwart the growth of mold, fungi, and harmful pathogens.

Other studies casting parabens in a negative light were based on force-feeding them to rats, a practice that is not only cruel but unrelated to what happens when parabens are applied to skin. There are studies indicating absorption of parabens through skin associated with application of skincare products, but those studies did not take into consideration that parabens are still used as food-grade preservatives or that they are found naturally in plants, so either source could have been the origin, not the cosmetics. We also looked at studies showing other questionable effects, but those were done in vitro (meaning in a petri dish) or, again, they were animal studies in species whose biologic makeup does not closely relate to people.

Credit: Paula's Choice Ingredient Dictionary

Alcohols

Spoiler

Last but not least! There are good ones and bad ones.

The Good (these are fatty alcohols, used as an emollient, emulsifier, thickener, texture enhancer, foam stabilizer, and/or carrying agent for other ingredients. They are NOT drying or sensitizing):
cetyl alcohol

ceteareth-20
cetearyl alcohol
behenyl alcohol
caprylic alcohol
decyl alcohol
lauryl alcohol
myristyl alcohol
isostearyl alcohol
oleyl alcohol
stearyl alcohol

The Bad (these are the drying, sensitizing alcohols that should generally be avoided):
ethanol
ethyl alcohol
denatured alcohol
methanol
isopropyl alcohol
SD alcohol
benzyl alcohol
...and anything just labeled "alcohol"

I don't know which specific CeraVe products you had, but looking through ingredients on a few of their cleansers and moisturizers, I see cetearyl, stearyl, cetyl, ceteareth-20, i.e. all GOOD alcohols.

Credit: my own list based off my own web-hunting a couple of years ago, using Paula's Choice Ingredient dictionary and other sources

Paula's Choice has an excellent Ingredient Dictionary; they research the studies and give a quick synopsis of factual information based on verifiable evidence. paulaschoice dot com/ingredient-dictionary

Cosmetics Ingredient Review is another great resource, though a bit more time-intensive to read; they link ingredients to full research papers so you can delve into any ingredient in more depth. Methylparaben, for example, links to a 93 page review with 197 references. cir-safety dot org

[tjffc]

@RGbrown Great info and overview of ingredients!  Thank you.

[greeneyedgirl107]

@Tabitha28 I really love First Aid Beauty Pure Skin Face Cleanser – Gentle Hydrating Cleanser  .  You can always cut it with CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser, or alternate between the two.  Good luck!

[MewLilah]

Foaming Cleansers tend to be harsher on the skin, try using less consistency. I have their SA Renewing cleanser that does me a lil red but i have reactive skin when i touch it so... one pump is enough for my face,neck , chest and back so for my face i use way less and do a double cleanse with it (washing my face twice with a lil bit of the product)

Simple Foaming Facial Cleanser is amazing since you have combo oily skin. I used this in the summer and in the winter i switched to their hydrating cleanser since i got into direct acids and retinol

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[ather]

@Tabitha28  I’ve been using KORRES Greek Yoghurt Foaming Cream Cleanser  super gentle. I’ve got extremely sensitive skin and I really love it!