Are there any serious skin care products? Here is how to find them

Don’t buy a serious skin care product, unless you read the ingredients first. There have been many complaints about products purchased from television and internet ads. Most people criticize the company, but it is the customer shares in the responsibility. Either, you do your homework and are satisfied or believe the advertising hype and lose your money. The choice is yours. Here’s some info to get you started.As you may know, the phrase mentioned in the title and in the first paragraph is actually connected to a line of cosmetics sold mostly on home shopping network. While HSN may be a great place to buy jewelry and clothing, there are certain things that you should never buy there. Why? Because, there is never enough information to make sure that you are getting what you truly want. So, many customers come away dissatisfied. If you can evaluate a serious skin care product before you buy, the first thing to do is read the label and look at the list of ingredients. There are many things that you simply do not want on your face, hands or body and they are often found in cosmetics. Here’s a short list of what to avoid.Acrylamide, diethanolamine (DEA), monoetanolamine (MEA), triethanolamine (TEA), dioxane, nitrosamines, padimate-O or octyl dimethyl and polyethylene glycol (PEG) are all commonly used in creams and lotions. They are all either known or suspected carcinogens. That is cancer causing agents in layman’s terms.Methyl, propyl, butyl and ethyl parabens are commonly used as preservatives and are suspected of interfering with the endocrine system. If you have an allergic reaction to a so-called serious skin care product or you develop a rash, it is probably due to these ingredients.It is amazing how many cosmetic companies use some form of alcohol for various purposes in their products. Any kind of liquid alcohol will strip natural oils and cause dryness. It also changes the natural pH balance and makes you vulnerable to bacterial and viral infections. Alcohols also promote age spots, discoloration and premature aging.If something is truly a serious skin care product, it should contain nothing unnatural, nothing that could be harmful to your body. Everything that you put on your face or hands is absorbed through your pores and eventually ends up in your blood stream. You may as well be eating it. But, you even have to watch out for the “natural” products. Many contain mineral oil which clogs the pores. Others contain emollients and other oils that can become rancid if kept past the use-by date. If refined oil is used, they become poisonous.Also, a serious skin care product should not contain artificial or even natural fragrances. Your sense of smell is very important and odors affect your mental well being. Ask anyone who uses aromatherapy. While some smells are pleasant and relaxing, others cause depression, hyperactivity and irritability. Too, constant use of products containing a fragrance will eventually damage your sense of smell, which is connected to your sense of taste. Everything in the body is connected. If you really want a serious skin care product, you should look for one that is created with your health in mind. Softness, smoothness and a radiant glow accompany good health. Isn’t that what you want?

There are different kinds of skin care products in the market. With all the available products, it is difficult to know which ones are actually beneficial for your skin. This is the reason why you have to be on the lookout for products that suit your skin type. In order for you to avoid allergies and other skin diseases, you have to know more about the products that are sold in boutiques and stores. You have to learn which products for skin care are bad for you or are ineffective. You have to prevent from using skin care items that are formulated with harmful ingredients, since these can cause damage to your skin.

There are plenty of skin care products that are formulated with harsh chemicals. These chemicals are utilized during the processing of the products. The sad thing is that even items that are said to contain “natural” ingredients also contain harmful formulas. These harsh formulations can lead to minor skin problems such as blemishes and irritations. On the other hand, there are some formulations that can cause severe health problems like skin cancer. Learning the hard way means that you get affected with a skin problem before you switch to a better product. This is something that you should avoid.

One of the most important skin care tips that you can follow is to know which formulations are bad for your skin. This way, you will be able to avoid products that contain such ingredients. Read the back labels of the merchandises to know if these are formulated with harmful chemicals. The following ingredients are found in some skin care products. You should avoid items that are formulated with these.

•          Collagen Fiber – Cow hide collagen is a popular ingredient for some skin care products. However, this is an ineffective formulation since the pores are unable to absorb it. Even if it is effective, when injected on the skin, you have to avoid it altogether.

•          Polyethylene Glycol – This is a skin care ingredient that is used for making anti-aging products creamy. This is widely used compared to other formulas because it is considered as the cheapest. A lot of companies utilize this to earn larger profits.

