Comedogenic is an important word to know when dealing with acne and cosmetic products. Its definition is "tending to produce or aggravate acne". Therefore, a comedogenic ingredient or product is one that will exacerbate acne problems.

For this reason, it is a good idea to read the label of your skin care and cosmetic products before buying them. If you find any comedogenic ingredients, stay away from that product. If you have already purchased a product containing these types of ingredients, throw it out.

Acne Formation

Our skin's sebum is complex, made of six or seven principal ingredients, including triglycerides and squalene, a precursor of cholesterol. The triglycerides are broken down on the surface of the skin by bacteria to free fatty acids, which cause acne breakouts in genetically predisposed families. As we shall see, many cosmetics also include these acids. Unfortunately, some cosmetics include esters of fatty acids like isopropyl mystrate or butyl stearate which are more likely to boost the generation of some acne lesions. These cosmetics can interfere with traditional adult acne treatments.

Before we talk about cosmetic ingredients, we should consider the purpose of sebum. We could be under the impression that sebum is vital to our skin's health. However, there is no evidence to back up that idea. Apparently, the discharge of sebum is simply a vestige whose function has been lost in the path of evolution.

Sebum does not prevent wrinkles either. Wrinkling, or aging of the skin, is a consequence of accumulated sun exposure, and no moisturizer on the market is capable of reversing this exhaustion of tissues.

Harmful Ingredients in Acne Treatments

3 main groups of offending ingredients

Lanolins Lanolin is, perhaps, the most common ingredient in cosmetics. Lanolin is simply sheep skin oil taken from wool. The fatty acids in lanolin, just like fatty acids in our own oil, can accentuate some acne in the skin of individuals with genetic tendency towards acne. Many lanolin by-products commonly being used in cosmetics are damaging to acne-prone individuals, i.e., etoxylated lanolins and acetylated lanolins. The partially synthetic lanolins are able to penetrate skin pores even better than natural lanolin. Lanolin oil, itself, is acceptable.

Isopropyl Myristate and its Chemical Cousins

One of the worst components is a penetrating oil called isopropyl myristate. It is the main ingredient in penetrating rust remover called Liquid Wrench. Isopropyl Myristate helps cosmetics go on more smoothly and have a slicker feel. This particular penetrating oil is so invading that if left over night in a beaker, it will actually move over the top, down the borders and onto the table top. There are several chemicals analogous to isopropyl myristate in cosmetics. The most common are: decyl oleate, putty sterate, isostearyl neopentonate, octyl sterate, octyl palmitate, myristyl myristate, isopropyl isothermal, isopropyl palmitate and isocetyl stearate and PPG myristyl propionate. All must be avoided, as must other surfactants such as laureth-4.

Drugs As Acne Treatments

Maybe one the most disturbing recent findings about acne-producing potential is the red colorations used in blushes. Some of the red dyes used in drugs and cosmetics are comedogenic. This discovery is not surprising considering they are coal tar by-products. Ever since doctors noticed that acne was an occupational illness of chimney sweeps, coal tar has been recognized for its acne-causing properties. An adequate substitute for red color is carmine, a dye derived from insect wings and discovered by the Aztecs.

Always be on the look out for these comedogenic components. To keep your skin healthy, remember to read product labels. This simple tip can mean the difference between beautiful and damaged skin.