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 components, stay away from that product. If you have already purchased a product containing these types of components, throw it out.

Acne Formation

Our skin's sebum is complex, composed of 6 or 7 main components, including triglycerides and squalene, a precursor of cholesterol. The triglycerides are degraded on the surface of the skin by microbes to liberate 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 production of some acne lesions. These cosmetics can interfere with traditional adult acne treatments.

Before we talk about cosmetic components, we should consider the purpose of sebum. We could assume that sebum is vital to our skin's health. However, there is no evidence to that effect. Apparently, the discharge of sebum is just a vestige whose function has been lost in the path of evolution.

Sebum doesn't avoid wrinkles either. Wrinkling, or aging of the skin, is a reflection of accumulated sun damage, and no moisturizer in the world is capable of reversing the natural, aging process.

Harmful Ingredients in Acne Treatments

3 main categories of offending components

Lanolins Lanolin is, perhaps, the most common ingredient in cosmetics. Lanolin is simply sheep skin oil extracted from wool. The fatty acids in lanolin, just like fatty acids in our own oil, tend to aggravate 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 people, i.e., etoxylated lanolins and acetylated lanolins. The partially synthetic lanolins are able to permeate skin pores even better than biological lanolin. Lanolin oil, itself, is acceptable.

Isopropyl Myristate and its Chemical Cousins

One of the strongest products is a penetrating oil known as isopropyl myristate. It is the main ingredient in penetrating rust remover called Liquid Wrench. Isopropyl Myristate aids 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 many chemicals similar to isopropyl myristate in cosmetics. The most common are: isostearyl neopentonate, isopropyl palmitate, octyl palmitate, myristyl myristate, isopropyl isothermal, octyl sterate, decyl oleate, putty sterate 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 troublesome recent discoveries about acne-causing potential is the red colorations used in blushes. Some of the red dyes used in drugs and cosmetics are comedogenic. This discovery is not unexpected considering they are coal tar by-products. Ever since doctors noticed that acne was an occupational hazard of chimney sweeps, coal tar has been known for its acne-causing properties. An acceptable substitute for red tincture is carmine, a dye derived from insect wings and discovered by the Aztecs.

Always be on the look out for these comedogenic components. Take a moment and read product labels. This simple action can keep your skin beautiful and healthy.