Rejuvaessence
Mineral oil and petrolatum . . . can keep air off the skin to some extent, but . . . it doesn't suffocate the skin!" (pp. 11-13). She also states that antiperspirants "cannot absorb into the skin . . ." (p. 14). I maintain that anything rubbed onto the skin will be absorbed, as long as the molecules are small enough to pass through the skin membrane; this is how patches work to deliver medication. Although Begoun makes a good point that crude oil is "natural," I believe in making educated choices of which earth-derived substances we apply to the skin, and crude oil is not on my list. It should be noted that there are degrees of occlusivity: If an ingredient is occlusive when used by itself, it will be less so when used in combination with non-occlusive ingredients. A small amount of beeswax used to emulsify jojoba and water will be far less occlusive than rubbing beeswax alone onto the skin. With that in mind, besides mineral oil and petrolatum, here are some of the more common occlusive ingredients found in "natural" skin care: You're never too young to be concerned about the environment and other ecological issues. At a time when most young women are beginning to use skin care products and cosmetics, many companies are competing for their purchases. Many teenagers simply follow the mainstream and begin using products that are readily available and widely advertised. But others have chosen a different road: ethical skin care products. What is Ethical Skin Care? In general, companies who produce products using ingredients from only natural and sustainable sources can be thought of as producing ethical products. Another facet of ethical products involves not testing on animals. Packaging is important, too. Glass is a preferred packaging material as is recycled and recyclable plastic.