•          Toluene – This is an ingredient for skin care products that is based from petroleum. This formulation is most common in fragrant skin merchandises. Chronic exposure to this ingredient can lead to kidney and liver damage, and anemia. The other names for this chemical are benzyl, benzoic, and butylated hydroxytoluene. There are some products that do not indicate the use of toluene. On the contrary, manufacturers only utilize the term “fragrance”. The best thing that you can do is to prevent from buying products for skin care that are said to contain fragrances. Instead, opt for unscented products.

•          Alcohols – There are different kinds of alcohol-based chemicals. These include isopropyl, ethanol, methanol, ethyl, SD alcohol, and benzyl. These skin care ingredients strip your skin of their natural glow, making your skin appear dry and dull. They also lead to age-spots and they cause damage to your skin’s collagen and elastin.

If you want to ensure a healthy and glowing skin, opt for skin care products that are based from all-natural ingredients. These products are used to make your skin firm, prevent early signs of aging, eliminate stretch marks, and get rid of skin problems. When you are searching for the best products for proper skin care, check out online sites.

Biologic therapy has revolutionized our approach to the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Less than 10 years ago, the best we could hope for was to “modify disease” or slow it down and also help with symptoms. Now the goal is to not only control symptoms, it is to get RA into complete remission. Biologics are protein-based medicines that are synthesized in a laboratory. They act like laser beams to target the immune abnormalities that are felt to cause RA.

First generation biologics such as etanercept (Enbrel), infliximab (Remicade), and adalimumab (Humira) are known as TNF-inhibitors and have done wonders for many patients. Second generation biologic such as rituximab (Rituxan) which acts against B cells and abatacept (Orencia) which works on T cells are both welcome additions to the arsenal of weapons available to combat RA.

Cimzia (certolizumab) is an investigational TNF-inhibitor. It differs from the current crop of TNF-inhibitors since it is “pegylated.” This means that a substance called polyethylene glycol has been attached to the molecule. This pegylation lengthens the half-life of the drug- meaning the drug stays in the system longer. Cimzia also has had a piece of protein removed from the molecule. The piece of protein that has been removed contained a small amount of mouse protein (yes… these drugs are often created using mouse proteins). By removing the piece of mouse protein, it is hoped that Cimzia will cause fewer adverse reactions.

A recent presentation on June 14, 2007 at the annual meeting of the European Congress of Rheumatology (EULAR) described data on Cimzia.

The team studied 2 dose regimens, which patients received subcutaneously as add-on therapy to methotrexate.

In a phase 3, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study, the investigators recruited 992 patients with RA who received either the study drug or placebo. The investigators wanted to know the rate at which people had a 20% improvement, as defined by the American College of Rheumatology criteria (ACR 20).

The patients, who had previously been treated for at least 6 months with methotrexate, were randomized to treatment with either pegylated certolizumab or placebo. Those on treatment received 3 400-mg doses every 2 weeks, followed by 200 or 400 mg doses of certolizumab pegol every 2 weeks. The patients continued methotrexate as usual. The investigators assessed the efficacy and safety parameters at 2-week intervals.

In an early analysis at 24 weeks, the investigators found that 581 patients completed the study: 259 of the 397 on 200 mg of the drug, 278 of the 394 on 400 mg, and 44 of the 201 on placebo. The ACR20 response rate was 59.2% in the 200 mg group, 61.2% in the 400 mg group, and 13.5% of those who received methotrexate and placebo. The proportion of patients who experienced a significant side effect was 74.0% in the 200 mg group, 76.1% in the 400 mg group, and 57.7% in the placebo group. The majority of adverse events were mild to moderate.

“Pegylated certolizumab adds significant benefit in reducing the signs and symptoms of RA in combination with methotrexate, compared to using methotrexate alone,” said lead investigator Edward C. Keystone, MD, professor of medicine at the University in Toronto, and director of the Rebecca MacDonald Centre for Arthritis and Autoimmune Disease, in Ontario.

Bottom line: Pegylated certolizumab works like a TNF blocker and appears to treat the signs and symptoms of RA. Whether it’s better than the TNF blockers that are currently available is still no known. It is better than placebo.