Cocamidopropyl Betaine. This is the first ingredient after water in the BodySolution Detoxifying Scrub. Doing a quick search on the Internet, I find that while this ingredient is used in thousands of cosmetics, it can also be harmful. According to the following website, Cocamidopropyl Betaine “may contain harmful impurities or form toxic breakdown products, itching, burning and blistering of skin. Synthesized from coconuts, this chemical is found in body products and may be labeled natural or organic.”
http://www.purezing.com/living/toxins/living_toxins_dangerousingredients.html
On another website, http://www.cosmeticdatabase.com/ingredient.php?ingred06=701520, which seems a little more scientific, I find the following:
- “Known human immune system toxicant”
- “Determined safe for use in cosmetics, subject to concentration or use limitations – Safe for use in cosmetics with some qualifications”
- “May contain harmful impurities”
- “An agent that can induce an allergic reaction in skin or lungs:Yes”
What I gather from this, is that it’s safe to use in cosmetics, but it’s concentration needs to be limited. And if you’re allergic to it, you probably want to stay away from it altogether.
As I look into this site a little more, they list products which contain this ingredient and the degree of hazard. Interesting, some products that you would think are safe, are actually categorized with a high degree of hazard. I couldn’t find BodySolution though…
Let’s go to some other ingredients: Camelia oleifera (green tea) Leaf extract and Camlia sinensis (while tea) leaf extract.
This link, http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FKA/is_8_64/ai_89379600/, brings up the following for green tea:
Caffeine. Although drinking caffeine seems to increase cellulite–probably by impairing circulation and lymph flow–topical application can reduce fat content in cells by blocking phosphodiesterase, an enzyme that inhibits fat breakdown. Caffeine may be listed on ingredient labels as caffeine, kola nut, tea or green tea.
Hmmm…so all of that coffee that I drink during the day, 2-4 cups per day, could be contributing to my cellulite. I’ve had two cups so far today, and I could still go for more. Ugh!
From the Murad site, http://www.murad.com/cellulite-treatment.jsp, is the following:
Tea (Red, White, Black, Green)
Tea comes from leaves and leaf buds of plants cultivated principally in China, Japan, Ceylon and other Asian countries. Tea is a mild stimulant, and its tonic properties are due to the caffeine content. Topically, it is used to reduce puffiness in areas affected by cellulite. Green tea also contains polyphenols, powerful antioxidants that function primarily in the skin. It is thought that these antioxidants may be able to inhibit cancer in some cases. For example, the topical administration of green tea has been shown to result in a reduction of tumors that occurred following UVB radiation.
There’s some other ingredients too, but I’m not going to go through each one. Unfortunately, despite my using the scrub and the other products to the letter, I still haven’t seen any results yet. Maybe I need to give it more time.
That’s it for today. Thanks for reading!